British policeman to Bangabandhu: We had been praying for you
A feeling of fright had gripped the country about the fate of Bangabandhu in Pakistani captivity in 1971.
But mainly because he reached London hours soon after his freedom, an anonymous British officer there made a straightforward one-series remark, suggesting that his protection was actually a concern of the ordinary persons across the globe, as well, reports BSS.
“Sir, we'd been praying for you personally.”
One of Father of the country Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman’s major aides found in pre-independence years Dr Kamal Hossain told BSS found in a recent interview about the backdrop of the above remark as he was first getting into Heathrow airport’s VIP lounge.
Hossain, who accompanied Bangabandhu found in a Pakistani aircraft to the Uk capital on method to home in only liberated Bangladesh, recalled that the normal policeman on duty there is in tearful eyes just as he uttered the words.
“As we were escorted from the plane to the VIP lounge in London, I cannot your investment remark of the British officer working outside the VIP lounge,” Hossain said.
“Out of the blue addressing Bangabandhu, with tears in his eyes, he said, Sir . . . we'd been praying for you personally .”
As the Nation revisits the memory lane coinciding with the 49th anniversary of Bangabandhu’s Homecoming Day, the testimony of a former senior Pakistani air force officer depicted animatedly how Bangladesh’s founder made his way out of that country after nine a few months of captivity.
Former Pakistani weather chief Oxygen Marshal Zafar A Chaudhry, who was Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) chairman at that time, wrote on his memoirs that he had escorted Bangabandhu from Rawalpindi’s Chaklala airport terminal to London.
He recalled Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto, who only assumed power, saw Bangabandhu off at the airport terminal, where, Chaudhry said, a sense of tension still prevailed as he watched from length Bangladesh’s founder exchanging his previous text with the Pakistani head.
According to him, the tense circumstance continued for a few more hours even following the PIA flight became popular while a feeling of unease was visibly gripping Bangabandhu since while the aircraft was yet under the Pakistani authority’s command.
Chaudhry recalled the situation, however, eased after the dinner was first served after few time as the plane was coming to London.
“I proceeded to go near his (Bangabandhu’s) chair and introduced myself . . . thereafter Sheikh Mujib himself continued conversing”, emotionally describing the Bengalis like for him.
The then PIA chief recalled that the breakfast was served early on in the morning and subsequently a steward brought gifts for the “esteemed guest”.
“There have been two pipes and a prayer mate for Sheikh Mujib on behalf of PIA,” Chaudhry said, adding that Bangabandhu stood up and shook hands with him accepting the gifts.
Chaudhry recalled that Bangabandhu after that asked him to seek the occurrence of British foreign office representatives in the London airport to receive him.
The air marshal recalled in line with Bangabandhu’s request he sent a note to the Heathrow Airport authorities.
“At about 6 am we landed in London and located the plane just a little apart from the key terminal, as some officials boarded the aircraft,” wrote Chaudhry, who breathed his previous in December, 2019.
“I told Sheikh Mujib these persons are protocol officials of VIPs and they'll escort you to the VIP Lounge where Uk foreign office officials are actually looking forward to you,” the atmosphere marshal recalled.
He said seeing that he proceeded to the VIP lounge, Bangabandhu asked him if he could ask him for another help call a few of his friends in London.
“A lot of them were owners of Bengali restaurants. In the first morning all the eating places were shut and none taken care of immediately the phones,” Chaudhry said.
But, he recalled that ultimately one of Bangabandhu’s family close friends Mahmud Harun received the telephone when “he silently moved aside so I can’t hear their chat”.
“Sheikh Mujib (then) explained, air marshal, thank you very much for everything you have finished for me personally, now I will meet my guys who came from Bangladesh mission as I am their head - the people’s gentleman,” Chaudhry wrote.
Kamal Hossain said Pakistan’s the then high commissioner to Britain Nasim Ahmed was present at the VIP lounge who told Bangabandhu that he was there to welcome him.
“‘Sir, I am in this article to welcome you. Please let me really know what I can perform for you personally” . . . Bangabandhu replied, ‘you did enough, thank you very many’,” he recalled.
Hossain, who later on served simply because Bangabandhu cabinet’s rules minister and subsequently the international minister, minutes after achieving the Heathrow airport British overseas office’s senior representative Sir Yan Sutherland reached the scene and conveyed his government’s warm welcome to him.
He said the Uk authorities arranged his accommodation in Claridge’s Resort, where foreign heads of says were normally accommodated.
Bangabandhu, he said, thanked the British representative, but asked if a comparatively modest hotel could possibly be arranged for his brief stay therefore the ordinary Bengalis residing in Britain could match him.
“Sir, it is the only thing I cannot arrange, because HEADS of STATES security could only end up being provided at Claridge’s Resort. But we will see that any number of people who would like to see you can certainly do so, at the mercy of the security actions,” Hossain recalled him as expressing.
As tens of thousands of emotion-choked persons rallied at the in that case Dhaka International Airport to get Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman week’s after Bangladesh’s success, the global press treated the function as an important bout of the world history.
“An important phase of Bangladesh tale came to an end today,” the then NBC television set commentator uttered as the plane carrying the leader landed at the airport terminal in Tejgaon.
The report dubbed Bangabandhu as “George Washington of Bangladesh” and described the reception as the “most touching outburst in the most emotional part of the world”.
It concurrently revealed that the American naval taskforce, which previous came to get Pakistani junta, “stemmed out of the Bay of Bengal while he was returning to Dhaka”.
“Before landing the Sheikh’s plane circled Dacca; he previously the opportunity to start to see the approximated one million persons who waited for him,” another influential channel ABC Tv set reported on that day.
In its January 17, 1972 issue Newsweek wrote “Amidst tight secrecy, the Pakistani President escorted Mujib to Rawalpindi Airport in the center of the night time and put him abroad a chartered plane”.
“…Mujib’s plane attained London’s Heathrow Airport, and the community got its first go through the 51-year-outdated Bengali head since he was thrown on jail last spring by Pakistan’s former President Mohammed Yahya Khan,” browse the Newsweek article.
It titled: “Mujib Flies to Freedom”.
