As Yunus rewrites history, Bangladesh cancels holidays linked to Liberation War & Mujibur Rahman

In the latest step in the ongoing campaign to rewrite Bangladesh’s history, interim ruler Mohammed Yunus has cancelled national holidays linked to the War of Liberation and Father of the Nation Mujibur Rahman.

Since he was propped by pro-Pakistan protestors and the military who overthrew Sheikh Hasina in August, Yunus has sought to systemically erase the War of Liberation against Pakistan by Mujib from public memory. In the latest such move, he has cancelled eight national holidays associated with Mujib and the War of Liberation that led to the founding of the nation in 1971.

Yunus had cancelled the following holidays related to the War of Liberation and Mujib:

• March 7      : Historic speech by Sheikh Mujibur Rahman in which he declared the Independence of Bangladesh against Pakistani rule

• March 17    : Birth anniversary of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman

• August 15   : Death anniversary of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman

• November 4: Constitution Day

The Bangladesh Awami League (BAL), the party of Mujib’s daughter and exiled premier Sheikh Hasina, reacted strongly to the development.

In statement, the BAL said that the establishment of an independent and sovereign Bangladesh remains the “biggest achievement of Bengal and Bengalis” but the contributions of the Father of the Nation are being subjected to vendetta.

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“The contribution of Bangabandhu’s trusted colleagues, the freedom-loving people of the country, and his family is indelible. But we can see that all the individuals, institutions, and symbolic establishments of the liberation struggle are being subjected to the vengeful attitude of the government. In continuation of this, the government has decided to exclude national days related to Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman and national history from the state. We strongly condemn and condemn such vindictive acts,” said the BAL’s statement, as per Dhaka Tribune.

The pro-Pakistan Islamist forces that toppled Hasina’s government and propped Yunus’ unelected regime have rejected Mujib as the Father of the Nation.

Nahid Islam, who holds the information and broadcasting portfolio in Yunus’ regime, said that the respect for Mujib is part of the “fascist” ideology of Hasina’s BAL and rejected Mujib as the Father of the Nation, as per Dhaka Tribune.

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Instead, Islam said that there were several Fathers of the Nation in Bangladesh.

“Even Sheikh Mujibur Rahman has been spoiled by the Awami League. The way his statues are being worshipped in Bangladesh, it has become part of a fascist ideology. We cannot allow such fascist tendencies in the government formed through a mass uprising or in the new Bangladesh,” said Islam, as per the newspaper.

Islam further said, “We are not erasing March 7 from history. We are not denying Sheikh Mujibur Rahman’s significance in history. What the Awami League did will be re-written impartially. There is a political agenda behind commemorating days as national days, and this cannot continue under the government formed by a mass uprising. This practice will not continue in the new Bangladesh.”

As for the holidays being cancelled by the new regime, Islam said that it is only the “national days that were imposed in a fascist manner by the Awami League” that are being abolished, according to the newspaper.

From the onset, the new regime has sought to remove Mujib from public memory. Shortly after the ouster of Hasina, mobs burnt his family house that had been converted into a museum over the years and vandalised and urinated on his statue in capital Dhaka.