The nation is set to observe the historic March 7 today in a befitting manner commemorating the landmark speech by Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman which was touted as indirect declaration of the country’s independence in 1971, reports bss.
President M Abdul Hamid and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, in separate messages on the eve of the day, paid rich tributes to the greatest Bangalee of all times Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman.
They recalled that Bangabandhu in his historic March 7 speech at a mammoth rally in the then ‘Race Course Maidan’, now Suhrawardy Udyan, in the city directed the freedom-loving Bangalees for waging a decisive struggle against the Pakistani occupation forces.
President Abdul Hamid and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina urged the countrymen to work together to make Bangladesh a middle income country by 2021 and a developed nation by 2041 to build a Sonar Bangla as dreamt by Bangabandhu.
“Ebarer sangram amader muktir sangram, ebarer sangram swadhinatar sangram [The struggle this time is a struggle for emancipation, the struggle this time is a struggle for independence]”, Bangabandhu had declared in a thunderous voice at the rally.
“Turn every house into a fortress, resist the enemy with everything you have … Having mastered the lesson of sacrifice, we shall give more blood. God willing [Inshallah], we shall free the people of this land,” Bangabandhu also said in his speech.
The speech inspired the Bengalees to prepare for a war of independence.
The Liberation War began 18 days later, when the Pakistan Army launched “Operation Searchlight” against unarmed Bangalee civilians, intellectuals, students, politicians, and armed personnel.
On October 30 in 2017, the UNESCO recognised the historic speech as part of the world’s documentary heritage.
It has been included in the Memory of the World International Register, a list of world’s important documentary heritage maintained by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO).
To mark the day, different socio-cultural and political organizations, student and professional bodies have chalked out elaborate programmes including laying wreaths at the portrait of Bangabandhu and holding discussions and rallies.
