President M Abdul Hamid wished the long life, sound health, peace-progress and continued well-being of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on the occasion of her 76th birthday to be celebrated tomorrow (Wednesday).
"I extend my heartiest greetings and warm congratulations to Bangladesh Awami League President and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina," he said in a message on the eve of her birthday on Tuesday, reports BSS.
In his message, Hamid said, since her childhood, she saw the leadership of her father, the undisputed leader of the Bangalee nation and the great architect of the independence Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, his struggling life and his politics for the country and the masses.
Abdul Hamid said that she engaged herself in the politics of the Bangladesh Chhatra League and actively took part in all struggles and movements for realizing the rights of the Bangalees, including the anti-Pakistan movement.
Despite being the daughter of the Father of the Nation, her path was never smooth, he said.
The head of the state said that Sheikh Hasina's father Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman and most of his family members were brutally killed by the anti-liberation clique of assassins on the black night of August 15, 1975
Her mother Sheikh Fazilatunnesa Mujib, brothers Sheikh Kamal, Sheikh Jamal and child Sheikh Russel and many other dear and near ones embraced martyrdom, he added.
Bangabandhu's two daughters -- Sheikh Hasina and Sheikh Rehana -- escaped the assassination as they were staying in then West Germany, he mentioned.
The head of the state said they had to spend life in a very adverse situation in exile in London and Delhi for six years embracing the grief of losing parents, brothers and other relatives in the heart.
Attacks were carried out on her many times including the grenade attacks on August 21 in 2004 at Bangabandhu Avenue but every time she escaped these dangers at the grace of Almighty Allah, he said.
He said that Sheikh Hasina was elected president of the Bangladesh Awami League unanimously at the national council of the party on February 14-16 in 1981.
Overcoming different hurdles, she returned home on May 17 in 1981 keeping the grief of losing relatives in her heart and initiated a movement to restore democracy in the country, he said.
In continuation, democracy won and autocrat was overthrown through the mass movement of the '90s, he mentioned.
Hamid said that Bangladesh Awami League achieved a landslide victory in the general election on June 12, 1996, and formed the government under her leadership.
Under her leadership, the AL came to power three times in a row through the ninth parliamentary elections on December 29 in 2008, the 10th parliamentary elections on January 5 in 2014 and the 11th parliamentary elections on December 30 in 2018, he added.
She set a bright example in the history of world humanity by giving shelter to millions of forcibly displaced and persecuted Rohingya people from Myanmar, he said, adding that because of her generosity, Sheikh Hasina has been dubbed as "Mother of Humanity".
In continuation of the successful implementation of Vision 2021, Sheikh Hasina has taken 'Vision 2041' and 'Delta Plan' to turn the country into a 'Sonar Bangla' as dreamt by Bangabandhu, he said.
Sheikh Hasina was born on September 28 in 1947 in Tungipara in Gopalganj in a traditional political family.
Bd-pratidin English/Golam Rosul
