Law ministry to organise countrywide programmes to observe National Mourning Day

The law ministry has decided to organise several programmes at the district judgeships and upazila sub-registry offices across the country in order to observe National Mourning Day on August 15.

The programmes include paying homage to Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman and his family members, who had been assassinated on August 15, 1975, praying for salvation and eternal peace of the departed souls, distributing food among the orphans, and holding virtual discussions in their memory.

The ministry took the decision at a virtual meeting with Law Minister Anisul Huq in the chair on August 6, a law ministry press release said today. Law Secretary Md Golam Sarwar moderated the meeting.

At the meeting, Anisul directed all the sub registrar offices at the district and upazila levels across the country to organise and hold the programmes in order to observe National Mourning Day on August 15.

This is for the first time, the law ministry has organised programmes at the upazila level across the country on the occasion of National Mourning Day, said a ministry official.

On November 19, 2009, the Appellate Division of the Supreme Court upheld a High Court verdict, confirming capital punishment of 12 people for killing the Father of the Nation and most of his family members on August 15, 1975.

Among them, six convicted killers have been executed in line with the apex court verdict, five convicts are on the run and another has died.

Five of the convicts -- Syed Farooq Rahman, Sultan Shahriar Rashid Khan, Bazlul Huda, AKM Mohiuddin Ahmed, and Mohiuddin Ahmed -- were executed on January 27, 2010.

Another convict Abdul Majed was executed on April 12 this year and the other killer, Aziz Pasha, died in Zimbabwe in 2001.

The five fugitives are -- Col (dismissed) Khandaker Abdur Rashid, Lt Col (relieved) Shariful Haque Dalim, Maj (retd) Noor Chowdhury, Maj (retd) Rashed Chowdhury and Risaldar Moslehuddin Khan.