India’s Independence Day, Bangladesh’s National Mourning Day

August 15 is celebrated as Independence Day in India. After years of struggle, India got the freedom from 200-year-old British rule on August 15, 1947. However, neighbouring country Bangladesh, which was part of India before partition in 1947, observes August 15 as its National Mourning Day. On this day, founding father of People's Republic of Bangladesh, Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman was assassinated along with most of his family members. To mark this day, National Mourning Day is observed across Bangladesh.

The day is a public holiday in the country. On this day, the national flag of Bangladesh is lowered to half-mast at all government, semi-government and autonomous offices in the country.

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Mujibur Rahman was the first President of Bangladesh and later served as Prime Minister of the country from March 1971 until his assassination in August 1975.

Mujibur Rahman is considered as the key figure behind Bangladesh Liberation Movement and the Bangladesh Liberation War in 1971. For this, he is considered as “Jatir Pita” or father of the nation. His daughter Sheikh Hasina is the present Prime Minister of Bangladesh.