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DHAKA, March 25, 2022 (BSS) - Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina today called upon
all Bangladeshis to let's not divide themselves and nurture the spirit and
ideals of the Liberation War and participate in building a hunger-poverty-
free, self-confident and self-respecting 'Golden Bangladesh' as dreamt by
Bangabandhu.

She said this in a message on the eve of the great Independence and National
Day.

"Today is the great Independence and National Day. Bangladesh entered its
51st year after the golden jubilee of independence. On this auspicious
occasion, I extend my sincere greetings and congratulations to all the
Bangladeshi citizens living in the country and abroad," the Premier said.

 She remembered with the most profound respect the greatest Bengali of all
time, the great architect of Bangladesh, Father of the Nation Bangabandhu
Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, under whose firm and far-sighted leadership,
Bangladesh got an independent state.
 
 Sheikh Hasina remembered the four national leaders who steered the
liberation war with their able guidance.
 
 The debt of the blood of three million martyrs of the liberation war and the
self-sacrifice of two hundred thousand mothers and sisters will never be
repaid, she said.
 
 The Prime Minister paid her deep respects to all the fearless freedom
fighters, including the war-wounded.
 
 "I am grateful to all the friendly countries, organisations, institutions,
individuals, particularly to the then Prime Minister of India, Shrimati
Indira Gandhi, for their generous support during the War of Liberation," she
said.
 
 "Although we officially made our debut as an independent nation on March 26,
1971, the young student leader Sheikh Mujib had dreamed of establishing a
sovereign state in this land since the creation of Pakistan in 1947 based on
religion at the key," she said, adding that Pakistanis' social, economic, and
political discriminatory attitudes became clear day by day.
 
 
 Sheikh Mujib remained steadfast in defending the rights and dignity of the
Bengalis in return for any sacrifice, she said.
 
 She said the two organisations of his far-reaching thoughts are the Chhatra
League and the Awami League, where he was deeply involved from their
beginning until the end of his life.
 
 From the language movement of '52 to the victory of the United Front
election of '54, the anti-Ayub movement of '62, six points of '66, the mass
upsurge of '69-- these two organisations had an immense role in the
struggles, she continued.
 
 The Prime Minister said in the face of public outrage, Ayub Khan was forced
to repeal the ordinance on the Agartala conspiracy case.
 
 Sheikh Mujib became the beacon of hope and aspiration of Bengalis
"Bangabandhu", she said.
 
 She said on December 5, 1969, on the death anniversary of Huseyn Shaheed
Suhrawardy, Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib declared, "From today, the name of this
eastern country of Pakistan will be Bangladesh only instead of East
Pakistan."
 
 The Awami League, led by Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib, won a single majority in
the National Assembly of '70 elections. However, the Pak-military junta
started procrastinating without transferring power, she mentioned.
 
 Sheikh Mujib called for a non-cooperation movement and, in his historic
speech on March 7, gave a clear outline of the goal of liberation from the
long 23 years of rule and exploitation, she said.
 
 On 23rd March, the flag emblazoned with the map of Bangladesh was hoisted
all over the country, she added.
 
 At midnight on March 25, Pakistani troops started killing unarmed Bengalis
in the name of 'Operation Search Light', the Premier said.

 She said Sheikh Mujib was arrested in the early hours of March 26. He made
the official declaration of independence before being arrested.
 
 Sheikh Hasina said the Bengali public leader was imprisoned in Mianwali jail
in Pakistan and subjected to inhumane torture.
 
 At the call of the Father of the Nation, the freedom-loving people of
Bengal, inspired by the slogan 'Joy Bangla,' started fighting for the
liberation of the motherland with whatever they had, she said.
 
 On 17 April, the Mujibnagar government swore in Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur
Rahman as President, Syed Nazrul Islam as Vice-President, Tajuddin Ahmad as
Prime Minister, Captain M Mansur Ali and AHM Kamaruzzaman as Ministers, she
said.

"Subsequently, to properly conduct the liberation war, the whole country was
divided into 11 sectors, and commander-in-chief was appointed," she said,
adding that after a long nine-month armed struggle, independent sovereign
Bangladesh was liberated on 16th December.

 The father of the Bengali nation, President Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur
Rahman, was released from prison in Pakistan and returned to his beloved
independent motherland on January 10, 1972, devoted himself to rebuilding the
war-torn country, she said.
 
 With the help of allies, as there was an empty treasury, he rehabilitated
the displaced people, restored and developed the infrastructure, and put the
production sector and the economy on a solid foundation, Sheikh Hasina said.
 
 "Bangabandhu approved a constitution within nine months of independence,"
she said, adding that Father of the Nation made the country as a least
developed country in just three and a half years.
 
