Begum Begum (also begüm, bagum, begom, begam, baigum or beygum) is an honorific title from Central Asia, Central and South Asia, often used by leading women in society, including Royal family, royals, aristocrats, first lady, first ladies and prime ...

Sheikh Fazilatunnesa Mujib (8 August 1930 – 15 August 1975), commonly known as Begum Mujib or Bangamata and also known by her

nickname A nickname, in some circumstances also known as a sobriquet, or informally a "moniker", is an informal substitute for the proper name of a person, place, or thing, used to express affection, playfulness, contempt, or a particular character trait ...

Renu was the wife of

Sheikh Mujibur Rahman Sheikh Mujibur Rahman (17 March 1920 – 15 August 1975), also known by the honorific Bangabandhu, was a Bangladeshi politician, revolutionary, statesman and activist who was the founding president of Bangladesh. As the leader of Bangl ...

, the founding President of

Bangladesh Bangladesh, officially the People's Republic of Bangladesh, is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by population, eighth-most populous country in the world and among the List of countries and dependencies by ...

. She was the mother of

Sheikh Hasina Sheikh Hasina (''née'' Wazed; born 28 September 1947) is a Bangladeshi politician who served as the tenth prime minister of Bangladesh from June 1996 to July 2001 and again from January 2009 to August 2024. Premiership of Sheikh Hasina, Her ...

, the leader of the

Awami League The Awami League, officially known as Bangladesh Awami League, is a major List of political parties in Bangladesh, political party in Bangladesh. The oldest existing political party in the country, the party played the leading role in achievin ...

and former Prime Minister from 2009 to 2024. She was killed along with her family.

Early life and marriage

Sheikh Fazilatunnesa was born in 1930, to the

Bengali Muslim Bengali Muslims (; ) 'Mussalman'' also used in this work./ref> are adherents of Islam who ethnically, linguistically and genealogically identify as Bengalis. Comprising over 70% of the global Bengali population, they are the second-largest ...

Sheikh Sheikh ( , , , , ''shuyūkh'' ) is an honorific title in the Arabic language, literally meaning "elder (administrative title), elder". It commonly designates a tribal chief or a Muslim ulama, scholar. Though this title generally refers to me ...

family in the village of

Tungipara Tungipara (Bengali language, Bangla: টুঙ্গিপাড়া) is a municipality in Tungipara Upazila of Gopalganj District, Bangladesh, Gopalganj District in Bangladesh. It is the birthplace of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, who is considered the ...

, Gopalganj in 1930. Her father was Sheikh Zahurul Haque and her mother Sheikh Husne Ara Begum. Her paternal grandfather Sheikh Kashem, was grandson of Sheikh Ekramullah, who was descended from Sheikh Abdul Awal Darwish, a dervish who had come to preach Islam in Bengal during the early 18th century. Her father, Sheikh Zahurul Haque, and mother, Husne Ara Begum, died when she was three years old. Her elder sister's name is Sheikh Jinnatunnesa. Fazilatunnesa was a paternal cousin of her husband Sheikh Mujibur Rahman. When Fazilatunnesa was only 3 and Sheikh Mujib was 13, their marriage had been fixed by elders in the family. Renu was only 8 years old when she was married to her husband, who himself was just 18, in 1938. The couple later had two daughters

and Sheikh Rehana, as well as three sons Sheikh Kamal, Sheikh Jamal and Sheikh Russel. Fazilatunnesa Mujib was under house arrest during

Bangladesh Liberation War The Bangladesh Liberation War (, ), also known as the Bangladesh War of Independence, was an War, armed conflict sparked by the rise of the Bengali nationalism, Bengali nationalist and self-determination movement in East Pakistan, which res ...

until 17 December.

Death

On 15 August 1975, a group of junior army officers attacked the presidential residence with tanks and assassinated Mujib, his family and personal staff. Only her daughters

and Sheikh Rehana, who were visiting

West Germany West Germany was the common English name for the Federal Republic of Germany (FRG) from its formation on 23 May 1949 until German reunification, its reunification with East Germany on 3 October 1990. It is sometimes known as the Bonn Republi ...

