The conspiracy to eliminate Bangabandhu from history would never succeed. The great Liberation War of 1971 is the most historic and significant event in the life of the Bengali nation. Through victory in just nine months of a bloody war, the oppressed Bengali people finally tasted their long-cherished freedom. The great man who inspired the Bengali nation with the mantra of independence is the symbol of the hopes and aspirations of all the people of this country—the greatest Bengali of all time, the architect of great independence, the voice of the oppressed, and the Father of the Nation, Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman.
The conspiracy to eliminate Bangabandhu: In the face of a grave crisis in March 1971, on the 7th, Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman delivered his historic speech at the Racecourse Ground. In the concluding part of his speech, he issued four conditions to the Pakistani military rulers and thunderously declared, “The struggle this time is the struggle for our emancipation! The struggle this time is the struggle for our independence!” After these words, there was nothing left to formally announce Bangladesh’s independence. This is why Bangabandhu’s historic March 7 speech and the declaration of independence on March 26 are inseparably linked.
The afternoon of March 7, 1971, was unlike any other. A spring afternoon, shedding its leaves, changed the course of history in a way rarely seen in the world. An 18-minute speech stirred an entire nation into the spirit of freedom—an inspiration beyond comparison. Defying the ruthless gaze of the Pakistani rulers, the common people of this country, mostly unarmed, responded to Bangabandhu’s call and plunged into the struggle of life and death. With his thundering voice, he summoned the people to liberation. Standing before a vast sea of people at the then Racecourse Ground (now Suhrawardy Udyan), the herald of Bengali emancipation, the poet of an epic, recited his immortal poem. Every word of his speech was an inspiration for a movement; every line carried a directive.
In his speech, he narrated the 23 years of oppression, exploitation, deprivation, and torture suffered under Pakistani rule. He also declared the non-cooperation movement and called for preparation for the struggle for independence. According to global political analysts, Bangabandhu’s March 7 speech is one of the greatest political speeches in the world. It was the guiding principle behind the national unity that forged the armed Liberation War. He boldly declared, “I cannot sit in the assembly by stepping on the blood of martyrs. The assembly has been called—I demand that my conditions be met first. Martial law must be withdrawn. All military personnel must return to their barracks. A proper investigation must be conducted into the killings. Power must be handed over to the people’s representatives. Only then will we consider whether we can join the assembly. Before that, we cannot.”
Bangabandhu also stated in his speech, “I do not want to be the Prime Minister. We want the rights of the people of this country.” Being a visionary leader, he knew that after his speech on March 7, the oppressive Pakistani regime would not let him go free. Either death or the dark confines of prison awaited him. That is why he declared, “Even if I cannot give orders, you must confront the enemy with whatever you have at hand.” He called for forming resistance committees under the leadership of the Awami League in neighborhoods, police stations, and districts. He asserted, “We have already shed blood; we will shed more, but we will liberate the people of this country, Insha’Allah.”
Through his bold and determined proclamation, Bangabandhu composed an epic at the Racecourse Ground on that day, which is now globally recognized as the charter of Bengali liberation. UNESCO has included this speech as part of the world’s documentary heritage. March 7 is no longer just a national treasure of Bangladesh—it is one of the greatest speeches by any statesman in the world. A single speech changed the map of the world, gave birth to a new national identity, and created a new state—an event unparalleled in world history. Oppressed and deprived people around the world today find inspiration for their own freedom in this speech.
Much research has been conducted on Bangabandhu’s historic March 7 speech, and it has been translated into many languages. However, conspiracies and obstacles against its dissemination have also been rampant. After the brutal assassination of the Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman and his family in 1975, the first attempt to erase the history of the Liberation War was by banning the broadcast of the March 7 speech. Many Awami League leaders and activists were arrested, sacrificed their lives, and faced assaults and lawsuits simply for playing this speech over loudspeakers. The anti-liberation forces feared that hearing this speech would reignite the spirit of Bangabandhu among the Bengali people.
After 1975, when the anti-liberation forces and their patrons seized power, they continued to suppress the broadcasting of the March 7 speech. For 21 years, the speech was almost banned from public circulation. Their primary goal was to distort history and falsely portray someone else as the proclaimer of independence instead of Bangabandhu. Over the last 15 years, those conspirators, buried in the dustbin of history, have once again started resurfacing. The anti-liberation forces, aligned with Pakistani ideology and supported by the interim government, are determined to erase all memories of the Liberation War and Bangabandhu.
As part of this conspiracy, they attacked and demolished Bangabandhu’s historic residence at Dhanmondi 32 twice. They have destroyed all sculptures, portraits, and murals of Bangabandhu across Bangladesh. They have also demolished numerous landmarks associated with the Liberation War. History-distorting narratives have been inserted into textbooks. Bangabandhu’s birthday on March 17, his assassination anniversary on August 15 (National Mourning Day), and several other historically significant days, including March 7, have been removed from the list of national days by the current interim government.
The anti-liberation forces, seeking revenge for their defeat in 1971, have devised a blueprint to erase the Awami League—the party that led the Liberation War. As part of this plot, Awami League President and Bangabandhu’s daughter, Sheikh Hasina, along with the party’s top leaders and hundreds of thousands of activists, are being harassed with lawsuits, forcing them to flee their homes and areas. Their houses are being attacked, vandalized, and set on fire. Mass arrests and extrajudicial punishments are being carried out against them.
But they fail to understand that Bengalis cannot be suppressed through oppression. History can be temporarily distorted through conspiracies, but the truth cannot be hidden for long. Those who refuse to embrace Bangabandhu, who shudder at the slogan “Joy Bangla”, who feel uneasy hearing the March 7 speech, and who reject the ideals of the Liberation War—these forces, including BNP-Jamaat and all anti-liberation groups, are finding their political space shrinking in independent Bangladesh.
The day is not far when, despite all obstacles, the Bengali people will rise again. Because in their thoughts, spirit, and consciousness, Bangabandhu lives on.
The successors of the Pakistani oppressors fail to understand that a dead Mujib is far more powerful than a living Mujib.
As the poet beautifully said:
“A Mujib sleeps in silence at Tungipara—
Yet, in whispers, he still instills patriotism in the hearts of his people.”
Writer: Manik Lal Ghosh, Former Vice-President of the Dhaka Journalists’ Union and central executive member of Bangladesh Awami Jubo League.
