By Mizan Rahman/Dhaka
 

While Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina yesterday observed the death anniversary of her slain father Sheikh Mujibur Rahman and other family members, her arch political rival Khaleda Zia celebrated her birthday but not without violent incidents.
 In southern Pirojpur district, a lecture marking National Mourning Day had to be stopped as two rival groups of Bangladesh Chhatra League (BCL), a student font of the ruling Awami League, clashed at the auditorium in Kaukhali sub-district headquarters yesterday.
 Mahfuzur Rahman Shaun, 30, former publicity secretary of Kaukhali unit of BCL, and Suman, 26, an activist, who sustained injuries during the clash, were admitted to Barisal Medical College and Hospital in critical condition. Officer-in-charge (OC) of Sadar police station Habibur Rahman said the sub-district administration arranged the talk at its auditorium on the occasion of National Mourning Day.
 During the discussion, an altercation began between two rival groups of BCL around 10:30am when party designation of Suman Khandaker, incumbent convener of the sub-district unit of BCL, was not mentioned while announcing the names of prominent guests at the programme.
 A brawl began that left Mahfuzur and Suman injured. Later, sub-district executive officer Ahsan Habib who was present at the discussion cancelled the programme. Additional police were deployed in the sub-district headquarters and surrounding areas to avert further trouble.
 Bangladesh yesterday observed the National Mourning Day marking the 38th anniversary of the assassination of the country’s founding father Sheikh Mujibur Rahman whom the ruling Awami League calls Bangabandhu’
 President Abdul Hamid and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina paid tributes to Mujib at Bangabandhu Bhaban at Dhanmondi Road No 32 in Dhaka city yesterday morning by placing wreaths.
 The president and the prime minister placed wreaths at the portrait at around 6.30am. A prayer was also offered for Mujib and the martyrs of August 15.
 Speaker of the parliament Dr Shirin Sharmin Chaudhury, cabinet members, PM’s advisers, members of parliament, the chiefs of the three services, senior leaders of the ruling Awami League and 14- party alliance and senior government officials were present.
 Later, the prime minister, also the president of Bangladesh Awami League, placed a wreath at the portrait of Mujib on behalf of her party.
 Meanwhile, President Abdul Hamid and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina placed wreaths at the grave of Sheikh Mujib at Tungipara in Gopalganj district.
 The president and the prime minister later joined a milad mahfil arranged jointly by the Cabinet Division and Gopalganj district administration on the grave premises marking the National Mourning Day.
 Besides, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina along with her family members visited the Banani Graveyard in Dhaka city yesterday morning and offered prayers at the graves of the August 15 martyrs.
 Sheikh Hasina and her other family members offered prayers at the graves of mother Fazilatunnesa Mujib, brothers Sheikh Kamal, Sheikh Jamal, Sheikh Russell and the other martyrs of August 15.  Mujib’s two daughters — Sheikh Hasina and Sheikh Rehana escaped the attack as they were in Germany at that time.
 The national flag flew at half-mast at all government, semi- government, autonomous offices, educational institutions and Bangladesh missions abroad on the occasion of  National Mourning Day.
However most other political parties including opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party headed by former prime minister Khaleda Zia stayed away from official functions.
 In southeastern Chittagong city, rival groups from within the Bangladesh Nationalist Party were involved in a brawl at a function organised to celebrate the 68th birth anniversary of BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia at the party’s city office yesterday.
 Several hundred leaders and activists of BNP, Jubo Dal (youth front) and Jatiyatabadi Chhatra Dal (JCD), the student unit, thronged the party office, Nasiman Bhaban, to join the programme organised by the Chittagong City unit of BNP.  Witnesses said an altercation ensued among the BNP men when city BNP president Amir Khasru Mahmud Chowdhury asked Gazi Sirajullah, president of a new JCD unit, to keep his distance while he was cutting a cake.
