Independence Day pledges -The Asian Age

The nation celebrates the 47th Independence Day today amid festivities and a renewed pledge to achieve the ideals and objectives for which the freedon fighters laid down their lives. The independence came at the cost of a sea of blood through the 9-month War of Liberation that began on this day in 1971 after the Pakistani occupation forces let loose genocide in the dead of night of 25 March instead of carrying forward the people's verdict for the restoration of democracy.

As the military juntai led by Gen Yahiya Khan chose the "language of weapon' and killed unarmed civilians, attacked the Dhaka University student-dormitories, the Rajarbagh Police Lines, Pilkhana EPR (now BGB) headquarters, and took Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman prisoner, the people chose to take up arms and fight the war to its logical conclusion. The genocide was meant to undo the people's unity achieved by the general elections of 1970 through which Bangabandhu emerged as the undisputed leader of the people of this land.

The people of Bangladesh by then had already risen in civil disobedience movement following the postponement of the National Assembly session of the then Pakistan which had been mandated to enact a new Constitution. They clearly saw another round of palace conspiracies that had bedeviled politics in Pakistan since its birth in 1947.

The movement against suppression of democratic rights, economic exploitation which had taken the shape to a craving for the right of self-determination thus took its logical turn to the people's War of Liberation. Immediately after the postponement of assembly session Dhaka University students had hoisted the flag of the new nation on the university campus. The people knew deviation from the logical democratic course was meant to elongate the junta rule and keep the people of this land deprieved of their political and economic rights. A political dialogue initiated by Gen Yahiya was utilized only to buy time to increase reinforcements in the East Pakistan from West Pakistan before launching the assault.

The people were prepared to fight it out that time under the leadership of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman. Unarmed Bangalees took up arms in no time. Nearest neighbor India extended the hands of cooperation when 10 million people were forced to leave the country and take shelter in refugee camps. The allies armed and provided shelter and support to freedom fighters.

The nine months of war achieved its goal through the surrender of the Pakistan occupation forces to the joint command of Bangladesh armed forces and the allied forces, who joined the war at its fag end, on 16 December the same year at the Ramna Racecourse Ground. The people of Bangladesh have in the past 46 years moved with thier heads high to the path of progress and prosperity and have edged past most countries of South Asia in a number of development indicators. Today people once again recall the supreme sacrifices made by martyrs, the valiant freedom fighters, and look forward to reaching the benefits of Independence, they fought for, to every door of the people.