Hiren Pandit: Bangladesh would have been independent if Bangabandhu was not born! In one word, no. It can be said with a promise that Bangladesh would not have been independent if the father of the nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman was not born. We attained independence through the 24 years of struggle and the great liberation war of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman. The Bengali nation has been liberated. Bangabandhu responded to Sheikh Mujib’s call and won by fighting with what he had. Bangladesh could not have become an independent state if Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib was not born.
We could not have achieved self-esteem as an independent nation. The Father of the Nation declared independence just as the Pakistani invaders launched their attack on March 25. Awami League won the election of 1970. But the Pakistanis could not accept this victory. Bangabandhu had given the order to fight for what he had through the historic speech of March 7. He instructed the Bengalis to unite. The people of Bengal followed his instructions to the letter. After the March 7 speech, the Pakistani regime was paralyzed until March 25. The country ran according to the instructions given by him from house number 32. Through his March 7 speech, he instructed us that the war of independence and victory in the war was inevitable.
The Bengali followed his instructions and made preparations accordingly. The Pakistani invaders surrendered on December 16. Later, the Pakistanis were forced to release Bangabandhu under international pressure. Our friendly neighbor India helped us a lot. They sheltered refugees. Freedom fighters were trained and given weapons. We express our gratitude and respect to all those who supported us at the United Nations. Bangabandhu spent much of his life in prison for speaking for the people of the country and for the people of Bengal. He dreamed that the people of this country should get food, clothes, education and a better life.
We have to build the Bangladesh of the Bangabandhu’s dream. He gave us a country, due to which today some of them have achieved many big posts like Ministers and MPs. So today there is no end of gratitude to the father of the nation, Bangabandhu. If Bangabandhu did not give six points, our desire for freedom would have remained elusive Bangabandhu talked about one point behind the six points. That point is the independence of Bangladesh. Bangabandhu knew that these goals could not be achieved without independence. Bangabandhu had only one idea in mind when he met Mani Singh and Khoka Roy, the then-banned Communist Party leaders, in the early sixties.
It is the independence of the Bengalis of East Bengal. In that meeting, Bangabandhu said, ‘Democracy-autonomy will not be given to Punjabis. So, there is no liberation of Bengal without independence. Freedom is my ultimate goal’ and that is why, he gave six points and ran to every corner of rural Bengal to promote it. Awakened the consciousness, and prepared the people for final liberation. Because of these six points of Bangabandhu, the Bengali nation made a ballot revolution standing in the face of bullets, which paved the way for independence. 1947 to 1971. The struggle of 24 consecutive years is like an epic poem, which is sometimes six points in the continuity of the poem, a direct declaration, this struggle is our liberation struggle, this struggle is a struggle for freedom.
The month of March is a month of logical consequences for Bengali dreams. March is a month full of happiness and sadness, laughter and tears, happiness and sadness, emotions and feelings. 4 days are very important this March. Historical 7th March 2022 National Day, 17th March Bangabandhu’s Birth Day, 25th March Genocide Day and 26th March Great Freedom. This country was born on the 26th of this month; Bangabandhu was born on the 17th of this month. So, March is a meaningful month for the Bengali nation. It was in this month that he made the Bengali nation dream with his magical speech. Bengali roared. The source of motivation for independence is that speech of March 7, 1971.
After this historic speech, the still elusive ‘freedom’ cherished in the heart of every Bengali spread like a spark across the country. There is only one in our motherland Bangladesh, only one leader Bangabandhu. Born a hundred years ago on March 17, this bright man roared on March 7; It is with that roar that the achievement is on December 16. Independent Bangladesh is written on the face of the earth. His talent, wisdom, honesty, courage above all patriotism were born in Bangladesh. The greatest event in the long political history of Bangladesh is the great liberation war of 1971. Through this historical event of armed freedom struggle, the socio-political dreams of the Bengali nation were fulfilled for thousands of years.
The political conflict intensified in 1971, though it had started many years earlier. Then, through the language movement of 1952, the education movement of 1966, and the popular uprising of 1969, the dream of Bengali reached its logical conclusion in March 1971. On the night of March 1, an organization called Swadhin Bangla Chhatra Sangram Parishad was formed. That struggle council organized a procession in Paltan on March 3. It is very important in the history of Bangladesh. In this procession, Shahjahan Siraj read the Declaration of Independence. The manifesto was talking about the independence of Bangladesh. It was said there, what will be the border of Bangladesh, this flag will be the Bengali flag, Jai Bangla will be the Bengali slogan, and Bangabandhu is the supreme leader of our freedom struggle.
