Independence Day

Today Bangladeshis throughout the globe are celebrating their glorious Independence Day. As dusk fell on 25 March 1971, news began to circulate that President Yahya Khan and his cohorts, without calling a formal end to the talks and in unusually surreptitious manner, had flown off to West Pakistan.

The Pakistan Army launched the crackdown at midnight of 25 March. According to the plan for action Search Light two headquarters were established. Major General Rao Farman Ali with 57 Brigade under Brigadier Arbab was responsible for operation in Dhaka city and its suburbs while Major General Khadim Raja was given the responsibility of the rest of the province. Lieutenant General Tikka Khan assumed the overall charge of the operation. The students and the common people put up resistance outside the cantonment. Road blocks were raised to obstruct the march of the Pakistani column to the city areas. The wireless set fitted jeeps and trucks loaded with troops groaned on the streets of Dhaka City at midnight of 25 March. The first column of the Pakistan army faced obstruction at Farmgate about one kilometre from the cantonment due to a huge road block created by placing big tree trunks across the road. The hulks of old cars and unserviceable steam roller, were also used. Several hundred people chanted the slogan Joi Bangla which lasted for about 15 minutes. them.

The Pak forces killed everybody in sight on the footpath and destroyed everything on their way. The tanks roared through the streets of Dhaka blasting indiscriminately at the people and official and residential buildings. They gunned down clusters of settlements and set fire on them. Scores of artillery bursts were pounded, while the tanks rumbled into the city roaring the main streets. The student halls of residence at Dhaka University were raided and numerous students residing there were brutally killed and maimed. They also killed many teachers of Dhaka University. The Hindu concentrated areas of old Dhaka were particularly targeted. They started killing the people, burnt their houses, looted their valuables and raped their women.

As 25 March gave way to 26 March, Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, the elected leader of the majority party in Pakistan's National Assembly and spokesman of the seventy five million Bengalis inhabiting the province of East Pakistan, had the following directive transmitted to the outside world, which world of course at that point was symbolised by the land he sought to make free:

"This may be my last message. From today Bangladesh is independent. I call upon the people of Bangladesh, wherever they might be and with whatever you have, to resist the army of occupation to the last. Your fight must go on until the last soldier of the Pakistan occupation army is expelled from Bangladesh. Final victory is ours." Today is the time to remember the Father of the Nation Bangabandhu, and the national leaders who, inspired by Bangabandhu, led the nation to victory. On this day, we also remember our foreign friends, particularly India and the erstwhile Soviet Union, for their unflinching support during the crucial nine months of the war.

Despite the odds stacked against Bangladesh when the country became independent, Bangladesh has achieved much in the last 52 years. The economy has progressed remarkably well. We have achieved self-sufficiency in food, and more and more children are going to school and receiving immunisation from diseases. Bangladesh has clinched the second spot after China in the global readymade apparels scene and we have diversified our exports to other emerging markets and products. Bangladesh has also gone a long way in achieving gender parity.

Proving the naysayers wrong Bangladesh has not only survived but also flourished since its independence in 1971. With its strengthening economy and well established democratic values Bangladesh is a respected nation in the global community. Through celebration of this day amid much fervour we declare to the whole world how proud we are about our success in vanquishing the enemy of our freedom.