English for Today | Class 9-10 | SSC | Unit 1 - Lesson 1 |Bangabandhu's Family in 1971

This is Unit: 1 - Father of The nation lesson: 1 Bangabandhu's Family in 1971 of English 1st Paper of NCTB. The lesson gives a brief history of the situations faced by the family members of Bangabandhu. The answers to the questions of the lesson are being given below :

A.

1. Who can you see in the pictures?

Answer : I can see the family of Bangabandhu in both the pictures. In the picture 1 Bangabandhu is sitting along with his parents, wife and children. In the picture 2 Bangabandhu with his wife and children are taking a photograph.

2. What do you know about them?

Answer : Bangabandhu is one of the greatest leaders of all time. Being family members they played a great role to raise him as father of the nation.

3.  Where were those people during the Liberation War?

Answer : Those people had to suffer a lot during the liberation war. They had to move one place to another regularly for a safer shelter to stay alive. 

The following video is an understanding and solution-based lesson part-2 from Class IX/X/SSC of English for Today for the session 2020-2021.

Read the text and answer the questions that follow-

It was the night of 25th March 1971. There was a full of quietness at Bangabandhu's home at Dhanmondi Road No. 32 throughout the day Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman and his family members could apprehend that something tragic was going to happen. Gunshots were heard around the city. Bangabandhu's eldest son Sheikh Kamal was out of home for forming barricades against the Pakistan Army who had been killing people indiscriminately that night. Bangabandhu decided to send the girls of the family to a safer place for the night and he gave their responsibility to his son-in-law Mr. Wazed Miah. Bangabandhu’s daughter Sheikh Hasina, who was expecting a baby soon along with her sister Sheikh Rehana and her cousin Farida were sent to a house at Road no. 15, Dhanmondi for that night. Bangabandhu's wife Begum Fazilatunnesa Mujib, stayed with him.

Just before midnight, Bangabandhu sent the declaration of Independence to Mt. Zahur Ahmed Chowdhury at Chattogram via wireless. At the darkest part of that night, the Pakistan Army surrounded his home and started firing at random. The situation agitated Bangabandhu much and he asked them to stop. But, soon he was instructed to get ready to go with them. Begum Mujib packed his necessary belongings. After Bangabandhu left, she was at a loss what to do and where to go with her children. However, being a supportive wife of the great leader all through her life, she soon pulled up her mental strength. But, her anxiety continued till the end of the war.

The next day Begum Mujib had to leave House No. 32 with her children other members of her home. During the next couple of months, they moved from one shelter to another in search of a safer place. During their stay in those places, some people came forward to helping them while some refused to give them shelter for fear of their own safety. When their provision ran short, Sheikh Kamal, who had already joined the Liberation War, came to them in disguise and delivered some money. Some very close people also supported the family with money and food stuff.

So far the family members were ignorant about Bangabandhu’s condition. Suddenly they came to know that he was alive and had been taken to Pakistan. Begum Mujib started to keep contact with Awami League leaders. But soon the family was taken to Dhanmondi, House No. 18 by the Pakistan Army and kept under house arrest. However, people would come to their home with valuable information in disguise of vendors; also some would throw pieces of waste paper with important information written on them.

In the month of May, the same year, Pakistan Army set fire to Bangabandhu’s Tungipara home in front of his parents. A young man from the village protested the evil deed and was shot dead. Both parents of Bangabandhu fell ill in October and were admitted to the PG Hospital. Begum Mujib and her family were allowed to visit them two or three times a week for one hour. However, created the opportunity for them to establish a better communication with the freedom fighters.

Begum Mujib was extremely worried about her children, especially her Sheikh Hasina, because of her health condition. However, she was not allowed by the Pakistani rulers to be with her daughter, when she was admitted to hospital. Mr. Wazed Miah and Bangabandhu’s second son Sheikh Jamal accompanied Sheikh Hasina to the hospital. Bangabandhu’s youngest sister, pretending to be a hospital attendant, entered the hospital and looked after her niece. Sheikh Hasina was blessed with a baby boy on 27 July who was later named Sajeeb Wazed Joy. As the Pakistan Anny often used to threaten Sheikh Jamal that they would hang him upside down, he, finding an opportunity, fled from the hospital and joined the freedom fighters.

Finally the Victory day arrived! There was joy everywhere! But, Bangabandhu’s family was yet to be freed from captivity. The Pakistani occupational were still cordoning Bangabandhu’s house and firing at people rushing over there chanting ‘Joy Bangla’, the invigorating slogan of the Bangalees. But they fled the next morning when the Indian Army came to rescue the family. Sheikh Jamal returned home in the afternoon while Sheikh Kamal returned home the next day. Nevertheless, the biggest anxiety of the family persisted- Bangabandhu was yet to be released from Pakistani prison and they didn’t know when that great moment would arrive and how.

B. List the Five ways how the Pakistan army tortured Bangabandhu's family.

                                                                     (Answers)

1. The Pakistani Army threatened the family members of Bangabandhu.

2. They also arrested Bangabandhu and put other family members under house arrest in their difficult times.

3. They set fire in Bangabandhu’s home in Tungipara where his parents used to live.

4. They had made Bangabandhu’s family homeless and the family members continuously had to look for a safer shelter.

5. They did not allow Begum Mujib to see her daughter Sheikh Hasina during her stay in the hospital.

C. (answer) The Pakistani Army threatened the family members of Bangabandhu. They also arrested Bangabandhu and put other family members under house arrest in their difficult times. Then they set fire for more tensions in Bangabandhu’s home in Tungipara where his parents used to live. They made Bangabandhu’s family homeless as a result -the family members continuously had to look for a safer shelter. They did not allow Begum Mujib to see her daughter Sheikh Hasina during her stay in the hospital. They continued to put troubles on Bangabandhu’s family till the victory of the liberation war.

