#thenewscompany – Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina today called upon the children and juveniles to make them prepared to lead the country in a better possible way in future to uphold the country’s present dignity and take it forward as well.
“On the 46th Independence Day, it’s my best wishes that our children would build them up as worthy citizens to uphold the dignity which Bangladesh has already earned and go further ahead so that none can neglect us and we can live in the world keeping our head high,” she said. Addressing the Independence and National Day rally of children and juveniles at Bangabandhu National Stadium here the Prime Minister said, “Our children must remember that we’re a victorious nation. We’ve earned freedom through war of liberation. So, we cannot fail to maintain desired pace of development on any front.
“We will go ahead. We will work for building the country to further consolidate our position in the world and ensure our dignity,” she added.
Minister for Liberation War Affairs AKM Mozammel Haq was also present on the occasion held under the auspices of Dhaka District administration. Deputy Commissioner of Dhaka M Salauddin gave the vote of thanks.
The gallery of Bangabandhu National Stadium was tastefully decorated with portraits of Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, Bir Shresthas, photographs of the Prime Minister and natural beauty of Bangladesh.
The Prime Minister said today’s children are future leaders of the country. So they will have to be prepared to lead the country by taking education, obeying the guardians and taking part in activities including sports and cultural activities.
Recalling the long history of oppression and negligence of the rulers to Bengali nation, the Prime Minister said, “During the days of subjugation our children had no access to food, education and healthcare. Due to poverty they could not dress well or live in a decent home.”
“People were in miseries while the rulers were exploiting people and looting their wealth,” she said, adding that the Pakistani rulers even tried to snatch away their right to speak in the mother language.”
The Prime Minister said Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman waged protest against it. When he was studying at Dhaka University, he launched the movement for establishing the status of Bangla as a state language. In course of the movement, Bangabandhu floated the historic six-point demand, a charter for freedom of the nation.
While giving the children, mostly from different schools and colleges, a short picture on the days before March 25, 1971, the Prime Minister said, the Awami League secured win in the 1970 general election, gaining overwhelming support of the people. Even then, the Pakistani occupation forces didn’t hand over the state power to Bangabandhu.
Against that backdrop, Bangabandhu urged the people for non-cooperation movement and in his historic speech on March 7, 1971 at Suhrawardy Udyan he called for final movement for freedom and independence, she told the audience.
Sheikh Hasina said the speech of Bangabandhu inspired the people to forge unity against Pakistani rulers and get prepared for guerrilla war. On March 25, the occupation force swooped on Bengali people and launched the history’s most barbaric genocide. The Pakistani forces torched village after village and carried out endless torture and barbarism against women and children.
The Prime Minister said in the early hours of March 26, 1971, Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman formally proclaimed the Independence of Bangladesh, asking the people to continue their fight against the Pakistani forces.
Soon after the proclamation of the independence, the Pakistani junta detained Bangabandhu. But he prepared the people of Bangladesh beforehand for the war and at his call the people took up arms and freed the nation from enemy on December 16 after nine months of bloody war, she said.
“Our national freedom has been achieved in exchange of huge blood. Our goal is to make the independence meaningful and safeguard the rights and dignity of the nation everywhere through building a prosperous country,” the Prime Minister said.
Sheikh Hasina paid glowing tributes to Bangabandhu, martyrs of War of Liberation, all Freedom Fighters and the mothers and sisters who had lost their chastity and suffered immense torture in the hands of the occupation forces during the war time.
The Prime Minister witnessed the march past of smartly turned out units of school students and took salute. She also enjoyed attractive display of the school students on different themes on the War of Independence.
