Historic March 7 Today

The 51st anniversary of the epoch-making speech delivered by Sheikh Mujibur Rahman at Suhrawardy Udyan in Dhaka on March 7, 1971 will be celebrated today.

The day is now observing nationally from past two years as the government declared March 7 as a National Historic Day on July 13, 2020.

Following a writ petition, the High Court earlier issued a rule asking the government to explain why it should not be directed to declare March 7 as a national historic day.

Different socio-political organisations, including the ruling Awami League, will hold various programmes marking the day.

President Md Abdul Hamid has said the 7th March is an unforgettable day in the history of Bengali’s liberation movement and independence as on this day in 1971, Bangladesh’s founding president Sheikh Mujibur Rahman delivered an epic speech in a thunderous voice in the then Race Course Maidan, which was the charter of independence of the Bengali nation.

‘On the occasion of the Historic 7th March I remember with deep respect the architect of our independence, the greatest Bengali of all time father of the nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman as his immense courage, boundless sacrifice, courageous leadership and right guidance led the nation in achieving country’s independence,’ said the president in a message on the eve of the historic 7th March.

In his historic address, Sheikh Mujib declared, ‘Ebarer Sangram Amader Muktir Sangram, Ebarer Sangram Swadhinatar Sangram’ (The struggle this time is for our emancipation, the struggle this time is for independence).

He made the clarion call to turn every home into a fortress of resistance against the Pakistani army.

Bengalis reacted with unprecedented rage after the then Pakistani military ruler Yahya Khan postponed the National Assembly session scheduled for March 1, 1971.

Stunned by the treachery, Sheikh Mujib immediately launched an unprecedented non-cooperation movement dealing a crippling blow to the military rulers.

And on March 7, 1971, he at Suhrawardy Udyan, the then Race Course, gave the historic address which inspired the nation to fight for independence.

The address reduced the governmental authorities in the then East Pakistan to useless showpieces as everything ran according to Mujib’s day-to-day edicts.

This continued until the military junta retaliated with the crackdown and the accompanying brutalities against the unarmed Bengalis on the fateful midnight of March 25, 1971 and the rest is history.

The historic March 7 speech of Mujib was included in the memory of the World International Register, a list of world’s important documentary heritage maintained by the UNESCO.

Marking that day, the ruling Awami League has taken elaborate programmes to observe the day in a befitting manner.

Marking the day, the AL will hoist national and party flags atop Bangabandhu Bhaban and party offices, place wreaths at Sheikh Mujib’s portrait on the premises of Bangabandhu Bhaban at Dhanmondi, said a press release.

A discussion will be arranged at the central office of Awami League on Bangabandhu Avenue at 11:00am.

Awami League president and prime minister Sheikh Hasina will preside over the discussion at a virtual platform.

National dailies will bring out special supplements marking the day while Bangladesh Betar and Bangladesh Television as well as private television channels and radio stations will air special programmes.