Online Desk:

Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman's 55th Homecoming Day is today. On January 10, 1972, Bangabandhu was released from prison in Pakistan and set foot on the blood-soaked soil of Bengal. With his arrival in independent Bangladesh, the victory of the freedom struggle was complete. Bangabandhu himself described his homecoming as a 'journey from darkness to light'.

On the night of March 25, 1971, Pakistani invaders arrested the undisputed leader of Bengal, Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, from his house on Road No. 32 in Dhanmondi. He was imprisoned in a Pakistani prison. While the Bengalis fought for independence, Bangabandhu was awaiting death in a Pakistani prison as a convict in a farce trial. After the final victory of the Bengalis on December 16, 1971, world leaders became vocal in demanding the release of Bangabandhu. The Pakistani ruling class, defeated by international pressure, was finally forced to release Bangabandhu from captivity with dignity. After counting the hours of death every moment in a Pakistani prison for 290 days, he reached Dhaka via London and Delhi on January 10, 1972.

On that day, Bangabandhu returned to independent Bangladesh wearing a garland of victory. There was a festive atmosphere in Bangladesh on that day. The entire Bengali nation was waiting with bated breath - when would their beloved leader arrive on the soil of the independent country. Millions of people gathered at the Dhaka airport area that day. The road from the airport to the historic Race Course Maidan (now Suhrawardy Udyan) was crowded.

Bangabandhu was overcome with emotion as soon as he set foot on the soil of independent Bangladesh. He broke down in tears after hearing the news of the genocide of the Pakistani occupying forces and their domestic allies for 9 long months. On that day, 75 million Bengalis were filled with tears of joy after getting their beloved leader back, and the sky and air of Bengal trembled with the sound of Joy Bangla, Joy Bangabandhu. On that day, standing at Suhrawardy Udyan, Sheikh Mujib said, ‘I did not know if I would be able to come to Bengal, the land that I love so much, the people that I love so much, the nation that I love so much. Today I have returned to Bengal—to my brothers, mothers, and sisters of Bengal. Bengal is independent of me, Bangladesh is independent today.’

January 10, 1972, is a special milestone in the continuous history of the great Liberation War. In 1947, through the partition based on the false two-nation theory, the Pakistani ruling class once again bound the people of East Bengal in the chains of subjugation. Under the undisputed leadership of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, the Bengali nation put up a fierce resistance against the Pakistani ruling class during the long journey of movement and struggle. Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman inspired the Bengali nation with the mantra of liberation and led it forward on the path of freedom struggle and liberation war.

Bangabandhu's homecoming lit a bright flame of inspiration in the hearts of the war-torn, newly independent Bengali nation. Bangabandhu's homecoming was described as 'a journey from darkness to light'. Since then, Bangabandhu's historic Homecoming Day has been celebrated every year.