AMN
Bangladesh celebrated its 47th Independence Day on Sunday. On this auspicious occasion, glowing tributes were paid to the martyrs and veterans of the War of Liberation.
The National Memorial at Savar was the main venue of the celebration of the day where Bangladesh President Abdul Hamid and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina placed wreaths in the early morning as a mark of profound respect to the memories of the martyrs.
After placing the wreaths, the President and the prime minister stood in solemn silence for some time as a mark of profound respect to the memories of the martyrs of the Great War of Liberation in 1971.
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi congratulated people of Bangladesh on their Independence Day. He said that Bangladesh is a strong partner and a true friend.
The Bangladesh Liberation War was a revolutionary independence war in South Asia during 1971 which witnessed the birth of the of Bangladesh.
In 1947, with independence of India came the pangs of partition.
Pakistan came into existence, consisting of Muslim dominated areas. Pakistan had two parts. One part was the western part which was West Pakistan, politically quite dominant and the second part was in the eastern part which was known as East Pakistan.
West Pakistan was inhabited by Muhajirs who spoke Sindhi, Balochi and Urdu while Bangla was spoken by people living in East Pakistan.
But East Pakistan had no say in the affairs of Pakistan and this was the root of the simmering discontent among Bangla speaking people of East Pakistan that heightened with Urdu being declared as the national language.
The 1970 elections saw East Pakistan’s National Awami league under Sheikh Mujibur Rahman emerging as the largest party with 167 seats.
However, President Yahya Khan was not ready to transfer power to Sheikh Mujibur Rahman of East Pakistan and did not convene meeting of the National Assembly. This led to strike in East Pakistan by Awami league and shops, offices, railway stations and airports were closed.
In order to crush this opposition, army was deployed in the eastern Pakistani city of Dhaka and Chittagong.
On the night of 25-26th March, the Pakistani army attacked Dhaka University and arrested Sheikh Mujibur Rahman.
Thereafter, people of East Pakistan demanded a separate nation of Bangladesh.