His towering image, an eternal beacon

Forty years ago today was the darkest day in our national history. For, on that day Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman without whom Bangladesh, the nation-state we call our home, would not have been born, was assassinated along most members of his family. We mourn his loss more and more with each passing year as his towering image dawns on our consciousness with ever greater relevance.

An orchestrated conspiracy of reactionary forces bent upon turning the political clock back and reversing the liberation war values to suit their vicious ambitions led to dire consequences the nation has reeled in for a number of years. Bangabandhu's assassination in an extended sense was followed by the assassination of four leaders. A major ramification was that politics of assassination and coups and counter coups became the order of the day destabilizing polity, distorting constitution, polarising society and creating unnecessary tension therein.

We have had bouts of military, semi-military and autocratic governments up until restoration of democracy in 1991.The return of AL in power after 21 years led to the annulment of indemnity ordinance holding back the trial of Bangabandhu's self-confessed assassins .With the trial and exemplary punishment of most of them, a demand for justice has been met. Now the fugitive convicts have to be brought back home to complete the process of justice.

Bangabandhu's legacy is national asset and property and as such he must be kept above any sort of controversy.