Morning News
24th February 1969
Bangabandhu : Title for Mujib
(By our staff Reporter)
The massive meeting at Race Course yesterday conferred the title of “Bangabandhu” (friend of Bengal) on Sheikh Mujibur Rahman amidst thunderous cheers and slogans.
The student leader Tofail Ahmed had proposed the title on behalf of the people of East Pakistan and sought the approval of the people. Immediately hundred of thousands of hands went up in the air amidst cheers and slogans approving the title.
Yesterday’s meeting arranged by the All-Party Students Committee of Action in honour of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman at the Ramna Race course witnessed one of the biggest public gatherings in the history of this metropolitan city.
Long before the reception began at 2 p.m. people started pouring into the Race Course maidan in thousands. They came on foot, by trucks and in huge a slogan-chanting processions.
The people in a boisterous festive mood shouted slogans of “Banglar Nayanmani Sheikh Mujib Zindabad”. Hundreds of crackers were exploded. It was quite a difficult job for the organisers to control the massive gathering.
By the time Sheikh Mujib arrived at the meeting the entire area had been jammed by an eager crowd of people, many or whom had come room from villages. A number of bands played from the trucks that carried the people to the maidan. Many claimed the banyan tree near the DCGR pavilion to have a close view of the rostrum.
There were a number or national flags flying in the gathering. There were white and green Awami League flags too.
As soon as Sheikh Mujib entered the area the gathering burst into thunderous slogans of Sheikh Mujib Zindabad and “Jago Jago Bangalee Jago”. Flowers and bouquets and petals were showered on Sheikh Mujib, A number of organisations including the Auto- rickshaw Drivers Association formally garlanded him. A large number of girls from among the gathering also garlanded him.
The most conspicuous section of the crowd was formed by the boatmen of Sadarghat who carried a banner with the inscription of Sheikh Mujib Zindabad. Th boatmen came with their oars in a procession.
Some of those released with Sheikh Mujib including Mr. K. M. Shamsur Rahman, CSP were on the dais. Also present there were Mr. and Mrs. Akhtar Sulaiman Sheikh’s daughter Hasina.
সুত্র: সংবাদপত্রে বঙ্গবন্ধু: পঞ্চম খণ্ড ॥ ষাটের দশক ॥ চতুর্থ পর্ব ॥ ১৯৬৯