DHAKA: Today is the great Independence and National Day. Bangladesh entered its 51st year after the golden jubilee of independence. On this auspicious occasion, I extend my sincere greetings and congratulations to all the Bangladeshi citizens living in the country and abroad.
I remember with the most profound respect the greatest Bengali of all time, the great architect of Bangladesh, Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, under whose firm and far-sighted leadership we have got an independent state. I remember the four national leaders who steered the liberation war with their able guidance. The debt of the blood of 3 million martyrs of the liberation war and the self-sacrifice of 2 hundred thousand mothers and sisters will never be repaid. I pay my deep respects to all the fearless freedom fighters, including the war-wounded. I am grateful to all the friendly countries, organizations, institutions, individuals, particularly to the then Prime Minister of India, Shrimati Indira Gandhi, for their generous support during the War of Liberation.
Although we officially made our debut as an independent nation on March 26, 1971, the young student leader Sheikh Mujib had dreamed of establishing a sovereign state in this land since the creation of Pakistan in 1947 based on religion at the key. Pakistanis’ social, economic, and political discriminatory attitudes became clear day by day. Sheikh Mujib remained steadfast in defending the rights and dignity of the Bengalis in return for any sacrifice. The two organizations of his far-reaching thoughts are the Chhatra League and the Awami League, where he was deeply involved from their beginning until the end of his life. From the language movement of ’52 to the victory of the United Front election of ’54, the anti-Ayub movement of ’62, six points of ’66, the mass upsurge of ’69, these two organizations had an immense role in the struggles. In the face of public outrage, Ayub Khan was forced to repeal the ordinance on the Agartala conspiracy case. Sheikh Mujib became the beacon of hope and aspiration of Bengalis, Bangabandhu. On December 5, 1969, on the death anniversary of Huseyn Shaheed Suhrawardy, Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib declared, “From today, the name of this eastern country of Pakistan will be Bangladesh only instead of East Pakistan.”
The Awami League, led by Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib, won a single majority in the National Assembly in the ’70 elections. However, the Pak-military junta started procrastinating without transferring power. Sheikh Mujib called for a non-cooperation movement and, in his historic speech on March 7, gave a clear outline of the goal of liberation from the long 23 years of rule and exploitation. On 23rd March, the flag emblazoned with the map of Bangladesh was hoisted all over the country. At midnight on March 25, Pakistani troops started killing unarmed Bengalis in the name of ‘Operation Search Light.’ Sheikh Mujib was arrested in the early hours of March 26. He made the official declaration of independence before being arrested. The Bengali public leader was imprisoned in Mianwali jail in Pakistan and subjected to inhumane torture. At the call of the Father of the Nation, the freedom-loving people of Bengal, inspired by the slogan ‘Joy Bangla,’ started fighting for the liberation of the motherland with whatever they had. On 17 April, the Mujibnagar government swore in Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman as President, Syed Nazrul Islam as Vice President, Tajuddin Ahmad as Prime Minister, Captain M Mansur Ali and AHM Kamaruzzaman as Ministers. Subsequently, to properly conduct the liberation war, the whole country was divided into 11 sectors, and commander-in-chief was appointed. After a long 9-month armed struggle, independent sovereign Bangladesh was liberated on 16th December.
The father of the Bengali nation, President Bangabandbu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, was released from prison in Pakistan and returned to his beloved independent motherland on January 10, 1972, devoted himself to rebuilding the war-torn country. With the help of allies, as there was an empty treasury, he rehabilitated the displaced people, restored and developed the infrastructure, and put the production sector and the economy on a solid foundation. He approved a constitution within nine months of independence. He made the country the least developed country in just three and a half years. Bangladesh gained recognition from 116 countries and membership in 27 international organizations through his diplomatic efforts. But our misfortune is that the defeated anti-independence clique of ’71 continues to conspire against him. Incumbent President Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman was martyred along with his family members on August 15, 1975, by the brutal bullet of the assassin. The murderous Mostaq-Zia and their successors illegally seized power and established a dictatorship in the country. The BNP tarnished the proud history of the Bengali nation by placing the perpetrators of the infernal massacre on 25th March, criminals against humanity and war criminals and murderers of the Father of the Nation in the National Parliament and hoisting the flag of independent Bangladesh in their cars.
