The Crime Desk: Today is the historic 7th of March. 53 years ago, on this day in 1971, Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, in a magical speech at the Race Course Maidan (present-day Suhrawardy Udyan), awakened the Bengali nation with the dream of liberation. Then came the armed liberation war, a nine-month struggle, and independence.
According to political experts, the idea that the West Pakistanis could no longer live with them was established in the minds of Bengalis before March 7. As a result, many people saw the solution in independence. The question was, How will that freedom be achieved? Bangabandhu outlined the freedom struggle for the first time while standing in a huge crowd on March 7. In this speech, the nation was called to jump into the liberation struggle, and there was guidance as well. On that day, in the presence of millions of freedom-seeking people, Bangabandhu announced in a thunderous voice, ‘We can no longer keep seven crore people under control. Bengalis have learned to die; no one can beat them. When I have given blood, I will give more blood. I will free the people of this country, inshallah. This struggle is the struggle for our liberation. This struggle is the struggle for our freedom.
This fiery declaration of Bangabandhu was indeed the foundation of our freedom. The most frequently broadcast and listened-to speech in the world. Today is a unique day of unforgettable glory written in golden letters in the history of the freedom struggle and liberation war of the Bengali nation. Bangabandhu’s speech is always something special to the Bengali nation. In 2017, the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) accepted the speech as a document of world history. The organization includes Bangabandhu’s March 7 speech among 78 historical and important documents and speeches around the world. Highlighting the significance of the day, President Md. Sahabuddin and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina gave separate messages.
From that morning on, the race course was full of people. Dhaka became a busy city with millions of people. ‘Padma Meghna Yamuna Tomar Amar Adreshi’, ‘Tomar Desh Am Desh, Bangladesh Bangladesh’—the s slogans of the race course were resounding. Bangabandhu was a little late in coming to the public meeting. The closed-door meeting is still going on among the leaders about whether to declare independence or not. When Bangabandhu, dressed in a white pajama-punjabi and mujib coat, took the stage at exactly 3:30 p.m., the valiant crowd of Bengal greeted him with thunderous applause and chants. When Bangabandhu waved to the crowd from the stage, the entire Suhrawardy Udyan erupted with the chants of millions of Bengalis: ‘Tomar desh amar desh, Bangladesh, tomar neta amar neta Sheikh Mujib, Sheikh Mujib’. Then Bangabandhu began his 22-minute best and most historic speech.
Program: The Awami League will hold a detailed program with people from all walks of life on the occasion of the March 7 commemoration of the historical speech of Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman. Party secretary Barrister Biplab Barua said in a press release that the Awami League’s program includes hoisting the national and party flags at Bangabandhu Bhavan and the party office at 6:30 a.m. today. Paying homage to the portrait of Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman at Bangabandhu Bhavan premises at 7 a.m. A discussion meeting has been organized at the office of the Dhaka District Awami League at Tejgaon in the capital at 4 p.m. Awami League President and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina will preside over the meeting.
The general secretary of the party and Minister of Road Transport and Bridges, Obaidul Quader, in a statement called upon the leaders, workers, supporters, and people of all levels of the Awami League and its affiliated organizations to celebrate the day with due dignity by adopting the program consistent with the central program of the Awami League adopted on the occasion of the historic 7th March.
Besides, various social, cultural, and political organizations have implemented detailed programs. Today, Bangabandhu’s speech will be broadcast in every ward, union, municipality, thana, upazila, metropolis, and district of the country.
