NCP Convener Nahid Islam on Wednesday said that the events of 1971 and 2024 are not separate and that the spirit of the 1971 Liberation War has been revived through the popular uprising of 2024.
"We believe that 71 and 24 are not separate; rather, through the popular uprising of 24, the spirit of 71 has been revived,” he said while talking to journalists in the morning at the National Memorial in Savar, after paying tribute to the war heroes of the Liberation War.
Emphasising the significance of Independence Day, he said, “On Independence Day, we respectfully remember the martyrs of the great Liberation War. It was in exchange for the blood of millions of martyrs that we gained an independent country. The people of Bangladesh have sacrificed their lives and shed their blood at various stages of history for independence, democracy, justice and rights.”
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He added that the journey from the colonial struggle to the independence movement continued, leading to the popular uprising of 2024. “From the colonial struggle to our struggle for independence, this continuity led to the popular uprising of 2024.”
Nahid also spoke about the repeated sacrifices made by the people of Bangladesh in their pursuit of freedom. “We believe that the independence we gained has been repeatedly snatched away, and the people have had to shed blood time and again. Our wish is that the people do not have to shed blood in the future.”
In response to questions from journalists, Nahid reiterated his view that the two historical moments—1971 and 2024—are deeply interconnected. “We believe that 71 and 24 are not separate; rather, through the popular uprising of 24, the spirit of 71 has been revived. What we wanted in 71 was not achieved in 54 years, which allowed fascism to dominate Bangladesh for 15 years, making another popular uprising necessary. As a result of this uprising, the autocrat Hasina fled the country.”
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“The talk of equality in 71 is reflected in our call for a society free of discrimination in 24, and those who oppose this claiming them to be contradictory or in opposition to each other have dishonest intentions. We believe that they have failed to truly grasp the significance of the popular uprising of 24 and the victory of the student community. The new young people who have come forward and the message of the new era are something they cannot comprehend,” Nahid also said.