Photo: Saiful Islam Kallol

Dhaka, Jul 9 (bdnews24.com)—Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and her sister Sheikh Rehana, daughters of the nation's founding father Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, on Monday marked the publication of their father's autobiography with tears.

"The lives of the two of us are incomplete, too," Rehana said in a function marking the publication of "Ausamapta Atmajiboni" and its English version "The Unfinished Memoirs" by Sheikh Mujib at the Bangabandhu International Conference Centre.

"In our religion," Rehana continued, "People offer doa-kalema [special prayers] if any loved one dies. The loved ones of the deceased are shown his/her face for the last time. But we, the two sisters, did not have that opportunity."

"So, our lives will remain insatiable and incomplete," she said.

"But life is going on...will go on," added a sobbing Rehana.

When her speech ended, Hasina left her seat and embraced her sister, with both crying.

The Prime Minister lamented that their mother, who had been killed along with Sheikh Mujib and his kin excluding on Aug 15, 1975 by some members of the army, was not there to see the publication of the book.

The duo had been abroad during the Aug 15 killings.

"I've nothing to say as Rehana has said everything. These are my words, too," Hasina said.

She credited Baby Moudud, an MP from the seats reserved for women, with the publication of the book.

Moudud, also the Social Affairs Editor of bdnews24.com, said: "I don't know where to start. But I knew that this day would come."

"This book is the mirror of time. I think it will get recognition of one of the best books," she said. "We've lost Bangabandhu. His two daughters survived. Now we've got this book."

Cultural personality Ramendu Majumder recited some parts of the book. Prof Mostafa Nurul Islam, writer Syed Shamsul Haque, translator of the book from Bengali to English Prof Fakhrul Alam and publisher Mohiuddin Ahmed, among others, spoke at the function.

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