Bangladeshi Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina

The following is a message by Bangladeshi Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on the occasion of her country’s Independence and National Day. — ED.

I convey my heartiest greetings to my countrymen as well as to all expatriate Bangalees on the occasion of the great Independence and National Day of Bangladesh.

March 26 is a glorious day in our national life. On this great day, I pay my deep homage to the 3 million martyrs and 200 thousand women who lost their innocence in the War of Liberation in 1971.

I recall with deep gratitude the great leader of our liberation struggle, the greatest Bangalee of all time, Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, under whose dynamic leadership we earned our great independence.

I also pay my humble tributes to four national leaders and the valiant freedom fighters, who had fought against the Pakistani occupation forces to free our beloved motherland.

extend my sympathies to those who had lost their near and dear ones, and were subjected to brutal torture and subjugation during the war. I recall with gratitude our foreign friends who had extended their wholehearted support and cooperation for the cause of our liberation.

The Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman proclaimed the independence of Bangladesh at the first hour of the March 26, 1971 after the occupation forces launched sudden attack on the innocent and unarmed Bangalees on the black night of the March 25, 1971. Bangabandhu’s proclamation was spread all over the country through telegrams, tele-printers and EPR wireless. At each and every district and subdivision, Awami League’s leaders and workers publicized the declaration widely through mikes. The international media also had circulated Bangabandhu’s proclamation of independence. Under the brave and dauntless leadership of Bangabandhu, we earned the ultimate victory on the Dec. 16, 1971 after a 9-month bloody war.

The independence earned through huge bloodbath and sacrifice is our people’s greatest achievement. To ensure that this achievement remains meaningful, the spirit of our great liberation war should be reached to every nook and corner of the country. Cherishing the true history of the liberation war close to our hearts, we would have to go ahead in achieving the objectives of the Charter of Change by building a Bangladesh, free from corruption, mal-governance, terrorism, hunger and poverty.

The present Awami League government has been implementing huge development programmes in all sectors, including agriculture, education, health, law and order, information technology, energy and power and communications. The defeated anti-liberation, communal and identified reactionary forces are trying to undo the democratic and development process of our beloved country at a time when our government had executed the verdict of Bangabandhu’s assassination case, and is holding the trial of the war criminals.

On this auspicious day of our independence, I urge the countrymen to remain united to foil the ill-designed plots of the anti-democratic and anti-liberation forces against the government and the people.

We have been striving hard to establish Bangladesh as a poverty-, hunger- and illiteracy-free modern Digital Bangladesh by the Golden Jubilee year of our independence through implementing ‘Vision-2021’. I hope that all citizens of our country would engage themselves with their utmost sincerity, honesty and dedication to build Bangladesh as a prosperous and prestigious country in comity of nations.

I am confident that Insha-Allah, with our united efforts, we would surely achieve our golden Bangladesh as envisioned by the Father of the Nation. Joi Bangla, Joi Bangabandhu. May Bangladesh Live Forever.