Hasina’s homecoming turned Bangladesh away from darkness: Radwan Mujib

Radwan Mujib Siddiq has paid a glowing tribute to Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s historic homecoming four decades ago, saying that by doing so, she “turned Bangladesh away from the darkness” on that day.

“40 years ago today, you turned Bangladesh away from the darkness, and shone your light on the path towards democracy, development, and a decent life for its people,” wrote Radwan Mujib, nephew of Hasina and grandson of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, in a Facebook post on Monday. 

“There's still a long way to go, but none of it would have been possible without your return. Thank you,” he added.

He also posted the photo of a 40-year-old poster on her return at the airport at 3pm on May 17, 1981.

The historic day marked the end of the six years of agonising wait by Hasina to return to the country after the massacre of her family. She and Radwan’s mother Sheikh Rehana escaped the carnage on Aug 15, 1975 as they were abroad.

Her struggle in these six years was portrayed in detail by the globally acclaimed docufiction, “Hasina: A Daughter’s Tale”, co-produced by Radwan.

The 70-minute docudrama captures a brief history of the tumultuous path the country has traversed through the first account narrative of two sisters.

Radwan is a trustee at the Centre for Research and Information, a not-for-profit think-tank that has taken up efforts to present history with a captivating style of storytelling for the younger generations.

Another initiative, “Mujib” graphic novel, under CRI, the first-ever on a towering figure in the country, has captivated the kids with the life and work on the Father of the Nation. It is based on his autobiography.

Aiming to give a platform for the policymakers and youths, CRI has introduced Young Bangla that turned out over the years as a leading platform for the youth.