DHAKA, Sept 27, 2020 (BSS) – The ruling Awami League (AL) and its affiliated bodies have drawn up various programmes to celebrate party president and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s 74th birthday tomorrow.
Sheikh Hasina, the eldest of the five children of Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman and Begum Fazilatunnesa, was born at Tungipara in Gopalganj on September 28 in 1947.
Like previous years, Awami League and its affiliated organisations will celebrate the day through various programmes highlighting the life and achievements of Sheikh Hasina, who is driving the nation towards prosperity following the footsteps of her father Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman.
On the occasion, milad and doa mahfils will be held in the capital and different parts of the country.
Besides, all the allied organisations of AL will observe the day with various programmes, including discussions, doa-mahfils, special prayers and photo exhibitions abiding by the appropriate health rules.
As part of the central programme, a discussion will be held at Krishibid Institution of Bangladesh (KIB) Auditorium here at 3 pm at the initiative of Awami League.
Awami League Presidium Member and Deputy Leader of the Jatiya Sangsad Syeda Sajeda Chowdhury will preside over the discussion while several party leaders will speak on the occasion.
Doa mahfil will be held at Baitul Mukarram National Mosque and other mosques in the country after Johr prayers, seeking good health and long life of Awami League President and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.
Meanwhile, special prayers will be held at International Buddhist Monastery (Merul Badda) at 9 am, Christian Association Bangladesh (CAB), Mirpur Baptist Church at 10 am, Jakmala Rani Church at Tejgaon at 6 am and Dhakeshwari Temple at 11 am on the day.
On the occasion of Sheikh Hasina’s 74th birthday, Awami League General Secretary and Road Transport and Bridges Minister Obaidul Quader urged all party and allied-organisations’ leaders, activists, supporters and well-wishers of all levels, social and cultural organisations for holding milad and doa mahfils in all mosques and special prayers at all religious places.
As part of the central programme, a doa-mahfil will be held at the party’s central office on Bangabandhu Avenue tomorrow at 3:30 pm with the participation of a limited number of leaders.
The Dhaka South unit of Awami League has undertaken a three-day programme to celebrate the birthday of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina with due respect.
The programme includes holding Milad, Doa and distributing tabarak at Baitul Mukarram National Mosque tomorrow after Johr prayers and in every ward of Dhaka South on Tuesday and distribution of food among the needy people on Wednesday.
Meanwhile, on the occasion of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s birthday, the Awami Jubo League has taken a programme that includes a milad and doa-mahfil at its central office at 11 am tomorrow.
It also includes distribution of cooked food and clothes among the visually impaired, speech impaired and helpless people.
The same programme will be observed at metropolitan, district, upazila, municipality, union and ward levels.
A documentary on the biography of the Prime Minister will be screened at each party unit, including the central office of the Jubo League after Magrib prayers on the day.
To mark Sheikh Hasina’s birthday, Awami Swechchhasebak League has organized prayers, milad-mahfils and meetings at every district, metropolis, upazila, thana, municipality, union and ward level, including the central office of the organization, wishing her good health and long life.
Besides, other programmes including distribution of educational materials among the poor and meritorious students and tree plantation have been taken across the country on Tuesday.
A discussion meeting will be held on September 30 marking the day.
Sheikh Hasina spent much of her childhood in the small hamlet where she was born. She started her schooling there. When Bangabandhu was elected a legislator, his family shifted to Dhaka in 1954.
She was admitted to what is now Sher-e-Bangla Girls’ School and College and later to Azimpur Girls’ High School from where she completed her secondary education in 1965. She was then admitted to Badrunnessa Government Girls’ College.
During her bachelor course, she was elected as the vice-president of the students’ union of Eden Girls’ College. (That time, Badrunnessa and Eden Girls’ College was a single entity) Later, she enrolled on her Masters’ programme at the Bengali Department of Dhaka University.
As a student leader, Sheikh Hasina actively took part in the six-point movement of 1966 and the student movement of 1969 which saw the abdication of General Ayub Khan.
In 1968, with the blessings of her imprisoned father, Sheikh Hasina who is leading the country as the prime minister for the third consecutive term got married to nuclear scientist Dr Wazed Miah.
During the Liberation War, Sheikh Hasina and her family were interned in a house in Dhaka. On July 27 in 1971, her first child Sajib Wazed Joy was born.
Her second child Saima Wazed Hossain was born on December 9, 1972.
After the assassination of her parents in 1975, Sheikh Hasina and her family were offered political asylum in India, where she stayed till 1981 when she was elected as the president of the Awami League in her absence.
Sheikh Hasina returned home on May 17, 1981 when she was greeted by a mammoth crowd that extended from the Airport to Farm Gate and Manik Miah Avenue and she addressed a public rally.