e-News® | The NEWS Company…DHAKA, March 02, 2016 : Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman told his huge audience about independence also at a mammoth public rally on March 3 in 1971.
“Seven crore people will witness an independent country in reality even if I die. It’s may be my last speech. The freedom movement of Bangalees should not be stopped even if I am not present,” the indomitable independence leader made this fervent appeal to his beloved masses while speaking at a huge public rally at Paltan Maidan in Dhaka on March 3 in 1971.
The daily Ittefaq and the daily Azad gave extensive coverage of the public rally on the next day in their March 4 issue of 1971. Chhatra League and Sramik League jointly organised the public rally in which hundreds of freedom-loving people from all walks of life attended chanting slogans like “Take up arms brave Bangalees, free Bangladesh (from occupation)” and “Build up fortresses in all the villages, Constitute Freedom Fighters Force”. Noted former students’ leader Noor-e-Alam Siddiqui presided over the rally where Bangabandhu was decorated as the Commander-in-Chief of freedom struggle of Bangla. The then students’ leader Tofail Ahmed, trade union leader Abdul Mannan and DUCSU leader Abdul Kuddus Makhan spoke at the rally but another students’ leader ASM Rab did not address the rally . Bangabandhu reached the rally venue before Rab’s schedule speech.
Dr Mohammad Hannan described about this at length in his book the “History of Liberation War of Bangladesh”. He wrote that in his speech, Bangabandhu called upon his people not to attend their places of work and stopping payment of taxes and duties. He (Bangabandhu) also instructed the people to violate government order if any restriction was imposed upon radio, television and newspapers. About the March 3 public rally of 1971, poet and journalist Abul Momen, who got Bangla Academy immortal Ekushey medal this year, told BSS that as part of his plan Bangabandhu raised the issue of independence of Bangla at the rally but the matter of independence was loudly spelt out at his historic March 7 speech.
From the rally at Paltan, action programme of Hartal (total shutdown) from 6 am to 2 pm everyday from March 4 to March 6 was announced while it was also announced that a procession with lathis (bamboo sticks) would be brought out from Baitul Mukarram on March 5.
