The historic speech of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman delivered on March 7, 1971 in which he declared that ‘the struggle this time is for emancipation, the struggle this time is for independence’ inspired the Bengali nation to wage liberation war against the Pakistan occupation army and led the independence of Bangladesh.
The grateful nation is observing the historic March 7 in a befitting manner today (Saturday). The speech of Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman on this day in 1971 at Race Course Maidan, now Suhrawardy Udyan, is considered the finest speech of his life. As the nation is set to begin yearlong celebrations of the birth centenary of Bangabandhu on March 17, this year’s observance of the day is more significant.
The relations between Sheikh Mujibur Rahman and the people of then East Pakistan were the relations of soul and it had been expressed through his historic March 7 speech. Bangladesh’s existence and history everything is involved with Bangabandhu's historic March 7 speech and the people of the country were energised by the speech during the war of liberation in 1971.
The March 7 speech is not merely a speech, it is an inspiration of realising rights of the exploited and deprived people. The March 7 speech has been selected as one of the most rousing and inspirational wartime speeches in the last 2,500 years. The dynamic speech had changed the course of the country’s history.
Then Pak President Yahya Khan delayed the national assembly to bar Awami League, the majority party in national 1970 elections, from forming the provincial government. In the historic speech, Bangabandhu called for the independence of Bangladesh. Yahya Khan declared martial law, banned Awami League and ordered arrest of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman.
Tanks were deployed and military weapons were stockpiled and kept standby around the rally. Braving all sorts of risks like killing, repression, oppression and intimidation indulged in by the Pakistan government and threats of its army’s tanks, guns and machineguns, and in the presence of thousands of audiences, Bangabandhu delivered his speech in a booming voice:
By stipulating four conditions for the Pakistan military ruler, Bangabandhu concluded his thunderous speech by saying: “Ebarer Sangram Amader Muktir Sangram, Ebarer Sangram Swadhinatar Sangram [the struggle this time is for emancipation, the struggle this time is for independence’. The liberation war began 18 days later when the Pakistan Army launched “Operation Searchlight” against unarmed Bengali civilians, intellectuals, students, politicians, and army personnel.
“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. Pakistani military ruler could not stop playing the speech. There is no speech in the world like March 7 one which was played thousands of times.
Country’s people have been listening to the speech for 49 years and it has not been old yet. Through the speech, Bangabandhu not only declared the independence of the country, he also uttered the economic emancipation of the people. The freedom-loving people of the world still get inspiration of their freedom from the speech.
Bangabandhu through the speech also highlighted all necessities of the people as well as the history. On October 30 in 2017, the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) recognised the historic speech as a 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 UNESCO.
To mark the day, different socio-cultural organisations, political parties, student and professional bodies have chalked out elaborate programmes, including laying wreaths at the portrait of Bangabandhu and holding discussions and rallies. The ruling Awami League has also drawn up different programmes to observe the day.
BSS adds that the party will hoist national and party flags atop the Bangabandhu Bhaban and party offices and place wreaths at Bangabandhu’s portrait on the Bangabandhu Bhaban premises at Dhanmondi in the morning today. A discussion will be arranged at the Bangabandhu International Conference Centre (BICC) auditorium at 3.30pm on the day.
Awami League President and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina will chair the discussion while party leaders and distinguished personalities will speak. The Bangladesh Betar and Bangladesh Television as well as private television channels and radio stations will air special programmes while national dailies will bring out special supplements marking the auspicious occasion.
