When the dawn of Bengla New Year 1411 heralded on the 14th of April 2004, the Bangalese in Bangladesh, West Bengal and elsewhere across the globe woke up to a very pleasant and yet to a most inevitable revelation that the Founder architect of Sovereign Bangladesh, Father of the Nation Bongobondhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman was adjudged “ the greatest Bangalee of all times” by a listeners poll conducted by the Bangala Service of British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC).

The morning of Bangala New Year’s Day is always a very special day and on the auspicious morning of this Pahela Baishakh (New year’s day) April 14, 2004 the BBC Bangala Service presented 30 crore Bangala speaking population around the world with the greatest of all New year’s gift when they revealed the name of the greatest Bengali of all times. The revelation was aired on the dawn of Bangala New Year 1411 at their morning news service at 6:30 am.

Worldwide listeners of BBC Bangala service adjudged Bongobondhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, the supreme leader of our liberation war and the founder of the sovereign state of Bangladesh “ the greatest” from among the 20 greatest Bangalee of all times. The entire nation welcomed the announcement and rejoiced heartily. Their unbound happiness mingled with the festivities of the Bengali New Year.

His historic speech on March 7, 1971 changed the course of the struggle for independence in the then Pakistan and gave millions of Bangalesee a new sense of direction. Sheikh Mujib possessed the rare quality of harnessing the awesome power of the masses that overthrew the military regime standing in the way of Bangladesh’s liberation.

With the Ayub Khan regime defeated in 1969 and the so called Agartala conspiracy case withdrawn unconditionally, Sheikh Mujib had become an undisputed, home grown hero for the Bangala nation. A people admiring his courage and yearning for his guidance was convinced that he was the friend of Bengal. They called him Bongobondhu . The torch of Bangladesh politics was truly and irreversibly in his hands. He would carry it ahead, undaunted in his determination to transform the destiny of his people.

What made Bongobondhu outstanding are the courage of his conviction, his tremendous capacity for selfsacrifice and an unflagging determination with which he fought for the rights of a subjugated nation and established them in his lifetime against stunning odds. It was his charisma that made him incorporable most of his political contemporaries. Indeed, the freedom fighters held his image in their hearts as they fought for the country’s liberation during those excruciating nine months. In 1971, the liberation war was fought in his name. The emergence of Bangladesh owed its reality to Bongobondhu.

The founder and architect of independent Bangladesh Bangabondhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman’s contributions to the history of the Bangalee nation are unparalleled. He led the Bengali nation to independence through indomitable courage, unparalleled patriotism, unbelievable farsightedness and dynamic leadership, ignoring the fears of death threats of the gallows.

The quest for independence had become synonymous with Bongobondhu. When liberation came in 1971 it was the direct consequence of the majesty of leadership that Bongobondhu personified through his political inspiration and moral persuasion.

Nobel laureate Rabindranath Tagore was considered as the second greatest Bengalee by respondents while rebel poet Kazi Nazrul sealed the third spot. In the survey it was revealed that Bongobondhu scored almost double points than Rabindranath Tagore. The BBC’s Bangalee Service has nearly 12 million listeners in Bangladesh, Eastern India, home to some 250 million Bangla speakers

Monica Rashid from Nagasaki, Japan, explaining why she rated Bangabandhu as the greatest Bangalee of all times said, Bongobondhu first succeeded in convincing the Bangale nation that an independent Bangladesh was necessary for protecting their language and culture.

Listeners were asked to nominate their five greatest Bangalee. The names were announced through a countdown over 20 days that began on March 26 and ended in the announcement of Sheikh Mujib ‘s name on April 14 (Pahela Baishakh). The response was overwhelming. Thousands participated in the survey from Bangladesh, Eastern India, and other countries.

GRAND PROCESSION HAILING THE GREATEST BANGALEE OF ALL TIME

A grand procession observing the Pahela Baishah (Bengali New Year) , brought out by the main opposition party Awami League and its front organization eventually turned into a celebrating parade to rejoice the recognition of Bongobondhu as the greatest Bangalee of all time. The gorgeously decorated procession marched through the city streets from Old Dhaka to Dhanmandi Bongobondhu memorial Museum. Carrying huge portraits of Bongobondhu and waving scores of miniature national flags, people from all walks of life irrespective of their political affiliation, caste or creed, old and young alike joined the rally together with thousands of jubilant supporters, exchanging colours to express their profound happiness
at the BBC listeners selection.

SHEIKH HASINA AND SHEIKH REHANA THANK BBC LISTENERS

Leader of Opposition in Parliament and Awami League President Sheikh Hasina and her sister Sheikh Rehana, the only two surviving daughters of the greatest Bangalee of all time Bongobondhu expressed profound gratitude to the nation and to millions of BBC listeners for recognizing their father as the greatest Bangalee ever.

In an emotion choked voice Sheikh Hasina in her reaction said that “Sheikh Mujib is the name of a history, an ideal, a noble sacrifice and a proud nation” adding that Bongobondhu Sheikh Mujib earned the Bengalese the long cherished indepen- dence and thus established it as the proudest nation on earth. “Those who conspired to erase Bongobondhu’s name from the history and distorted history will be thrown out of history. History takes revenge against those who distort history” she said. Bongobondhu’s name is engraved so deep in the heart of every Bangalee that it can never be erased as long as independence is there, as long as the Bangalee nation is there” Hasina added. Meanwhile, Sheikh Rehana the youngest daughter of Bongobondhu extended her grateful thanks to the BBC listeners for honouring Bongobondhu as the greatest Bangalee of all time. “I am extremely happy… It has proved again that history determines one’s place, as one deserves,” she said.