 Following the altercation, the Chhatra Dal and Jubo Dal activists of rival groups scuffled outside Nasiman Bhaban.  Several crude bombs were exploded during the incident around 11:20 am. Some people also set fire to the vehicle of BNP city unit general secretary Dr Sahadat Hossain.
 However, the fire was put out. Amir Khasru along with city unit vice-presidents Abu Sufian and Shamsul Alam and some other leaders left the place immediately.
 Local BNP and JCD leaders said the scuffle might have resulted from an internal feud over the newly formed city unit of Chhatra Dal and Jubo Dal committees.
 The Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) and its associate and front organisations yesterday celebrated the 68th birth anniversary of its chairperson and leader of the opposition Khaleda Zia ignoring sharp criticism by the ruling Awami League.
 The Awami League observed the death anniversary of the country’s founding father Sheikh Mujibur Rahman on the same day.
 The enthusiastic party leaders and activists cut seven specially made 69-pound birthday cakes each at BNP’s Nayapaltan central office in Dhaka as Khaleda turned 69 on the day.
 Flanked by party leaders and activists, BNP standing committee members Khandaker Mosharraf Hossain, Mirza Abbas, Rafiqul Islam Miah and vice chairman Sadeque Hossain Khoka cut the cakes brought by Dhaka City unit BNP, Jubo Dal, Swechchhasebak Dal, Sramik Dal, Mohila Dal, Chhatra Dal and Jatiyatabadi Samajik Sangskritik Sangstha (Jasas) around 11am.
 Later, talking to reporters, Khandaker Mosharraf said: “We wish Khaleda’s long life on this day. We also seek blessings of the country’s people for her good health and wellbeing.”
 The BNP leader said: “We pray tthat our leader can take the country forward and care for the welfare of its people.”
 He also urged the country’s people to continue their support to the opposition’s movement demanding arranging of the next election under a non-party caretaker government.
 Earlier yesterday, the former premier celebrated the birth anniversary with her close relatives by cutting a cake at her Gulshan residence, party sources said. Khaleda also cut a cake at her Gulshan office and exchanged greetings with party leaders and activists on the occasion.
 Born on August 15, 1945, Khaleda became the country’s first woman prime minister in 1991 as well as the second in the Muslim world after Benazir Bhutto of Pakistan.
 Khaleda, the widow of assassinated President Ziaur Rahman and mother of Tarique Rahman and Arafat Rahman, ruled the country for over 10 years.
 Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s son Sajeeb Ahmed Wazed Joy has said BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia had displayed bad taste by celebrating her birthday on August 15, the death anniversary of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman.
 Remembering the day when he lost most of his maternal family, Mujib’s grandson Joy yesterday morning posted on his Facebook fan page
 “It is also really sad that Khaleda Zia chooses to spend her birthday on this day every year.”  “She (Khaleda) has several different birthdays listed on various official documents, none of which is August 15th,” Joy said.
  “What kind of person does this?”  However, Joy in his Facebook post remembered his earliest memories with his uncle Sheikh Russel, Mujib’s youngest child.
 The prime minister’s only son wrote: “I remember my family who were murdered; my Nana (grandfather), Nani (grandmother), uncles and their wives.”
 “One of my earliest memories is of annoying my Uncle Russell. He was only a few years older than me and I would steal one of his toys and run and hide behind by Nani.”  “He would chase me and my Nani would scold him, making him cry. I was 4 years old and he was 10,” Joy recalled.
 The others killed on that fateful night 38 years ago included Mujib’s wife Begum Fazilatunnesa Mujib, sons Sheikh Kamal, Sheikh Jamal and Sheikh Russel, daughters-in-law Sultana Kamal and Rosy Jamal, younger brother Sheikh Abu Naser, nephew Sheikh Fazlul Haque Moni and brother-in-law Abdur Rab Serniyabat, Moni’s wife Begum Arju Moni and Serniabat’s daughter ‘Baby’, son ‘Arif’ and grandson Sukanto Babu.