March promises us to be patriot

Dr. Forqan Uddin Ahmed :
The history of Bangladesh is long and eventful. East Bengal was always well known for its monasteries and seaport, for its exquisite muslin fabric and its brave seafarers. But East Bengal languished in servitude, and her masses were oppressed. This was to all change with a man who was born in the rural heartland of East Bengal in 1920. The Bangladesh story is the story of a man named Sheikh Mujibur Rahman who loved the masses of East Bengal and who sacrificed his life for a country he had named “Bangladesh.” Bangabandhu was a genuine people’s leader. It was his love for his people and empathy for his people’s suffering that made him strive for their freedom. The sacrifice and contribution of Bangabandhu for the independence of Bangladesh are incomparable. A visionary, Bangabandhu valiantly led the nation in every single movement inter alia.
The period of 1969-70 witnessed an unprecedented mass mobilisation campaign undertaken by Bangabandhu to unite the whole nation behind his call for self-rule. The military ruler Ayub Khan fell from power in 1969, but a new military ruler Yahya Khan took over. Yahya agreed to hold national general elections in Pakistan in 1970, the first in the country’s history of twenty-three years. Yahya also accepted two demands of the Bangali nationalists-parliamentary seats according to population and joint electorate. Bangabandhu used the election campaign to spread his message of re-establishing Sonar Bangla. During the election campaign East Bengal was referred to as Bangladesh and other nationalist symbols and slogans were used. The election results of 1970 gave Bangabandhu an overwhelming mandate to speak on behalf of the nation. He won 167 out of 169 seats making him the leader of the majority party in the National Assembly entitled to form the central government. He also won overwhelming majority in the provincial Assembly.
The unity of the Bangali nation under Bangabandhu’s leadership was on display all through March 1971. When he called for non- co-operation movement on March 7, 1971 even government officials followed his instructions. By mid-March Bangabandhu became the de facto head of government in Bangladesh. Indeed, from mid-March 1971, the Bangalis began to feel that they ware citizen of a sovereign country. This sense of freedom explains why and how the whole nation spontaneously took up arms for the National Liberation War after the independence of Bangladesh was formally declared in the name of Bangabandhu on March 26, 1971.
It was again this identification of the nation with his leadership that led to the peaceful and de facto transfer of power from Pakistani military rulers to Bangabandhu in March 1971. He had the moral authority to speak on behalf of the Bangali nation and issue commands which were willingly followed by millions of people. Independence of Bangladesh was declared in Bangabandhu’s name and the nine month long National Liberation War was also waged in his name. His name had to be repeatedly invoked because his overwhelming electoral mandate and unprecedented popular support gave legitimacy to our National Liberation War. People inside and outside Bangladesh knew and trusted only him as the legitimate leader.
March is the month of achieving independence. Bangladesh became independent in 1971 after a long struggle against oppressions, killing, disparity, conspiracies and limitless injustice. The Bangalees raised their voice and protested vehemently by the leadership of Nation’s Father Bangabandhu Seikh Mujibur Rahman. He was a great leader and his leadership did never put any question to freedom loving people of East Bengal. On 7th March Bangabandhu pronounced the independence liberation war which was ultimately the declaration of independence. This inspiring voice of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman motivated the Bangales and finally liberation war started. The Pakistani rulers took very aggressive steps against the freedom loving people with their all might’s and main. They were very inhumanly towards people irrespective of caste and creed. They opened fire, used explosive charged beonetts against humanity. Humanity was distorted. They started killing women, boys, girls, children and finally the intellectuals. Women were raped, properties razed to fire and people were shot down.
Today Bangladesh is a free country with its role model of Digital Bangladesh and development, Bangladesh is progressing, with the amenities of all properties and resources. All these have been possible for independence and the architect of this independence is Bangabandhu Sheikh Mojibur Rahman. How Bangladesh was made free? The first and foremost is the dream. Bangabandhu dreamt of free Bangladesh. Moreover, he had a profound patriotism, firm determination, indomitable courage and self-sacrificing mentality. Above all, he had the quality of leadership.
Bangabandhu laid his life to establish the ideal and real identity of the Bangalees. It will be our prime duty to build-up Sonar Bangla as dreamt by him. We can do it by discharging our respective duties the perfect way. This is a sacred motto of Greek Philosopher Plato and Aristotle. Bangabandhu has given us this great learning to love Bangladesh. It we are committed to do our own job, only then the country will develop and we can claim ourselves as a patriot.
Today’s Bangladesh is a spirit of self-reliant digital Bangladesh. March promises and teaches us to be patriot. Our independence is not confined in so called freedom only since it deserves sacrifice, devotion and selflessness. Today’s independence limits not in a single word of twelve alphabets but presents before us a wide explanation of history and heritage. March tells exploitation free Bangladesh and finally we should pay homage to our all, martyred who laid down their valuable lives for independence.

(The writer is former Deputy Director General, Bangladesh Ansar and VDP).