Bangladesh Awami League, after a long 21 years, in 1996, won the people’s mandate and got the responsibility of running the government. We took on the mission of changing the lives of poor and marginalized people by introducing social security programs. We made the country self-sufficient in food production. We set up community clinics to provide primary health care to the country’s marginalized people. We built houses for the homeless people by taking shelter projects. Strengthened the local government system. We made mobile phones and computer technology readily available. In 1996, we signed a 30-year Ganges water-sharing agreement with India. To establish peace in the Chittagong Hill Tracts, we signed the historic peace agreement in 1997 and repatriated the Chakma refugees who had taken refuge in India to Bangladesh. On March 8, 1997, we announced the women’s development policy. We provided approval for launching the privatelyowned terrestrial and satellite television channels. By repealing the Indemnity Ordinance, we start the trial for killing the Father of the Nation. We establish the independence of the judiciary, the rule of law, and human rights. We re-establish the liberation war values in society and national life by preventing distortion of history. Our government’s 1996-2001 term was a journey towards a brighter future, breaking the vicious circle of backwardness, underdevelopment, and poverty.
Bangladesh Awami League has been running the government since 2008 with the people’s unwavering support in all the national elections. We transformed Bangladesh into a developing country by implementing Vision 2021, created digital Bangladesh, and brought 100 percent of people under electricity coverage. We opened the door to the blue economy by establishing sovereignty over the vast area of the sea. Implementing the land boundary agreement with India, we ended the long-standing misery of the enclaves. Soon we will inaugurate the Padma Bridge under construction with our own funds. Besides, mega-projects like Metrorail, Matarbari Power Project, Rooppur Nuclear Power Station, Karnaphuli Tunnel, Sonadia Deep Sea Port, Elevated Expressway are also progressing fast. We launched the Bangabandhu-1 satellite in space. In response to the Corona pandemic, we formulated a budget focusing on the people’s livelihood, and we gave an incentive of US$ 22.08 billion to keep the economy afloat. Most people in the country have been vaccinated against coronavirus. Despite the pandemic situation, we have achieved economic growth of 6.94 percent. In Mujib Year, we provided 1,17,329 landless and homeless people with semi-permanent houses, and another 54,551 homes are under construction for transfer. Our current per capita income is US$ 2,591. We formulated the Second Perspective Plan, Vision-2041, for the next 20 years and have started implementing it under the 8th Five Year Plan. We are implementing ‘Bangladesh Delta Plan-2100’. I firmly believe that Bangladesh will soon emerge as a developed and prosperous state on the world map if we continue the pace of development that we have created in the country.
We established the rule of law in the country by enforcing the verdict of trial for killing the Father of the Nation and the war criminals against humanity. We published four volumes of the ‘Records of Proceedings, Agartala Conspiracy Case’ filed by Pakistani rulers against Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib, 11 volumes out of 14 of the ‘Secrete Documents of Intelligence Branch on Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman (1948-1971),’ including The Unfinished Memories, The Prison Diaries, and New China 1952. I believe that by reading these books, the new generation will be able to have a broader understanding of the firm footprints of the Father of the Nation in the history of independence.
We are fortunate to have simultaneously celebrated the 2020-2021 birth centenary of the Father of the Nation, Mujib Barsha, and the Golden Jubilee of independence through colorful programs. On this auspicious occasion of Independence Day and National Day, I call upon all Bangladeshis to let’s not divide ourselves, and do nurture the spirit and ideals of the Great Liberation War and participate in building the hunger-poverty-free, self-confident and self-respecting ‘Golden Bangladesh’ of Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman’s dream.
Joi Bangla, Joi Bangabandhu
May Bangladesh Live Forever.
