Today is the 106th birth anniversary of Bangladesh’s founding president Sheikh Mujibur Rahman.

Mujib was born in Tungipara of Gopalganj on this day in 1920.

With his courage and uncompromising leadership, he spearheaded the Bengali nation’s struggle against the exploitative and repressive rule of Pakistani regimes and eventually led the Bengalis of East Pakistan to the 1971 War of Independence.

On March 25, 1971, when the Pakistani occupation army launched a brutal crackdown on liberation-seeking Bengalis, Sheikh Mujibur Rahman allowed himself to be arrested by the Pakistani forces.

He remained imprisoned in Pakistan throughout the nine months of the War of Independence.

Following Bangladesh’s independence on December 16, 1971, Mujib returned home on January 10, 1972 to a hero’s welcome. Two days after, he was sworn in as the prime minister.

On June 7, 1975, Mujib abolished the multi-party political system and introduced a one-party rule. Two months later, on August 15, he and most of his family members were assassinated when his government was violently overthrown in a military putsch. 

March 17 was first declared the day to observe the birth anniversary of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman and the National Children’s Day by the Bangladesh Awami League-led government in 1996 under the leadership of his elder daughter Sheikh Hasina, and it has been officially observed as such since 1997.

The observance was cancelled in 2002 during the tenure of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party-led coalition government, but was resumed when the Awami League returned to power in 2009.

Following the fall of the Awami League government on August 5, 2024, the interim administration, led by Professor Muhammad Yunus, again cancelled the observance of the day, along with seven other national days related to Mujib.

On May 10, 2025, the interim government banned all activities of the Awami League after days of protests by student groups and political activists.

The protesters demanded action against the AL government’s alleged autocratic rule over the previous 15 years and its suppressive and bloody role during the 2024 uprising.

No programme was announced on the Awami League’s verified Facebook page until 7:30pm on Monday to mark the day.

Mujib was assassinated on August 15, 1975, along with most of his family members, by a group of army personnel.

He was honoured with the prestigious international Joliot-Curie Award by the World Peace Council in 1973 for his contribution to world peace and democracy.