PM Hasina reflects on indelible legacy of March 7 speech

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Thursday said the international recognition of Bangabandhu‍‍`s historic March 7 speech proves that history can not be obliterated, although the anti-liberation forces tried it.

“History can not be erased, truth can not be covered by falsehood, and now that has been proved. The historical speech of March 7 has attained its recognition in the world,” she said.

The prime minister was addressing a program marking the historic March 7 speech of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman before he proclaimed independence on March 26, 1971.

She said the historic speech is significant not only for the people of Bangladesh, rather this is one of the greatest speeches of world leaders who have encouraged their peoples for independence.

“They (anti-Liberation forces) erased the name of the Father of the Nation, his picture could not be shown, the historical speech of March 7 was banned, Joy Bangla slogan was banned,” she said.

Recalling the barbaric killing of Bangabandhu, Sheikh Hasina, the elder daughter of the architect of Bangladesh’s independence, said the anti-liberation forces did not like the efforts of Bangabandhu after the independence of the country to turn Bangladesh into a least developed country within three years and seven months from a war-ravaged one.

“And when the country was advancing towards economic emancipation, the anti-liberation forces did not like that,” she said.

She also said the most regrettable matter is that Pakistanis could not kill the Father of the Nation, but he was killed by some of his countrymen.

“It was not just a killing for power, they did not kill only the president,” she said.

She mentioned that her mother, three younger brothers, only paternal uncle, student leader Fazlul Haque Moni and his pregnant wife, her uncle Abdur Rab Serniabat, and his 10-year-old son, 13-year-old daughter, and four-year-old grandson were also killed.

She said Bangabandhu’s military secretary who had rushed to save him was also killed while police officer Siddiqur Rahman was slain.

“Bangladesh could not advance a single step after the massacre. Bangladesh was totally stuck, there was no socio-economic advancement and there was no change in the fate of the people,” she claimed.

At the outset of the program, the iconic speech of Bangabandhu was played.

Later the prime minister witnessed a cultural show.