All instructions for independence were in Bangabandhu’s 7 March speech: Hasina

Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman declared independence in his historic 7 March 1971 speech, Sheikh Hasina has said.

Speaking at a discussion marking 50 years of the historic speech on Sunday, the prime minister noted that the Father of the Nation depicted in the address decades of exploitation of the Bengali, and the situation at the time when killings and torture by the Pakistani junta were ongoing.

“And the most important thing is that he gave all the instructions to prepare for a war. He told us what to do in guerrilla warfare – from forming Sangram Parishad to facing the enemy with whatever we had.”

Hasina said Bangabandhu declared independence in his historic speech because he knew that he might not live until the moment he would be proclaiming independence officially.

The Father of the Nation uttered the words -- “The struggle this time is the struggle for our freedom. The struggle this time is the struggle for independence.” -- twice in his speech, the prime minister said.

“He made it clear that it would be a war of independence. So in a sense, it was the actual proclamation of independence.” 

Bangabandhu addressed tens of thousands who gathered at the Racecourse ground, now the Suhrawardy Udyan, in Dhaka on Mar 7, 1971.

Eighteen days later, the Pakistani military launched its killing operation and Bangladesh gained independence after a bloody war of nine months.

Hasina recalled Bangabandhu ignored the advice of then student leaders Serajul Alam Khan, Abdur Razzaq Tofail Ahmed and many others to declare independence officially on that day.

“I still remember Bangabandhu telling Serajul Alam Khan, ‘Seraj, the leader should lead the lad; the lad should not lead the leader’,” said Hasina, daughter of Bangabandhu.

She had earlier said Bangabandhu did not heed the advice because he knew that an official declaration on that day would have led Bangladesh to getting isolated diplomatically and attacked by the Pakistani forces immediately.

Hasina said her mother Bangamata Sheikh Fazilatunnesa Mujib had advised Bangabandhu to follow his own instinct before delivering the speech.

The prime minister joined the event at Bangabandhu International Conference Centre in Dhaka via video conferencing from the Ganabhaban.

Liberation War Affairs Minister AKM Mozammel Haque, Education Minister Dipu Moni and State Minister for Cultural Affairs KM Khalid Babu, among others, attended the programme.