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The Great Victory Day is the Noblest Achievement of Our Liberation Struggle

Tofail Ahmed
Many memories come to my mind in December - the month of victory - after the expiry of another year. We achieved our noblest victory on 16 December 1971 by freeing our motherland at the cost of over three million martyrs and the honour of over 200 thousand mothers and sisters. The Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Mujib had carried forward stage by stage our intense struggle for long 24 years and sacrificed his own life for realizing the dream of independent Bangladesh. His cherished dream - dearest motherland Bangladesh - was liberated on 16 December 1971.
I rushed to the headquarters of the Mujibnagar government, located at Kolkata's Theatre Road, immediately after our victory was formalised following the surrender of the Pakistani forces at the historic Racecourse Maidan (present Suhrawardy Uddyan) at 4.30 pm on the afternoon of 16 December. Our revered leaders Acting President of the People's Republic of Bangladesh Syed Nazrul Islam, Prime Minister Tajuddin Ahmed, cabinet members Monsur Ali, Quamaruzzaman and others were present there. We all were overwhelmed with joy. The leaders took us in their arms and embraced us. There was euphoria and joy in our minds due to the realization that we had succeeded in freeing our dearest motherland from the clutches of the invaders; that feeling of ecstasy is incomparable! The picture of independent Bangla that the Father of the Nation painted with his own heart after arming the unarmed Bangali nation was articulated in his thunderous voice, "Nobody shall be able to suppress us". Through the unconditional surrender of the Pakistani invading
forces and the literal materialization of the words of the invincible Bangali leaders, the people of the world were convinced that nobody could suppress us on the question of realizing our just rights.
Mingling and becoming one with our national life, the month of December is also luminous with memories of joy and sorrow in my own life. I became a member of the Pakistan National Assembly in December 1970 at the age of only 27 years. We raised the slogan of independent Bangladesh for the first time on the occasion of Shaheed Suhrawardy's death anniversary on 5 December 1969. On that day, Bangabandhu had urged the assembled people, 'Please raise the slogan alongside me - my country your country, Bangladesh, Bangladesh'. In the historic election of 1970, the Awami League won absolute majority by winning 167 seats in the National Assembly in polls held on 7 December and 288 seats in the Provincial Assembly in voting held on 17 December. Each day of December is therefore highly significant in our national life.
The liberation war took a final shape from 3 December 1971 onwards. We were then standing on the doorsteps of victory. Devastated by the all-out attacks of the freedom fighters from all four sides and seeing no other options, the Pakistani forces unilaterally declared war against India on the day. The Pakistani air-force launched sudden attack on the air-bases located in western India, including Agra, as well as the eastern air-base of Agartala. In the backdrop of the emerging situation centring the liberation war, Prime Minister Srimati Indira Gandhi declared a state of emergency at 10.30 pm after holding emergency meetings with the President Sri V V Giri and high officials. In a radio broadcast at 12.20 midnight, Mrs Indira Gandhi expressed her full support for an independent Bangladesh and stated in clear terms, "Today, this war has emerged as a war of India".
The following day on 4 December, the Acting President of the Mujibnagar government Syed Nazrul Islam and the Prime Minister Tajuddin Ahmed jointly wrote a letter to the Indian Prime Minister requesting formal recognition of Bangladesh. The gist of the letter was, 'If we establish formal diplomatic relations, then our joint stand against the Pakistani military junta becomes easier. The Indian government should immediately recognize our country and our government'. Immediately after this, India launched a counter-offensive on Monday, 6 December, at 10 am; the Indian government also accorded recognition to the sovereign and independent government of the People's Republic of Bangladesh. Quoting the name 'People's Republic of Bangladesh' from the declaration of independence adopted by the Mujibnagar government on 10 April 1971, Mrs Indira Gandhi told a session of the Indian parliament, "Bangladesh shall be known as the People's Republic of Bangladesh". After the Indian Prime Minister's speech, the MPs welcomed this announcement with thunderous applause. I recall with deep gratitude the role played by the Indian government and its citizens throughout the liberation war, from the beginning to its end.