 Bangladesh gained recognition from 116 countries and membership in 27
international organisations through his diplomatic efforts, the Premier said.
 
 "But our misfortune is that the defeated anti-independence clique of '71
continues to conspire against him. Incumbent President Bangabandhu Sheikh
Mujibur Rahman was martyred along with his family members on August 15, 1975,
by the brutal bullet of the assassin," she said.
 
 She said the murderous Mostaq-Zia and their successors illegally seized
power and established a dictatorship in the country.
 
 The BNP tarnished the proud history of the Bengali nation by placing the
perpetrators of the infernal massacre on 25th March, criminals against
humanity and war criminals and murderers of the Father of the Nation in the
National Parliament and hoisting the flag of independent Bangladesh in their
cars, she added.
 
 Bangladesh Awami League, after a long 21 years, in 1996, won the people's
mandate and got the responsibility of running the government, Sheikh Hasina
said.
 
 "We took on the mission of changing the lives of poor and marginalized
people by introducing social security programs. We made the country self-
sufficient in food production. We set up community clinics to provide primary
healthcare to the country's marginalized people. We built houses for the
homeless people by taking shelter projects and strengthened the local
government system. We made mobile phones and computer technology readily
available," she said.
 
 The Prime Minister said: "In 1996, we signed a 30-year Ganges water-sharing
agreement with India. To establish peace in the Chittagong Hill Tracts, we
signed the historic peace agreement in 1997 and repatriated the Chakma
refugees who had taken refuge in India to Bangladesh. On March 8, 1997, we
announced the women's development policy."
 
 "We provided approval for launching the privately owned terrestrial and
satellite television channels," she said.
 
 "By repealing the Indemnity Ordinance, we start the trial for killing the
Father of the Nation. We establish the independence of the judiciary, the
rule of law, and human rights. We re-establish the liberation war values in
society and national life by preventing distortion of history," she said.
 
 "Our government's 1996-2001 tenure was a journey towards a brighter future,
breaking the vicious circle of backwardness, underdevelopment, and poverty,"
she said.
 
 Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina said Bangladesh Awami League has been running
the government since 2008 with the people's unwavering support in all the
national elections.
 
 "We transformed Bangladesh into a developing country by implementing Vision
2021, created digital Bangladesh, and brought 100 percent of people under
electricity coverage," she said.
 
 "We opened the door to the blue economy by establishing sovereignty over the
vast area of the sea. Implementing the land boundary agreement with India, we
ended the long-standing misery of the enclaves," she added.
 
 "Soon, we will inaugurate the Padma Bridge under construction with our own
funds. Besides, mega-projects like Metrorail, Matarbari Power Project,
Rooppur Nuclear Power Station, Karnaphuli Tunnel, Sonadia Deep Sea Port and
Elevated Expressway are also progressing fast," the Premier said.
 
 "We launched the Bangabandhu-1 satellite in space. In response to the Corona
pandemic, we formulated a budget focusing on the people's livelihood, and we
gave an incentive of US$ 22.08 billion to keep the economy afloat. Most
people in the country have been vaccinated against coronavirus," she said.
 
 Sheikh Hasina said: "Despite the pandemic situation, we've achieved economic
growth of 6.94 percent. In Mujib Year, we provided 1,17,329 landless and
homeless people with semi-permanent houses, and another 54,551 homes are
under construction for transfer. Our current per capita income is US$ 2,591.
We formulated the Second Perspective Plan, Vision-2041, for the next 20 years
and have started implementing it under the eighth Five Year Plan."
 
 
 "We are implementing 'Bangladesh Delta Plan-2100'. I firmly believe that
Bangladesh will soon emerge as a developed and prosperous state on the world
map if we continue the pace of development that we have created in the
country," she said.
 
 "We established the rule of law in the country by enforcing the verdict of
trial for killing the Father of the Nation and the war criminals against
humanity," she said.
 
 "We published four volumes of the 'Records of Proceedings, Agartala
Conspiracy Case, filed by Pakistani rulers against Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib,
11 volumes out of 14 of the 'Secrete Documents of Intelligence Branch on
Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman (1948-1971),'
including The Unfinished Memories, The Prison Diaries and New China 1952,"
she said.
 
 The Prime Minister said she believes that by reading these books, the new
generation will be able to have a broader understanding of the firm
footprints of the Father of the Nation in the history of the country's
independence.
 
 "We are fortunate to have simultaneously celebrated the 2020-2021 birth
centenary of the Father of the Nation, Mujib Barsha, and the Golden Jubilee
of independence through colorful programmes," she added.