The 70th birthday of Sheikh Jamal, son of Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, was observed on Friday in a befitting manner, reports BSS.
The programmes included visiting and laying wreaths at the grave of Jamal, offering special doa, reciting of surah Fatiha and holding discussions.
To mark the day, Bangladesh Awami League (AL) and its associate bodies paid rich tributes to Shaheed Sheikh Jamal, a freedom fighter, by placing wreaths at his Banani graveyard here in the morning.
AL General Secretary and Road Transport and Bridges Minister Obaidul Quader, on behalf of AL, placed a wreath at Jamal's grave at Banani in the capital.
AL presidium member Dr Mustafa Jalal Mohiuddin and AL joint general secretaries - information and broadcasting minister Dr Hasan Mahmud and AFM Bahauddin Nasim, organising secretaries - Ahmed Hossain, SM Kamal Hossain, Advocate Afzal Hossain and Sujit Roy Nandi, science and technology affairs secretary Engineer Abdus Sabur, culture affairs secretary Ashim Kumar Ukil, agriculture and cooperative affairs secretary Faridunnahar Laili, education and human resources affairs secretary Shamsun Nahar Chapa and executive member and former Dhaka south city mayor Sayeed Khokon, among others, were present on the occasion.
On the occasion, Surah Fatiha was offered as well as a special munajat and doa mahfil was also held there.
Later, leaders of Dhaka North and South City Units of AL, Jubo League, Bangladesh Krishak League, Awami Swechchhasebak League, Matsyajibi Leagu, Mohila Sramik League, Sheikh Jamal Jatiya Smrity Parishad, Bangabandhu Sangskritik Jote and other social and cultural organisations paid their rich tributes at Sheikh Jamal's grave.
After Jummah prayers, a milad and doa mahfil was held at Baitul Mukarram National Mosque here on the occasion of Sheikh Jamal's birthday.
AL organising secretaries SM Kamal Hossain and Advocate Afzal Hossain, Dhaka South City AL president Abu Ahmed Mannafi and its general secretary Md Humayun Kabir, organising secretary Akhter Hossain, office secretary Reaz Uddin Reaz and publicity secretary Saifunnabi Chowdhury Sagar, among others, joined it.
Food items were distributed among orphans in the Jatrabari area on the occasion.
Born on April 28 in 1954 at Tungipara in Gopalganj, Sheikh Jamal did his matriculation from Dhaka Residential Model College and intermediate from Dhaka College. He joined the 1971 War of Liberation.
While studying at Dhaka College, Jamal travelled to Yugoslavia for military training under the auspices of the Yugoslav army.
Subsequently, he received training at the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst in Great Britain.
He joined the Bangladesh Army as a Commissioned Officer.
Jamal was also a noted cricketer. He was also fond of music and used to play guitar.
On August 15 in 1975, Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, the architect of independent Bangladesh, with most of his family members, including Sheikh Jamal, was assassinated by a group of disgruntled army officers.
Bangabandhu's two daughters - incumbent Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and his sister Sheikh Rehana - escaped the carnage as they were abroad at that time.
Bd-pratidin English/Tanvir Raihan
