The New Nation - Internet Edition

Staff Reporter

The historic 7th March, which shaped the War of Liberation in 1971, was celebrated in different areas, including the capital and divisional headquarters, of the country without pomp and grandeur yesterday.

This day in 1971 Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman announced non-cooperation movement against Pakistani ruling junta, when it refused to implement the democratic verdict of the people for handing over power to his party the Awami League that singularly won the majority seats in the elections to the National Assembly held on December 17, 1970, at massive gathering in Dhaka city.

Asking the Bangalee nation for making the non-cooperation movement and take preparation for the War of Independence, Bangabandhu declared, "The struggle is the struggle for freedom, this struggle is the struggle for the independence, Joy Bangla."

The millions, representing 7.5 crore people, at the rally on the sprawling historic Suhrawardy Uddayan (the then Race Course Maidan) responded positively like a roaring ocean during hurricane.

Bangabandhu's speech inspired the entire Bangalee nation to join the armed struggle for independence that led to the emergence of Bangladesh as a sovereign country on December 16, 1971 in exchange of supreme sacrifice made by 30 lakh people, including children and women, fighting out the barbarous Pakistani occupation army, its local collaborators-Razakars and Al-Badr-and pushing aside the opposition from the main super power of the world.

In observance of the day, leaders of Awami League (AL) and its front organisations placed wreath at the portrait of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman at Bangabandhu Bhaban in Dhamondi of the capital in the morning.

Party leaders, activists and well-wishers handed over flowers to the jail authorities to present the detained AL President Sheikh Hasina, the eldest daughter of Bangabandhu and one of the two living members of his family. The other person is his younger daughter Sheikh Rehana, now living in London.

Besides, National and party flags atop all AL offices across the country were hoisted after dawn. A discussion marking the day was held at the Diploma Engineers Institute auditorium.

Private TV channels aired special programmes, including parts of the recorded speech of Bangabandhu at the Suhrawardy Uddayan's rally on 7th March, while newspapers carried out special supplement or articles on the occasion. Political leaders, including the then Members of the National Assembly (Parliament) and artists, who attended the rally were interviewed by both electronic and print media on the day.

Acting AL President Zillur Rahman, who delivered the presidential speech at the discussion meeting marking the 7th March at the Diploma Engineers Institute in the city, paid glowing tributes to memories of Bangabandhu and his family members and the four national leaders-Syed Nazrul Islam, Tajuddin Ahmed, AHM Quamruzzaman and Captain Monsur Ali-all of whom were killed either in August 15 coup de etat or in November 3 Jail killing in 1975.

Urging the Government to finish the construction of the "Swadinata Stamva" (Independence Monument), which is being built for last 10 years, the AL leaders urged the people and the administration to materialise the dreams of three million martyrs, the freedom fighters and the assassinated leaders of the Liberation War.

They also asked the Government to try war criminals, who were responsible for the genocide of 1971, under the International War Crime Tribunal Act-1973.