File Photo

DHAKA, March 27, 2022 (BSS) - Information and Broadcasting Minister and Awami League Joint General Secretary Dr Hasan Mahmud today said Bangladesh under the leadership of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina is marching forward in an indomitable speed to materialize the dream of Bangabandhu.

He was addressing a discussion of AL marking the Independence and National Day 2022 at the party's central office at Bangabandhu Avenue here.

Hasan said just after the creation of Pakistan, Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, Father of the Nation and the great architect of independent Bangladesh, had realized that emancipation of Bangalees could not be possible in Pakistani state system rather "our language, culture, traditions and heritages are also facing threat".

So, young Sheikh Mujib, in a statement on August 12 in 1948, called upon the people to observe the first Independence Day of Pakistan on August 14 as a day for taking oath to get rid of the chains of the oppressors of West instead of celebrating the day with joy and ecstasy, he said.

After crossing the path of long struggles, Bangabandhu declared the independence at the mammoth rally of tens of thousands of people on March 7 in 1971 but he directly didn't say that Bangladesh is independent, Hasan mentioned.

Pakistani intelligence agency ISI, covering the event, reported to the headquarters, "The clever Sheikh Mujib got away with declaring independence, we kept looking."

Hasan said Bangabandhu had proclaimed the independence of Bangladesh in the early hours of March 26 when the Pakistani army launched genocide in Dhaka city including Pilkhana and his declaration was broadcast all over the country on wireless frequency of EPR.

US media ABC News had covered the proclamation of independence by Sheikh Mujibur Rahman on March 26.

A huge number of newspapers and media published and broadcast reports on Bangabandhu's proclamation of independence, he mentioned.

He said on March 26, Yahya Khan said Sheikh Mujib had betrayed! Yahya also blamed Awami League and Sheikh Mujib, he mentioned.

Pointing to new generation, he said Bangabandhu wanted to make Bangladesh a developed nation.

When Bangabandhu was assassinated in 1975, the country's economic growth rate was 9.5 percent, he said.

The minister said had Bangabandhu remained alive, Bangladesh would have been a development state within 10-15 years.

"We have been able to attain economic growth rate up to 8 percent under the leadership of Bangabandhu's daughter Sheikh Hasina," he said.

In the year when Bangabandhu was assassinated, the country's food production was 10,000 metric tons, he said.

The minister said Bangabandhu assessed the fact that if cyclone, flood or tidal surge was happened, the country could face food scarcity and so, he didn't announce even if there was surplus of food production.

Under the leadership of Bangabandhu's daughter Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, today Bangladesh is going ahead in an indomitable speed to translate Bangabandhu's dream into reality, said Hasan.

Mentioning that today's Bangladesh is a country of food surplus, the minister said Bangladesh which is a country of lowest arable land (hectares per person) ranks third in rice, vegetable and freshwater fish production and seventh in potato production.

It has not been possible through magic, rather it happens for Sheikh Hasina's magical leadership, he mentioned.

Some people couldn't tolerate this progress, Hasan said BNP-Jammat alliance, which performs politics along with Pakistan and war criminals and made war criminals as cabinet members, doesn't like this progress.

 "So, today it will be our oath that we will eliminate all anti-liberation evil forces to take the country to the place which was dreamt by Bangabandhu under the leadership of Sheikh Hasina," he said.