In a statement, they also urged the government to take necessary measures so that socio-political and cultural organisations could observe the day in a befitting manner.

Bangabandhu along with most of his family members was assassinated on August 15 in 1975.

The signatories to the statement include Prof Kabir Chowdhury, Hena Das, Kalim Sharafi, KM Sobhan, Abdul Gaffar Chowdhury, Gaziul Haque, Hasan Azizul Haque, Borhanuddin Khan Jahangir, ABM Musa, Kamal Lohani, Qayyum Chowdhury, Syed Shamsul Haque, Prof Anisuzzaman, Lt Col (retd) Abu Osman Chowdhury, Ajoy Roy, Shafiq Ahmed, Abul Hossain, Anupam Sen, Dr Anwara Syed Haque, Shariar Kabir, Prof Muntasir Mamun and Muhammad Zafar Iqbal.

"We think that Bangabandhu, as the father of the nation, is above all political controversy," they said, adding that all the citizens as well as the state should pay due respect to him and observe his death and birth anniversaries in a befitting manner.

"But we are witnessing that the non-party caretaker government is not considering the issue with due importance."

As the caretaker government is non-partisan, the people hoped that the death anniversary of Bangabandhu would be observed this year with state honour and in a befitting manner, the statement said, adding that but it is a matter of great regret that the authorities has not made any such announcement in this regard as yet.

"The government even is not giving permission to organisations who want to observe the day."

Immediately after taking over the office, Chief Adviser Dr Fakhruddin Ahmed visited the grave of Bangabandhu at Tungipara and paid homage to the architect of the liberation war, said the statement.

It also mentioned that the Chief of Army staff General Moeen U Ahmed has also expressed his determination to declare Bangabandhu as the father of the nation officially. Even the National Curriculum and Textbook Board has been asked to portray Bangabandhu as the father of the nation in the textbooks, which people think is a proper initiative, the statement added.

The signatories to the statement also include Prof Razia Matin Chowdhury, Hashem Khan, Rafiq-un Nabi, Rabiul Hussain, Shaymoli Nasrin Chowdhury, Mahfuza Khanam, Ferdousi Priyobhasini, Mamotaz Latif, Gazi Salauddin, Dr Shafiqul Alam, Kazol Debnath, Shamsul Arefin, Shamim Akhtar and Aroma Datta.