Morning News
23rd February 1969
LAKHS OF PEOPLE GIVE TUMULTUOUS OVATION TO MUJIB
(By our staff Reporter)
HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS OF DACCA CITIZENS GAVE A TUMULTUOUS RECEPTION TO SHEIKH MUJIBUR RAHMAN YESTERDAY WHEN HE ALONG WITH 33 OTHERS WAS RELEASED FROM MILITARY CUSTODY FOLLOWING THE WITHDRAWAL OF THE CASE “STATE VS. SK. MUJIBUR RAHMAN AND OTHERS.”
AS SOON AS THE NEWS OF THE RELEASE OF THE DETAINED LEADER BROKE PEOPLE IN CHEERING THOUSANDS RUSHED TO SHEIKH’S DHANMANDI RESIDENCE, ALTHOUGH THE NEWS BROKE AROUND NOON, THE FRENZIED RUSH TO HIS HOUSE BEGAN AFTER THE RADIO ANNOUNCEMENT AT 2 P.M. PEOPLE SANG, DANCED RAISED SLOGANS OF “SHEIKH MUJIB ZINDABAD”
By 2-30 p.m. the Dacca-Mirpur Road had turned into a vast sea of human heads. The people carried towers and bouquets to greet the leader. Crackers exploded in hundreds. In the vast crowd were young and old, men and women and even toddlers.
A couple of hours after his release Sheikh Mujib was taken from his residence in an open jeep. The jeep moved, at a snan’s space as every person wanted to shake hands with the Sheikh. A surging mass followed the vehicle People by then had rushed from even the suburban areas to have glimpse of the freed leader. Thousands of bouquets of nowers were showered on the jeep. Women shouted slogans from roottops greeting the Sheikh.
All approach roads to Mirpur highway were packed with people and vehicular traffics came to a halt. Even when the procession with the Sheikh at his head was still far off from the New Market, the entire area was jammed with eagerly waiting people.
Moving scenes were witnessed at the Central Shaheed Minar which the Sheikh visited. Thousands of students raised slogans of “Sheikh Mujib Zindabad” as jeep passed by Sheikh Mujib acknowledged the greetings with a “V” sign with tingers. An equally large crowd was waiting at the Race Course corner where Sheikh Mujib came to pay his respect at the mazars of Sher-e- Bangla A. K. Fazlul Huq, Mr. Husein Shahid Suhrawardy and Khwaja Nazimuddin.
At this point when he was told that a group of students at the Dacca University had gone on hunger strike for his release, Sheikh Mujib went to meet them at the University ground.
Meanwhile thousands of people had gathered at the Paltan Maidan in anticipation that Sheikh Mujib will address them. The meeting was addressed among others by Mr. Shamsur Rahman C.S.P. who had been freed from military custody along with Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, Mrs. Matia Chowdhury, a student leader, Mr. Obaidur Rahman and Lt. Commander Moazzam who had been freed from military custody along with the Sheikh.
MUJIB FOR LAHORE
PPI adds: Sheikh Mujibur Rahman had a telephonic conversation with Lt. Gen. Azam Khan last night.
Sheikh Saheb is understood to have told the General that he would fly to Lahore on Monday where he would meet the General, Air Marshal Asghar Khan, Mr. Justice S.M Murshed and other political leaders.
From Lahore, Sheikh Mujib will go to Rawalpindi to meet the DAC leaders there. Newspapers brought out special editions which sold like hot cakes.
সুত্র: সংবাদপত্রে বঙ্গবন্ধু: পঞ্চম খণ্ড ॥ ষাটের দশক ॥ চতুর্থ পর্ব ॥ ১৯৬৯