Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Thursday (Dec 16) urged all to make a vow of deploying their full strength to build the country as a developed, prosperous and non-communal “Sonar Bangla” being imbued with the ideology of Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman.
“Today, on the occasion of golden jubilee of the country’s independence and the Victory Day of Mujib's year, I swear with a strong voice that I will not let the blood of martyrs go in vain, I will love the country, and I will deploy all my strength for the overall welfare of the people of the country,” she said while administering the oath at the South Plaza of the Jatiyo Sangsad Bhaban in Dhaka, local media reported.
People from all walks of life across the country also made the pledge to build “Shonar Bangla” echoing the voice of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, joining the ceremony virtually via social media, television and other means.
Sheikh Rehana, younger daughter of the Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, took the oath standing beside her elder sister and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on the dais.
The premier read out the oath – “Under the leadership of Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, Bangladesh has achieved independence through a long bloodstained liberation struggle against the exploitation and deprivation of the then Pakistani rulers. The Bengalee nation has established its distinct ethnicity in the world.”
She said, “Being imbued with the ideology of Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib, I will turn Bangladesh into a developed-prosperous and non-communal ‘Shonar Bangla’. Almighty Allah may help us.”
National Implementation Committee on the Birth Centenary Celebration of Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman organised the event. Chief Coordinator of the Committee Dr Kamal Abdul Naser Chowdhury conducted the ceremony.
Sheikh Hasina said to the countrymen, “We will build our beloved motherland as Sonar Bangla, we will continue to move ahead raising our heads as a prosperous and victorious nation in the world.”
She said Bangabandhu, in his historic Mar 7 Speech, asked the people of Bangladesh to turn every home into a fortress, remain ready to confront the enemies with whatever they had, as well as to form Sangram Parishad immediately under the leadership of Awami League in every village, union, sub-district and district.
“The struggle this time is a struggle for emancipation, the struggle this time is a struggle for independence,” she quoted from the speech, adding that the people of Bangladesh followed his instructions word for word.
Sheikh Hasina, the eldest daughter of Bangabandhu, said at midnight on Mar 25, 1971, the Pakistani occupation forces attacked Rajarbagh police lines, Dhaka University and other places and started genocide.
Mentioning that Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman declared independence in the early hours of Mar 26, she quoted Bangabandhu’s proclamation of the independence – “This is probably my last message. Bangladesh is independent from today. I urge the people of Bangladesh, wherever you are, to forge resistance with whatever you have. Resist the invading forces with your full strengthen. Continue fighting until the last enemy of the Pakistani occupation forces is driven out from the soil of Bangla and the final victory is achieved.”
She said the Bengalis had started confronting the enemies with whatever they had in line with the instructions of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman.
She added that in the early hours of Mar 26, his (Bangabandhu) declaration of independence was sent across the country through wireless from the then EPR headquarters at Peelkhana in Dhaka.
This message was sent to all the police stations in Bangladesh and officers working at the police stations delivered the message to the leaders of Sangram Parishad at dawn, she continued.
Sheikh Hasina said at the same time the message was conveyed to the whole country through telegrams and teleprinters.
In addition, she said, Awami League leaders and activists disseminated the message from the districts to thanas through different ways alongside distributing leaflets.
The PM said the then General Secretary of Chattogram District Awami League Abdul Hannan read out the “Declaration of Independence” for the first time from Chattogram Betar Kendra on Mar 26 noon, and then other leaders one by one started reading out this announcement.
She noted “Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib's proclamation of independence was also covered by radios, televisions and newspapers in different countries across the world.”
According to the instructions of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib, she said, the Bangalees started fighting the enemies with whatever they had, adding, “Neighbouring India, Russia and other friendly countries and the people of those countries also stood beside us.”
She said the Pakistani occupation forces were defeated with the help of allied forces and the final victory was achieved in exchange for the blood of millions of martyrs.
