A British minister and members of the UK parliament paid their homage to Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman on the occasion of National Mourning Day and the 45th martyrdom anniversary of the Father of the Nation of Bangladesh on August 15, at an event organised by the Bangladesh High Commission in London.

Bangladesh High Commissioner to the UK and Ireland Saida Muna Tasneem chaired the event.

The guests of honour at the programme were: Paul Scully MP, UK minister for London; Saifuzzaman Chowdhury MP, Bangladesh's land minister; and HT Imam, political affairs adviser to PM Sheikh Hasina.

The special guests at the event who joined the webinar were: Angela Rayner MP, chair of the UK Labour Party; Rushanara Ali, chair of the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Bangladesh and the UK's Trade Envoy for Bangladesh; eminent journalist Abdul Gaffar Choudhury; nuclear scientist Dr Shaheed Hossain; and Nawaz Ahmed, an eyewitness of Bangabandhu murder case and a neighbour of Bangabandhu in Dhanmondi.

Minister Paul Scully paid rich tribute to Bangabandhu and expressed solidarity with the people of Bangladesh in observing the National Mourning Day. 

Recalling Bangabandhu's close relations with the then British Prime Minister Sir Edward Heath, Scully said Bangabandhu's relation transcended UK party politics and cut across both Labour and Conservative parties.

Praising the nation-building activities of Bangabandhu during his only three and half years in power, the UK minister also lauded Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina for her tremendous success in the socio-economic fronts that the world saw in the past decade.

Land Minister Saifuzzaman Chowdhury in his speech said Bangladesh would have achieved higher growth much earlier if Bangabandhu remained alive.

However, his assassination could not deter the progress of Bangladesh as his visionary daughter Sheikh Hasina has taken the country to an unprecedented height of development, the minister said.

"Bangladesh now has many stories of success to tell, particularly the stories of faster growth and prosperity, led by our honourable Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina," Saifuzzaman added.

Labour Party Chair Angela Rayner, who represented Labour Leader Sir Keir Starmer at the meeting, paid special tribute to Bangabandhu on behalf of her party and termed him a "great leader of Asia".

She recalled the close and informal relation between Sir Harold Wilson and Bangabandhu, mentioning that Sir Wilson mourned Bangabandhu's death as his personal loss.

Rushanara Ali MP said that August 15 is not only a day of mourning but also a day to learn from the life of Bangabandhu and the struggle and sacrifice that he made to create an independent Bangladesh.

Hailing Bangabandhu as an unmatched world leader, HT Imam said that "Bangabandhu made us feel taller."

The adviser also mentioned that Bangladesh and the UK always enjoy very special relations, which will go strength to strength in the post-Covid era under the leadership of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.

Abdul Gaffar Choudhury underscored the importance of upholding the values and ideals of Bangabandhu institutionally, so that the young generation follows his footsteps.

At the programme, BBC Bangla Chief Sabir Mustafa shared his memorable experience about the listeners' survey conducted by BBC in 2004 where Bangabandhu was nominated the Greatest Bengali of All Time.

Dr Shaheed Hossain participated in the webinar from Vienna and spoke about how the two daughters of Bangabandhu were protected in foreign countries after the assassination of the Father of the Nation.

Nawaz Ahmed described his terrible memory of the fateful night of August 15.

Paying tribute to Bangabandhu, Bangladesh High Commissioner Saida Muna Tasneem in her opening remarks said, "The 45th anniversary of Bangabandhu's martyrdom bears a special significance this year as it takes place during the year of his birth centenary and at the advent of the golden jubilee of Bangladesh's independence in 2021, the two most unique milestones in the history of the nation."

Recalling Bangabandhu's pioneering role in building a progressive, inclusive, democratic and secular value-based friendship with the UK in 1972, the high commissioner said the 50th anniversary of Bangladesh-UK diplomatic relation would be celebrated in 2021.

A video documentary on the life and works of Bangabandhu was also screened at the event. 

The high commissioner along with the land minister unwrapped the special edition of the international magazine Asian Affairs dedicated to Bangabandhu, marking his birth centenary.

A floral wreath was placed at the portrait of Bangabandhu by the high commissioner along with the land minister and the officials of the High Commission.