By Sahidul Islam Rana 

MUNSHIGANJ, April 26, 2023 (BSS) - President Mohammed Sahabuddin today said with the passage of time the mausoleum (grave) site of Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman at Tungipara has turned into a holy place.

"Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman was not only the leader of Bangali nation, but also the nationalist leader of all Bengali speaking people across the world. . . . The place where he has been lying has turned into a shrine with the passage of time," he told BSS today.

The President, who took oath on Monday as the 22nd President, was on his way back to Dhaka after paying glowing tribute to Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Raman at Tungipara this afternoon. 

Valiant Freedom Fighter and veteran politician Mohammed Sahabuddin said, "After August 15, 1975 while I was fleeing to escape arrest of the then military dictator, one day I was listening to a program of the Akashvani Kolkata Radio when Devdulal Bandyopadhyay was the presenter".

"Those who killed Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman and subsequently they buried him in remote Tungipara area in a very callous and ruthless manner . . . That careless and neglected burial ground will one day become a holy place for the Bengali people across the world," the President quoted Devdulal as saying. 

The Head of the State said Devdulal precisely pointed out about the place as the burial site of the nationalist leader has not only become a holy place for the Bangali nation, but also for the Bengali speaking people across the world.

President Sahabuddin said the Padma Bridge which was made of own financing is a symbol of Bangali nation's pride and self-reliance. 

He recalled the contribution of Bangabandhu's daughter Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina to this end and expressed his sincere thanks to her.

Showing his due respect to the premier for her uncompromising and farsighted leadership to finish the mega project, he said Sheikh Hasina ignored all the conspiracies to implement it.

The premier was successful in constructing this bridge only due to her honesty, dedication and patriotism, the President added. 

Referring to the deep rooted conspiracy what a vested quarter hatched from the very beginning of the project, Sahabuddin, also former commissioner of the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC), said, "There was huge conspiracy to hinder the project".

The President said, "Standing on this Padma Bridge today on my way from Tungipara to Dhaka, I am fascinated by seeing this beautiful scenery of Padma river and the bridge over it in a very short time. I can remember the contribution of Bangabandhu's daughter, our leader Sheikh Hasina, towards constructing the bridge."

The self-financed Padma bridge, Sahabuddin said, has brightened the image of Bangladesh and the Bangali nation before the world as a self-reliant and dignified nation to a great extent.

The Head of State said the premier has fulfilled the expectations of the nation and took Bangladesh to a new height which is truly an enviable achievement.