March 26 — Great Independence and National Day

BNP Acting Chairman Deshanayak Tarique Rahman's speech

“Great Independence and National Day is the most glorious golden day in our national life. On this day, the independence of the motherland was revealed on the world map. On this day, I extend my sincere greetings and congratulations to all, including the countrymen and expatriate Bangladeshis.

On this great day, I pay tribute to the memory of the brave martyrs of the freedom war. By whose sacrifice we have achieved the liberation of the nation. I pay deep respect to the memory of all the national leaders including the martyr President Ziaur Rahman Bir Uttam, the herald of great independence. We remember the contribution of those brave freedom fighters, whose nine months of life and death struggle we won. I respectfully remember all those mothers and sisters who sacrificed their lives for the freedom of the motherland. March 26 is such a glorious day for us, the greatest achievement in our thousand year history, freedom which is manifested on the world map through the blood-soaked path of struggle and war, our motherland.

On this day, the best son of the motherland, President Ziaur Rahman declared the independence of Bangladesh. In his historic announcement, the disoriented nation got the motto to jump into the freedom struggle. As a result, the nation was liberated after a terrible and bloody war of nine months of history. The people of this country participated in the liberation war of 1971 with the determination to build an exploitation-free, deprivation-free democratic Bangladesh. Unfortunately, we have not yet been able to achieve that goal due to the machinations of the anti-independence forces. Time and again, fascist, dictatorial and illegal forces have not allowed us to achieve that goal.

Domestic and foreign conspiracies have hampered our democracy and economic development and threatened freedom and sovereignty. After the conspiratorial assassination of President Ziaur Rahman Bir Uttam, the herald of great independence, the successful and successful leadership of the uncompromising leader of democracy, Begum Khaleda Zia, started the process of democracy development, but once again, because of the enemies of democracy, Begum Khaleda Zia has been illegally detained in a false case. Due to the illegal stay in power of the current fascist illegal Awami League government, about 600 democracy-loving political leaders and activists have disappeared, thousands of leaders and activists have been killed, false cases against 35 lakh democratic workers and torture have removed democracy. This illegitimate government has destroyed all institutions in a democratic state with the nefarious aim of establishing a one-party regime. Even today after 52 years of independence, the people of this country could not enjoy the benefits of independence. Now it is necessary to restore democratic system by defeating fascism through united rarely movement of all patriotic political parties, organizations, individuals and people of Bangladesh. On this great independence and national day today, I am calling to uphold the spirit of the great liberation war of 1971 through the collective and united struggle of the nation.

I pray to Almighty God for the happiness, peace and prosperity of all the nation.

Allah Hafez, long live Bangladesh.”