7 December was a special day for the Mujibnagar government and the Mujib Bahini. On this day the Jessore region, which was under my command as one of the principal commanders of the Mujib Bahini, was liberated from the occupiers. The flag of independent Bangladesh was raised in all parts of Jessore. On that day, we the leaders of Mujibnagar government and the commanders of Mujib Bahini entered the liberated areas of independent Bangladesh for the first time wearing the uniform of victory. The people welcomed us with wreaths of flowers. That feeling of joy cannot be expressed in mere words. Many mention about the misunderstanding between the Mujibnagar government and the Mujib Bahini. Actually, that was not true. Our headquarters were based in Kolkata. I used to communicate with the Mujibnagar government regularly. I remember General Uban, who used to train us at Dehradun. I also remember General Sarkar and D P Dhar, who used to coordinate our activities by maintaining contact. Here, there was no scope for any whim of individuals. Everybody was well-organized and disciplined with plans of their own. The Mujib Bahini was composed of politically progressive freedom fighters who fought by dividing Bangladesh into four large zones. The main task of Mujib Bahini was to confront the Pakistani forces together with the Bangladesh Muktibahini (freedom fighters) led by the commander-in-chief General Ataul Gani Osmani.
My jurisdictions as one of the principal commanders of Mujib Bahini were the regions of Pabna, Kushtia, Jessore, Khulna, Faridpur, Barisal and Patuakhali. The responsibility of Sheikh Fazlul Haque Moni Bhai was the then Chittagong division. Razzak Bhai's jurisdiction was a huge area encompassing greater Mymensingh and Sirajganj regions. Siraj Bhai was in charge of the northern region. Mujib Bahini's training was conducted in Dehradun. After completion of training at Dehradun, I used to bring the members of my sector by air to the Barackpur camp. Before the
Mujib Bahini members entered the Bangladesh territory, we used to bid them adieu with tearful eyes after embracing them and kissing their foreheads. In our speeches at the training camps of Mujib Bahini, we used to say by referring to Bangabandhu Mujib, "Dear leader, we do not know where you are and how you are! As long as we do not succeed in liberating Bangladesh of your dream from the clutches of the invaders, we shall not return to our mothers' lap". We really returned to our mother's lap on the day we emerged victorious after nine months of a blood-drenched liberation war. I and my esteemed leader Abdur Razzak returned to Dhaka by helicopter. We then set our feet on the soil of independent Bangladesh. What euphoria we saw all around! It cannot be expressed in words!
We first rushed to the place where Bangabandhu's family was kept captive; they included wife of Bangabandhu revered Sheikh Fazilatunnesa Mujib, his daughters Sheikh Hasina and Sheikh Rehana, and son Sheikh Russel. But on top of our joy, we were remembering our dearest leader Bangabandhu. That much cherished Bangladesh had become independent - for which we had shouted slogans on the roads, for which we relentlessly strove under the dynamic leadership of Bangabandhu. Today, we are free from the invaders, we are independent!
The leaders of Mujibnagar government returned home on 22 December after uniting the people irrespective of party-opinion-class through displaying unprecedented skill in infusing faith and confidence, and by successfully conducting the liberation war. We welcomed the leaders with wreaths of victory at the airport. There were lakhs of people all around. The whole place was reverberating with the slogan of'Joy Bangla'. There were huge assemblies of freedom fighters and mirthful processions all around. People were rushing forward to see us. The glow of pride that I
saw in the eyes and faces of the general masses illumined the scene with the luminous pride of eternal victory. Despite losing their near ones, the faces of all Bangalis carried the smiles of contentment; that scene still floats in my mind. But beyond the ecstasy of victory, I was remembering our dearest leader Bangabandhu. Whoever I met, everybody was asking: "Where is Bangabandhu? How is he, when would he return"? Arrangements were made to offer special prayers and undertake fasting for the release of Bangabandhu by all classes of freedom-loving Bangladeshis. A victory without Bangabandhu was incomplete.
The verdict for hanging Bangabandhu was passed in October while the liberation war was in progress. Bangabandhu would have been taken to the gallows in December if the country was not liberated. But we knew that our leader had faith on the brave Bangalis. He used to say with pride, "They may kill me. But they cannot suppress the people of Bangla. A million Mujib would be born if they kill me". We could not consider ourselves independent even after getting rid of the invaders on 16 December, because Bangabandhu was still in Pakistani prison. We could only taste complete victory on 10 January 1972, when the Father of the Nation returned to the independent Bangladesh of his dream with chest-full of joy and the pains of losing near ones.