, escaped. They were banned from returning to

. Others killed included Fazilatunnesa's 10-year-old son Sheikh Russel, two other sons Sheikh Kamal, Sheikh Jamal, daughters-in-law Sultana Kamal and Parveen Jamal Rosy (who was also her cousin’s daughter), brother Abdur Rab Serniabat and brother-in-law Sheikh Abu Naser, nephew Sheikh Fazlul Haque Mani and his wife Arzoo Moni. The coup was planned by disgruntled Awami League colleagues and military officers, which included Mujib's colleague and former confidant

Khondaker Mostaq Ahmad Khondaker Mostaq Ahmad (; 27 February 1919 – 5 March 1996) was a Bangladeshi politician. He was the Minister of Commerce in the third Mujib Rahman ministry under Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, and assumed the presidency of Bangladesh after the A ...

, who became his immediate successor. Lawrence Lifschultz has alleged that the CIA was involved in the coup and assassination, basing his assumption on statements by the then US ambassador in Dhaka, Eugene Booster. Mujib's death plunged the nation into many years of political turmoil. The coup leaders were soon overthrown and a series of counter-coups and political assassinations paralysed the country. Order was largely restored after a coup in 1977 gave control to the army chief

Ziaur Rahman Ziaur Rahman (19 January 193630 May 1981) was a Bangladeshi military officer and politician who served as the sixth president of Bangladesh from 1977 until Assassination of Ziaur Rahman, his assassination in 1981. One of the leading figures of t ...

. Declaring himself President in 1978, Ziaur Rahman signed the Indemnity Ordinance, giving immunity from prosecution to the men who plotted Mujib's overthrow and assassination.

Legacy

Bangabandhu Memorial Trust in partnership with Malaysian hospital chain KPJ Healthcare built the Sheikh Fazilatunnesa Mujib Memorial KPJ Specialised Hospital and Nursing College in her memory. A dormitory in Eden college is named after her. Sheikh Fazilatunnesa Mujib Hall is a female dorm in

Rajshahi University The University of Rajshahi (), also known as Rajshahi University (RU), is a Public university, public research university located in Rajshahi, Bangladesh. It is the second oldest and third largest university in Bangladesh. The university's 59 ...

. Govt. Sheikh Fazilatunnesa Mujib Mohila College is located in

Tangail Tangail (, ) is a city of Tangail District in central Bangladesh. A significant city in Bangladesh, Tangail lies on the bank of the Louhajang River, northwest of Dhaka, the nation's capital. Etymology ''Tangail'' originates from the Beng ...

Portrayals

Television

* In 2007, Bangladeshi television film on Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, ''"Palashi Theke Dhanmondi" (From Palashi to Dhanmondi)'' was released. Fazilatunnesa is portrayed by Laila Hasan.

Films

* In 2021, Bangladeshi film ''" Tungiparar Miya Bhai" (Dear Brother of Tungipara)'' was released depicting various notable events of the earlier life of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman from 1930 to 1952 during his lifetime. Fazilatunnesa is portrayed by Prarthana Fardin Dighi. * In 2021 Bangladeshi film ''" Chironjeeb Mujib" (Immortal Mujib)'', stating the life of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman from 1949 to 1952 was released. Fazilatunnesa is portrayed by Dilara Hanif Purnima. * In 2023, ''"Bangamata" (Mother of Bengal)'', a Bangladeshi short film on the life of Sheikh Fazilatunnesa Mujib was released. It stars Jyotika Jyoti in the lead role as Sheikh Fazilatunnesa Mujib. * In 2023, Bangladesh-India joint production '' Mujib: The Making of a Nation'', on the life of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman was released. Fazilatunnesa is portrayed by Prarthana Fardin Dighi and Nusrat Imrose Tisha.

Notes

References

External links

*
Assassination of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman

Sheikh Mujib A History of Bangladesh
{{DEFAULTSORT:Mujib, Sheikh Fazilatunnesa First ladies of Bangladesh 1975 deaths Burials at Banani Graveyard Tungipara Sheikh family 1930 births Recipients of the Independence Award Assassinated Bangladeshi people 20th-century Bangladeshi women