42nd death anniversary of Maulana Bhasani today

The 42nd death anniversary of veteran politician Maulana Abdul Hamid Khan Bhasani is being observed across the country today.

Popularly known as “Majlum Jananeta”, the leader of the downtrodden Maulana Bhasani, passed away on November 17 in 1976.

To mark the day, different parties and organisations have chalked out various programmes.

The programmes include placing wreaths at Bhasani’s grave at Shantus in Tangail district and offering prayers seeking eternal peace of his departed soul.

Bhasani was a popular leader in his fight against imperialism and oppression of the Pakistani rulers.

Abdul Hamid Khan Bhasani, born in 1880 in Dhangara in Sirajganj, was the son of Haji Sharafat Ali Khan. He gained immense popularity among peasants.

He is regarded as the proponent of secular and left-leaning politics in Bangladesh.

He was the founder and president of the Pakistan Awami Muslim League which later became Awami League (AL). He also formed a progressive political organisation called National Awami Party (NAP).

After Pakistan’s 1965 war with India, Bhasani extended his support to Field Marshal Ayub Khan’s regime for its China-leaning foreign policy, but later he gave the leadership to mass uprising against regime in 1968-69.

Bhasani played a very significant role in the 1969 movement against Pakistan, which eventually led to the collapse of the Ayub regime and the release of Bangabandhu and other co-accused in the so-called Agartala conspiracy case.