Dhaka, (15 December) :
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has given the following message on the occasion of the Great
Victory Day and National Day :
“Today is 16 December, our Great Victory Day and National Day. This is one of the glorious
days of the Bangalee Nation. Responding to the clarion call of the greatest Bangalee of all time, Father
of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, the Bangalee Nation earned ultimate victory on
this day in 1971 after 23 years of intense political struggles and a nine-month bloody war against the
Pakistani occupation forces. I extend my sincere greetings and warm felicitations to the countrymen
marking the 50th Victory Day. I also express deep gratitude to those countries and persons who helped
us by various means during our War of Liberation.
I pay deep homage to Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, 3-million
martyrs, 2-hundred thousand dishonored women and the bravest sons of the soil- our freedom fighters,
for whose supreme sacrifices we have got an independent and sovereign Bangladesh.
The Bangalee nation started movement for independence through Language Movement of
1948-1952, Education Movement of 1962, 6-Point Demand of 1966, and 11-point Movement and
Mass Upsurge of 1969 under the undaunted leadership of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib. The Awami
League secured an absolute majority in the general elections of 1970. However, Pakistani Military
Junta did not allow the Bangalee Nation to assume power. The Father of the Nation realized that the
oppression, persecution and deprivation meted out to the Bangalee Nation would not be ended without
achieving independence. Accordingly, on the historic 7 March of 1971, he in front of a million of
people at the then Race Course Maidan firmly pronounced, ‘The struggle this time is the struggle for
emancipation, the struggle this time is the struggle for independence.’ At the call of Bangabandhu
Sheikh Mujib, country-wide non-cooperation movement began. Preparation for waging armed struggle
also continued.
On the fateful night of 25 March of 1971, the Pakistani occupation forces launched a brutal
onslaught and committed genocide on the innocent and unarmed Bangalees. At the early hours of 26
March, Bangabandhu declared independence of Bangladesh. Formal War of Independence began. The
first government of the People’s Republic of Bangladesh formed with Father of the Nation
Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman as the President, Syed Nazrul Islam as the Vice-President and
Tajuddin Ahmad as the Prime Minister was sworn-in on 17 April 1971 at the historic Mujibnagar and
led the Liberation War. The valiant freedom fighters earned ultimate victory on 16 December 1971 by
defeating Pakistani occupation forces and their local collaborators- Razakar, Al-Badr and Al-Sham.
We got our red-green flag.
When Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib had engaged himself in rebuilding the war-ravaged
Bangladesh, the anti-liberation war criminal cliques assassinated the Father of the Nation along with
most of his family members on 15 August 1975. Through this heinous killing, they initiated the politics
of killings, coup and conspiracy and blocked trial of Bangabandhu’s killers through promulgating
Indemnity Ordinance; thwarted democracy by declaring Martial Law; distorted the glorious history of
Liberation War; destroyed its spirit; tailored the Constitution and restricted the freedom of the press.
Later, the BNP-Jamat alliance government continued this trend.
Today’s Bangladesh is a self-reliant Bangladesh. During 1996-2001 and the tenures of
successive Awami League governments from 2009 to date, Bangladesh has made incredible socio-
economic progress. Per capita income rose from US $543 in 2005-06 to US $2,085 now. Bangladesh
has qualified to graduate to a developing country. We have made substantial progress in every field,
including macroeconomics, agriculture, education, health, communications, information technology,
infrastructure, power, rural economics and diplomacy. Various mega projects, including Padma
Bridge, Metro Rail and Elevated Expressway are being implemented in road, rail, sea and air
communication sector. With the launch of Bangabandhu Satellite-1, we have joined the list of Satellite
technology savvy countries as the 57th nation in the world. Bangladesh today is one of the top five
countries in the world in terms of economic progress; a country of ‘Role model’ of development. We
have relentlessly been working to turn Bangladesh into a developed-prosperous country by 2041. We
have started the implementation of the world’s first 100-year 'Delta Plan 2100'.
Our government has adopted 'Zero Tolerance' policy to combat militancy, terrorism, repression
on women and drugs menaces. We have established the rule of law in the country by executing the
verdicts of the killers of the Father of the Nation. The verdicts of war criminals are being executed to
rid the nation of stigma. We have peacefully resolved the land boundary issue with India. We have also
peacefully resolved maritime boundaries with India and Myanmar. Bangladesh has been playing a
commendable role in various international forums and in establishing world peace.
UNESCO has joined Bangladesh in celebrating the birth centenary of the Father of the Nation.
Next year we will celebrate the golden jubilee of our Independence. Inspired by the spirit of the great
War of Liberation, let us unite against all communal evil forces and thwart any conspiracy against the
country, democracy and the government. In the midst of the Coronavirus pandemic, we must follow
the health guidelines, and play our due role in maintaining the country's development, progress and
continuity of democracy. May this be our firm pledge on this great Victory Day.