Michelle Rowland (Greenway, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

On Saturday, 3 September I had the privilege of attending the Bangladesh National Mourning Day ceremony in Lakemba with the Minister for Sustainability, Environment, Water, Population and Communities to commemorate the life of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, the father of Bangladesh. Rahman, or Bangabandhu as he is known to the Bangladeshi people, was one of the great leaders of the last century, a man of conviction and principle whose beliefs were rooted in the virtues of democracy and equality. Motivated by the tragic plight of his people under colonial rule, Bangabandhu recognised the demand for national independence and he achieved it. Bangladesh's independence represents a people's triumph over an oppressive colonial ruler. It signifies a point in history where the desire for cultural freedom lead to national independence.

Despite continually calling for peaceful protests and using democratic methods to achieve reform, Bangabandhu spent most of his youth behind bars. His defining moment came in March 1971 when addressing a sea of people in Dhaka. Standing inside what was then a racecourse, Bangabandhu declared that the Bengali struggle is one of freedom and self-determination. His inspirational words motivated people to affect real change and eventually achieve independence.

Bangabandhu and his entire family were tragically assassinated in 1975. The National Mourning Day is a moment of great significance for all Bangladeshis, including some 300 Bangladeshi Australians living in my electorate of Greenway. I thank the Bangabandhu Society of Australia for their contribution to our community, especially Dr Nur and Dr Lovely Rahman, for all their hard work promoting Bangladeshi culture and interests in my local area.