“They (who once used to obstruct playing of this speech) could never understand its value. Today it’s a priceless asset for the Bangalee nation,” she said joining an unscheduled discussion on the historic speech in the House.
The Prime Minister said the appeal of this speech is still very strong. “The people are still being motivated when they hear it (the speech),” she said.
She said Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman had taken the Bangalee nation to an armed war and got victory finally making the nation united from the non-cooperation movement, which is a rare example in the world history.
Hasina, eldest daughter of the Father of the Nation, said the people got all sorts of instructions from his speech. “The people had become excited getting the desired instructions from his speech to take preparations for the war.”
She said the speech depicted all necessary instructions for the war and motivated the people very much. “Following the speech, the people of the entire Bangladesh indulged in war and we achieved the victory,” she added.
Bangamata Begum Fazilatunessa Mujib suggested that Bangabandhu deliver whatever comes from his mind saying no one knew better than him about public expectations and the fate of the people was in his hand. “Deliver what words come from your (Bangabandhu) mind,” Bangamata was quoted by Hasina as telling Bangabandhu.
The Prime Minister said the playing of this speech was prohibited after the brutal assassination of the Father of Nation. But leaders and activists of Awami League and its associate bodies, and the student society tried to play this speech on different important days defying all bans, she said.
Mentioning that all the historic speeches were written and pre-prepared ones, she said but the historic 7th March Speech of the Father of the Nation was an extempore one.
As the sitting of the Jatiya Sangsad resumed with Speaker Dr Shirin Sharmin Chaudhury in the chair, Tofail Ahmed stood on point of order and initiated the unscheduled discussion on Bangabandhu’s historic 7th March Speech 48 years back.
Recalling the epoch-making speech of independence by Father of the Nation Sheikh Mujibur Rahman on this day in 1971 at the then Race Course Maidan (now Suhrawardhy Udyan), he paid deep homage to the memories of Bangabandhu, four national leaders and 30 lakh martyrs of the Liberation War.
Tofail said Bangabandhu through his speech gave the nation an outline for the independence of the country which finally encouraged unarmed Bangalees to take arms in their hands for liberating the nation from the occupation of Pakistani forces. “The nation had got the independence through the speech.”
Amir Hossain Amu said Bangabandhu actually declared the country’s independence through his 7th March Speech. “The 7th March Speech was the formal or informal proclamation of the country’s independence.”
He said through the speech, the nation got the inspiration to take the right path of emancipation and get ready for waging the Liberation War. “The nation liberated the country through initiating the war on March 25, 1971 following the guidelines of Bangabandhu.”
Amu said Bangabandhu liberated the country while his daughter has now built a prosperous Bangladesh implementing the dreams of the Father of the Nation.
Sheikh Selim said in his 18-minute speech on March 7, 1971, Bangabandhu had given all the directives to liberate the country. “This speech will never turn old and will encourage the nation to protect the hard-earned independence.”
He said the defeated forces of the Liberation War pushed the country backwards by killing the Father of the Nation in 1975, but his daughter is now taking the country forward following his ideals. “Bangabandhu and Bangladesh are the identical entity.”
Jatiya Samajtantrik Dal (JSD) President Hasanul Haq Inu said Bangabandhu is the leader who established Bangladesh and opened a door for the nation for its development and welfare. “The 7th March Speech of Bangabandhu changed the history. It remains immortal and will remain so forever.”
Senior ruling party MPs Matia Chowdhury, Asaduzzaman Khan, Workers Party President Rashed Khan Menon, Jatiya Party MP Mujibul Haque Chunnu, Jatiya Samajtantrik Dal MP Moinuddin Khan Badal and Gono Forum MP Sultan Mohammed Mansur, among others, joined the unscheduled discussion.