D. (answers)

1. The family was anxious as they realized that something horrific might occur as the Pakistani Army started firing randomly around the city and killing people indiscriminately on the night of 25th March in 1971.

2. Bangabandhu sent the girls to a safer place which was a house at Road no. 15, Dhanmondi with Dr. Wazed Miah on that night. 

3. People or freedom fighters usually used to communicate with the family in the disguise of vendors and sometimes through a written waste paper with valuable information to the house during the house arrest.

4. The Pakistani Army used to scare Sheikh Jamal by threatening to hang him upside down. He found a chance to escape and fled from captivity later joined the freedom fighters.

5. We cannot describe in words the contribution of the Bangabandhu family to the Liberation War. During the War of Liberation Bangabandhu’s family sacrificed a lot to liberate the country.  His sons joined with the freedom fighters and fought against the Pakistani Army from the front line. His family communicated with freedom fighters with valuable information. They had to suffer a lot while Bangabandhu was in a Pakistan jail.

E. (answers)

1. False

Correct Information:- Begum Mujib stayed with her husband Bangabandhu at the night on 25 March, 1971.

2. True

3.   False

Correct Information:- Some close people stood beside the family of Bangabandhu during Liberation War.

4.   True

5.   False

Correct Information:- After Liberation War was over, Sheikh Jamal returned home in the afternoon while Sheikh Kamal returned home the next day.

The following video is an understanding and solution-based lesson part-1 from Class IX/X/SSC of English for Today for the session 2020-2021.

F. (possible answers)

1.   The man is very rich. However, he is dishonest and cruel.

2.   The Liberation War was over. However, Bangabandhu’s family was worried about Bangabandhu’s return to home.

3.   Sakib is a good player. However, he could not perform well in the last match.

4.   The air conditioner was turned on. However, the room temperature did not reduce.

5.   The bus had a collision with a truck. However, every passenger remained safe after the accident.

G. (possible answer)

                                      The sufferings of people during Liberation War

Bangladesh emerged as an independent country after fighting the Liberation War of Bangladesh. It was also a war of lots of suffering and supreme sacrifices of the Bangladeshi people. The liberation war started during the planned military invasion, massive killings, and genocide through operation searchlight by the Pakistani Army on the darkest night of 25 March 1971. Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib was arrested and flown to West Pakistan. Before that, he declared the independence of Bangladesh. The war continued for long nine months. This glorious period in history also paved the way for independent Bangladesh. The cost and suffering were too high to pay. About three million unarmed innocent people were killed in this war by the Pakistani military forces. Many lost their dear parents, husband, wife, children, relatives and neighbours. The Pakistani Army molested women and forced many residents to leave their homeland. Finally just two days before their imminent defeat they disabled this country by brutally murdering the intellectuals who were the guiding lights of the country. At last, Bangladesh got the victory but by paying a heavy toll. 

পরবর্তী লেসনের উত্তর পেতে ক্লিক করো >> Unit 1 - Lesson 2 | The Tale of Homecoming

Some important keywords and their meanings:

apprehend = আশঙ্কা করা ( suspect) / gunshots = গুলির আওয়াজ forming = তৈরি করা হচ্ছে এমন / barricades = প্রতিবন্ধক /অস্থায়ী প্রতিরোধ ব্যবস্থা indiscriminately = নির্বিচারে/ declaration = ঘোষণা surround= ঘেরাও করা / firing = গুলিবর্ষণ/ at random = এলোপাতাড়ি / belongings = জিনিস পত্র wireless = বেতার/ রেডিও মাধ্যম / at a loss= বিভ্রান্ত / কিংকর্তব্য বিমূড় supporting = সমর্থন রত / mental strength = মানসিক শক্তি agitated = উত্তেজিত/ through = মধ্য দিয়ে/ disguise = ছদ্মবেশ/ anxiety = দুশ্চিন্তা / provision = খোরাক, খাবারের ব্যবস্হা / come forward = এগিয়ে আসা/ food stuff = খাদ্য বস্তু / upside down = পুরোপুরি উল্টে যাওয়া / ignorant = অজানা রয়েছে এমন, অজ্ঞ, মূর্খ / vendor = বিক্রেতা / throw = নিক্ষেপ, piece = টুকরা / set fire = আগুন জ্বালানো/ protested= প্রতিবাদ করেছিলো / evil deed = মন্দ কাজ / establish = প্রতিষ্ঠা করা/ accompanied = সাথে নিয়ে যাওয়া / extremely = অত্যন্ত pretending = ভান করছে এমন / Hospital attendant = হাসপাতালের পরিচারক niece = ভাতিজি/ ভাইজি / blessed = সৌভাগ্য বান / threatened = হুমকি দিয়েছিলো / fled = পালিয়ে গিয়েছিলো freed = মুক্ত/ captivity = বন্দিদশা / occupational forces = পেশাদারী বাহিনী cordoning = ঘিরে/ বেষ্টনী দিয়ে / chanting = কোন লাইন বা গান জপছিল এমন / invigorating = বল দায়ক rescue = উদ্ধার / nevertheless = তবুও /তা সত্ত্বেও / persisted = জিদ ধরে থাকা