Some ex-student leaders lying about Bangabandhu's Mar 7 speech: Hasina

Some of the then student leaders are dishing wrong information about Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman’s historic speech on Mar 7 in 1971, his daughter Sheikh Hasina says.

Calling them “immature”, the prime minister says their explanations of the speech “make her laugh”. 

“Many of the then student leaders, who are still alive, are giving different explanations of the speech now. I’ve seen their interviews today, yesterday. In fact, these explanations make me laugh,” she told a programme in Dhaka on Friday.

“How immature they are to say that he (Bangabandhu) discussed with the Nucleus about whether to put 'freedom' or 'independence' first in his speech. These are utter lies and have no logic,” she said.

By the end of his speech on Mar 7, 1971, Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib proclaimed in a thundering voice amid shouts and slogans of support: “The struggle this time is the struggle for freedom! The struggle this time is for independence!”

The then Chhatra League leaders Serajul Alam Khan, Abdur Razzaq, and Kazi Aref Ahmed formed a network called ‘Nucleus’ in the early 60s to push for Bangladesh’s independence from Pakistan. The student leaders were very close to Bangabandhu.

Five days before the speech in 1971, the then vice-president of Dhaka University Central Students’ Union or DUCSU, ASM Abdur Rab hoisted the national flag of independence Bangladesh for the first time.

In a programme marking the occasion this year, Rab, now the chief of the JSD, a splinter of the Jatiya Samajtantrik Dal, claimed the political group’s ideologue Serajul is the “mastermind” of Bangladesh’s struggle for independence from Pakistan.

Serajul had planned and initiated many events, including the Mar 7 speech, leading to the independence of Bangladesh, according to Rab.

Hasina had in the past criticised Serajul and his associates for pushing Bangabandhu to officially proclaim independence in his speech at the Race Course Ground, now the Suhrawardy Udyan.

The prime minister had said Bangabandhu would have been branded a ‘separatist’ in diplomatic circles all across the world and Pakistan would have launched mass killings immediately had he proclaimed independence at the Mar 7 rally.

On Friday, Hasina recalled: “It’s true that many had worked day and night making points for the speech, claiming the people would return with frustration if these were not included. Many pieces of paper gathered at our home.”

“But my mother (Sheikh Fazilatunnesa Mujib) said the final words. Mother asked him (Bangabandhu) to follow his heart because no-one else knew better than him what the people, for whom he struggled through his entire life, wanted.

“And finally, the long speech was delivered without any point written on a piece of paper,” she said. 

Hasina said the people followed the instructions given by Bangabandhu in the speech to the letter and freed Bangladesh.

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She described the events from 1948 through which Bangabandhu gradually inspired the people to the Liberation War.

Hasina also recalled how Bngabandhu planned guerilla fighting and campaign for global support in Octoober 1969 in London. Hasina was there at the time with her husband Wazed Miah.   

“Besides meeting the expatriates, he (Sheikh Mujib) made the plans on ways to gather arms and arrange training for a guerilla fight, how global support will be sought. It was essential to make the plan there. He had this tremendous foresight,” she said.

The prime minister said Bangabandhu had joined the 1970 polls even after knowing that the then government of Pakistan would not transfer power after the Awami League’s victory.

“Many of us, many parties had been against the elections. But he said only one thing that the election must be held to pick the leaders who will speak for the Bengali nation. He got the people’s mandate after joining the elections by fulfilling all the conditions set by Yahiya Khan,” Hasina said.

Remembering Bangabandhu for the sacrifices he made for Bangladesh, Hasina said, “You who have read Bangabandhu’s ‘Unfinished Memoir’ and ‘Prison Diary’ know how he made sacrifices throughout his life. And Bangladesh gained independence because of the sacrifices he made.”

University Grants Commission Chairman Professor Abdul Mannan presented the keynote paper at the programme organised by Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman Memorial Trust.

Among others, Jahangirnagar University Vice-Chancellor Farzana Islam, artist Hashem Khan, the Trust’s CEO Mashura Hossain and Member Secretary Sheikh Hafizur Rahman, delivered speeches.