The Awami League on Thursday held no mourning programmes marking the 49th death anniversary of the country鈥檚 founding president Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, excepting at a few places on limited scale.
Out of the 64 districts, the party held programmes in Gopalganj, Madaripur, Barishal, Barguna, Chattogram, Cox鈥檚 Bazar, Sirajganj, Chattogram, Cox鈥檚 Bazar, Shariatpur, Rangpur and Chapainawabganj.
The political party held no event in Dhaka city.聽
Unlike other areas, the AL took elaborate programmes in Gopalganj, the birthplace of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, at a time when most senior leaders and activists were in hiding after deposed prime minister and the party president Sheikh Hasina fled to India for shelter.聽
In the previous years in Dhaka city on the day, the day was observed in all areas in Dhaka city with cloth shades and sound system. But this year, the party could not hold programme on Bangabandhu Museum at Dhanmondi-32 and the party鈥檚 headquarter on Bangabandhu Avenue in the city.聽
People clad in black dress believing to be AL men were beaten by the mass people, including BNP men and students.
The people of the opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party took position in most of the areas in the city apparently to foil the programme.
Gopalganj district AL placed wreaths at the grave of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman at Tungipara in the district at about 10:30pm.
AL鈥檚 student body Bangladesh Chhatra League Kotalipara upazila unit general secretary Shamim Daira said that they placed wreaths on the portrait of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman at Kotalipara around 8:15am.聽
鈥楴o clash or untoward situation prevailed in the district as the programme was held peacefully,鈥� said Shamim.
AL Ramu upazila unit under Cox鈥檚 Bazar district placed wreaths at the Mujib portrait in the upazila parishad, AL placed wreaths at Mujib鈥檚 portrait at AL Narayanganj district and city unit office and AL Bakerganj upazila unit Barishal district held a discussion and doa mahfil.
Besides, AL leaders and activists held a programme at Munsurnagar union under Kazipur upazila in Sirajganj district in a limited scale.聽聽
Some ward leaders and activists of Dhaka City unit Awami League on Thursday gathered in front of the party鈥檚 central office on Bangabandhu Avenue in Dhaka city and took position for several hours and left the place.
The party central leaders neither were seen at the headquarters nor could be contacted.
Leaders of Bangladesh Jasod on Thursday placed wreath on the portrait of Mujib at party鈥檚 central office at Topkhana Road to mark the day.聽
President of the party Sharif Nurul Ambia, general secretary Nazmul Haque Pradhan, standing committee members Mustaq Husain and others took part at the programme.
The day was observed as a national mourning day in the past 16 years, when it was also a public holiday.
Following the fall of prime minister Sheikh Hasina on August 5, the interim government led by Muhammad Yunus cancelled the holiday.
Hasina, also Awami League president, resigned and fled to India on the day.
Mujib was assassinated along with all but two of his family members in the early hours of August 15, 1975, at his Dhanmondi residence in Dhaka, by a group of army personnel.
His daughters 鈥� Sheikh Hasina and Sheikh Rehana 鈥� survived the massacre as they were abroad at that time.
