On Wednesday next, the nation will observe the 55th Independence and National Day of Bangladesh. The observance is going to take place at a critical juncture of the nation following the fall of the tyrant ruler Sheikh Hasina on August 5 last. There is now a renewed challenge to restructure the country by gradually abolishing the toxic legacies of tyranny. It requires upholding the true spirit of the country's independence achieved through nine months of blood bath in 1971.
March 26, 1971, was a historic day for Bangladesh, as it marked the declaration of independence following the midnight crackdown by the Pakistani army on March 25. Since then, this day has been observed with great significance as Independence Day. On October 3, 1980, the government headed by President Ziaur Rahman decided to observe it as the National Day as well, further emphasising its importance.
The crackdown under the name of 'Operation Searchlight' was one of the most barbaric attacks on unarmed civilians in the 20th century after the Second World War. However, it was the resilience and courage of the Bengali people that led to the emergence of sovereign Bangladesh on December 16, 1971.
For the people of Bangladesh, erstwhile East Pakistan, it was primarily a war of self-defence in the face of the crackdown designed by Julfikar Ali Bhutto, Yahia Khan and Tikka Khan, along with their associates in erstwhile West Pakistan. The Pakistani army was ordered to brutally kill several million Bengali people and destroy their homeland in the name of protecting the unity of Pakistan. To camouflage the crime of mass murder, torture and destruction, the leaders of Pakistan also argued that such a move was necessary for the sake of Islam. Since the emergence of Pakistan and India as two independent countries in mid-August 1947 from British colonial rule, the eastern wing of Pakistan, previously known as East Bengal, had suffered extremely discriminatory treatment.
The growing socio-economic disparity coupled with cultural differences made the Bengali people of the eastern wing of Pakistan greatly disappointed and resentful. They gradually raised their voices and demanded rightful and legitimate shares in power and resources. The situation reached a boiling point when the army regime of Pakistan refused to hand over the power to democratically elected representatives led by Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman. Instead, they had opted for an army crackdown that made bloodshed and conflict unavoidable and the independence of Bangladesh inexorable.
Three million lives were sacrificed and two hundred thousand women were violated during the nine-month long war. Also, ten million people took shelter in neighbouring India as refugees. Thus, the war of independence, or the liberation war, in 1971 is a matter of incredible pride and achievement for the Bengali people. It gave the nation a sovereign place on the world map, a red-green flag to hoist along with other countries, and a unique identity.
Five and a half decades later, there is no doubt that Bangladesh has consolidated its position on the world stage, overcoming a series of obstacles, turmoil, and setbacks. Nevertheless, the spirit of independence lies in democracy, secularism, social justice, non-discrimination, inclusiveness and economic emancipation. In other words, these are the true spirits of the Bangladeshi Independence Day.
Over the decades, these were undermined by political parties in power and other forces on narrow considerations. The one and a half decade of Hasina regime is the latest example in this connection when the spirits of independence were suppressed in a calculated manner. A trend had been there to establish Bangladesh Awami League as the sole and only proprietor of the war of independence. Contribution of mass people and other sections were systematically sidelined by distorting historical records and rewriting history.
Instead of properly correcting the liberation war's history that had been distorted earlier, there was a move to compel everyone to accept Awami League's narrative of the war of independence. Again, people's right to vote freely was curbed and dissident voices were brutally silenced. Social relations were also undermined.
The ouster of the oppressive regime through the student-led mass uprising in July has brought an opportunity to cleanse these toxins. This is the biggest challenge, and the nation has to fight persistently to overcome those in the near future to uphold the spirit of independence.
