DOT Desk: Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, consistently a secular politician in his lifetime, did not impose any religious features in the constitution of independent Bangladesh, reports Dhaka Tribune.
Following the assassination of Bangabandhu on August 15, 1975, Ziaur Rahman took charge of the nation after Khondaker Moshtaq Ahmad’s short-lived regime and added Bismillahir Rahmanir Rahim at the beginning of the constitution through the fifth amendment, thus jettisoning the principle of secularism.
Later, when Hussein Muhammad Ershad seized power, he declared Islam as the state religion and introduced Friday as the general holiday in line with the Jummah prayers offered on th day by Muslims.
Before that, Sunday was the weekly government holiday that had been the norm under the Pakistan regime and continued under Bangabandhu’s governance.