Still, like air He'll rise...

 

You may shoot me with your words,

you may cut me with your eyes,

you may kill me with your hatefulness,

but still, like air, I’ll rise.

-Maya Angelou

These words echo through time, resonating with the indomitable spirit of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, the founding father of Bangladesh. Much like Angelou’s poetic voice rising above oppression, Mujib stood tall against tyranny, injustice, and colonial domination.

Born in 1920 in the quiet, serene village of Tungipara in Gopalganj, Mujib’s journey was never silent, It was steady, focused, and unyielding. His voice thundered through the streets, his presence shook the corridors of power, and his convictions led him to spend over 17 years behind bars. He was never a passive observer, he was the pulse of a people rising. His Six-Point Movement in 1966 was a thunderous call for autonomy. His historic speech on March 7, 1971, was not just political, it was poetic defiance. And when war broke out, he became the symbol of a nation’s yearning for freedom.

Even in captivity, his presence loomed large. Even in death, his legacy breathes through the air of a free Bangladesh.

On August 15, 1975, the assassins believed they could erase Mujib from the map of Bangladesh. They didn’t just kill a man, they tried to kill a dream. But Mujib was never confined to flesh and blood. He had already become part of the soil, the sky, the rivers, and the hearts of millions.

Even in 2025, attempts are made to erase his name, to rewrite history, to silence his voice. But how do you erase someone who is woven into the very fabric of a nation? Bangladesh and Mujib are inseparable. As long as Bangladesh breathes, Mujib lives.

He was. He is. He will be.

Image taken from the Internet.