Administrator of Dhaka South City Corporation (DSCC) Abdus Salam on Wednesday said Bangladesh’s independence was not achieved through mercy or negotiations but through a bloody war, stressing the need to present the true history of the Liberation War to the younger generation.
“This country was liberated by us, and it is the responsibility of the younger generation to protect that independence,” he said while addressing a remembrance meeting marking Genocide Day (March 25) organised by the Central Cultural Committee at Viqarunnisa Noon School and College in Bailey Road.
He said discrimination against the people of East Pakistan began soon after 1947, and movements such as the Language Movement, the 1969 mass uprising and the 1970 general election were all milestones in the Bengali nation’s struggle toward independence.
However, amid the political stalemate, the Pakistani military launched a brutal crackdown on the night of March 25, 1971, carrying out mass killings of unarmed Bengalis, he said.
“Indiscriminate killings and destruction took place in several places including Rajarbagh Police Lines, Dhaka University and Jagannath Hall,” he added.
Recalling his own experience, Abdus Salam said he became involved in preparations for the Liberation War during his student life.
“Although we had no weapons, students took various initiatives to prepare for resistance. At one point, we even tried to collect chemicals from school laboratories to make bombs,” he said.
Witnessing the massacre on the night of March 25 strengthened his determination to fight until the country was liberated, he added.
Abdus Salam said that even after independence, the expectations of the people have not been fully met.
Calling upon the younger generation to build the nation with patriotism, talent and honest leadership, he said they must love the country and uphold its culture, people and heritage.
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He also urged young people to work in the country instead of contributing to brain drain, saying Bangladesh can move further forward if talent and patriotism work together.
The DSCC administrator paid deep tribute to the martyrs of the Liberation War and remembered the organisers of the war, including martyred President Ziaur Rahman.
At the event, he also distributed prizes among the winners of various competitions organised marking Genocide Day (March 25)