At that time slogans were raised, and brave Bengalis took up arms, to make Bangladesh independent. Flag hoisting on the 2nd, manifesto reading on the 3rd, and historic speech given by Bangabandhu on the 7th of March. This is how the background of freedom is created. Bangabandhu did not love power, he loved the country with his heart, and he loved the people of the country. He was never greedy for money. Money was insignificant to him compared to his love of country. Will such a leader ever be born in this country? No one will ever come as Bangabandhu. Bangabandhu’s Bangladesh. People who love Bengal will never come to this country again. No one will love Bengal like him; No one else will protect the Bengali with a firm hand as he did. Roads, schools, colleges, mosques, madrassas, health sector have been greatly improved.
This development of the country is the benefit of independence. If the country was not independent, it would not have been possible to develop so much. What would happen if we did not get freedom? If Bangladesh was not independent, then what would have happened? There was still discrimination. Freedom is the touchstone, that changes everything of people, which has changed the thoughts and consciousness of Bangladesh, has increased the courage and courage of the people, and has inspired them to strive for the better. As much development as you say, progress, all of them are the result of efforts to build the country even after independence.
Without independence, there would have been no great work, there would have been no big positions, today Bangladesh is doing well in everything, self-sufficient in food production, record holder in fruit production, listed among the best in the world in fish production, and one of the best in garment export, all of this is possible because of independence. Bangladesh is doing well in the human development index, better than India, it is also possible that we are an independent country. 53 years ago, the Americans used to say, why does East Pakistan want to be independent, there is not a single mineral resource, that country will not be successful economically, and they will die. After 53 years, they are saying that Bangladesh is going to become one of the world’s largest economies or an emerging tiger.
All this became possible because the country became independent. He dreamed of that freedom, he spread it among everyone, the feeling that gave birth to the whole country in the name of freedom was a man named Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman. That Bangabandhu was a brave man is not unknown now. If we look for the source of this courage, it will be seen that the love of humanity and patriotism inspired him to be brave. Sheikh Mujib used to protest from his childhood when he saw such incidents of humanity being insulted and people’s rights being violated. How many humanitarian works did Kishore Mujib?
He grabbed everyone’s attention by donating clothes to the needy, providing food to the needy, and sincerely solving the problems of his classmates. Compassion or love for people was inherent in him. The patriotism that inspired him as a teenager, he carried on till the last day of his life. The freedom and welfare of the motherland always haunted him and he left the ultimate example of patriotism by shedding his blood for the country. He made the timid Bengalis brave. Bengalis have learned to live with their heads held high by imbibing the lessons of courage from Sheikh Mujib. Sheikh Mujib’s character was immortalized because of the many virtues that he had.
Looking at his characteristic features bowed his head in reverence. How a man can be so forgiving and generous is impossible to explain to those who have not seen him up close. Although some leaders of the world are known as iron men or tough rulers, Bangabandhu’s characteristics are completely different. Even though he was a political leader, the great deeds of forgiveness, kindness, and generosity he left behind will be remembered in history. The Pakistanis treated him unfairly, did not give him power even after winning the elections, imposed an unjust war, and killed three million people, yet it is not a very common case that Bangabandhu did not take revenge.
Bangabandhu never supported the politics of conflict or hatred. His position in favor of systematic politics was clear. Even after accepting his loss, he tried for the happiness of others. In 1971, under the leadership of Bangabandhu, the great hero of independence, we got an independent country, and his dream is on the way to realization today, hunger-poverty-free, modern and prosperous Bangladesh! So Bangabandhu and Bangladesh are like an inseparable part of body and soul to us! National language movement, 1954 United Front election, 1962 education movement, 1966 6 points, 1969 popular uprising, 1970 elections, the nation reached in 1971 through a long continuous movement of almost 24 years. A continuous movement against tyranny and oppression It became a movement for independence and freedom.
The name of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman is the man who fought for the freedom and sovereignty of the land called Bangladesh in South Asia with an area of fifty-six thousand square miles. After independence, he said, “This independence will fail me if my people of Bengal do not eat their fill of rice.” This freedom will not be complete for me if the mothers and sisters of Bengal do not get clothes. This freedom will not be fulfilled if the people of this country, who are my youth class, do not get jobs or do not get work. The motto of his politics was struggle for ideals, sacrifice for ideals. We can see from his student life that he did politics with ideals, beliefs, and dreams, despite hardships and great pressure. With immense courage, determination, and uncompromising leadership, Bangabandhu inspired the subjugated Bengali nation to fight. Responding to Bangabandhu’s call, people from all walks of life liberated Bangladesh through the liberation war.
Hiren Pandit is a columnist and a research fellow.