The killers and Pakistani collaborators belonging to the local forces 'Razakars-Al-Badars' brutally murdered the greatest sons of the Bangali nation - the intellectuals - on 14 December in accordance with their blueprint. Although December is the glorious month of victory, 14 December is a very painful day for us. I recall the fearless journalist Shaheed Sirajuddin Hossain as I remain indebted to him. He helped me by offering ideas and advices during the fiery days of the 1969 mass movement. 1 remember the martyred intellectuals including Munir Chowdhury, Mofazzal Haider Chowdhury, Giasuddin Ahmad, Anwar Pasha, Jyotirmoy Guhathakurta and Dr. Abul Khair. The killers wanted to make us a nation bereft of intellect by killing talented sons of the nation.
The whole nation became united during those blood-spilling days of the great liberation war on the issue of the motherland's freedom. Those days were demonstrative of unprecedented national unity. We the students-teachers-intellectuals-peasants-workers-youths achieved a glorious victory through a successful people's war by participating in it directly or indirectly shoulder to shoulder after forging unity. And here lay the historic success of the Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Mujib. By calling for independence, he transformed an unarmed nation into an armed one. We shouted slogans during those days - 'Wake up wake up, Bangali wake up'; 'Pindi or Dhaka -Dhaka, Dhaka'; 'Your home my home, Padma-Meghna-Jamuna'; 'Valiant Bangali take up arms, liberate Bangladesh'; 'Joy Bangla', etc.
At that time, it was immaterial whether one was a Hindu, Muslim, Buddhist or Christian. Our identity was: 'We are all Bangali'. It seems amazing to me that the Pakistani prison could not hold Bangabandhu back; despite a verdict of death sentence, they could not execute it. The collaborators of the defeated forces, the gang of the murderers Moshtaque-Rashid-Faruque-Dalim assassinated Bangabandhu along with his family-members on 15 August 1975! General Zia rehabilitated the enemies of our independence, who had killed the sons of our mothers and fathers, and the husbands of our sisters, by banishing the ideals of our liberation war from our constitution. During the period when there was a resurgence of the defeated forces, it seemed to me repeatedly that the joy of victory was short-lived while the pangs of defeat lasted for a long time.
Despite all these, the people of Bangla have once again turned around under the leadership of Awami League after a protracted struggle. Led by the leader of the masses Sheikh Hasina, our constitution written with the blood of millions of martyrs has returned to its four basic principles. Our pledge in the month of victory - December - is the trial of the war criminals. The trial process is progressing in accordance with law. The convicts who committed crimes against humanity have been made to stand on the dock for their crimes. All freedom fighters as well as the new generation want the trial of war criminals for the vile and ghastly acts they committed. Nobody can hold us back from executing this pledge of trying the war-criminals of 1971, who had committed crimes against humanity.
Despite all efforts by the adversaries, Bangladesh is marching forward. Breaking all previous records, all our socio-economic indicators are today advancing in the direction of progress. The population of the country was 70 million after independence and there was scarcity of food in the households of war-ravaged Bangladesh. But today, though the country has a population of 160 million, the food-stock is full to the brim. Total exports from the country during 1972-73 financial year was US Dollar 348 million; now it has risen to 30.19 billion dollar. The target of exporting readymade garments on the occasion of the golden jubilee of Bangladesh's independence has been set at US Dollar 50 billion. There was hardly any foreign exchange reserve after the independence of Bangladesh; starting our journey from almost nil, today our reserve has crossed 22 billion dollar mark. Whereas our per capita income was then only 50-60 dollar, today it has risen to US Dollar 1190, and US Dollar 1900 according to the PPP (purchasing power parity). As claimed by leading surveyors of the world, the economists ranked Bangladesh among the 11 emerging economies. According to a World Bank report, Bangladesh is ahead of India in major social sectors.
That is, overall Bangladesh has an emerging economy, although we are still less developed. Despite that, we are pledge-bound to the people and are hopeful that we shall be transformed into a middle-income country in 2021, in accordance with the Vision declared by Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina. Already, our Honourable Speaker Dr. Shirin Sharmin Chowdhury and Member of Parliament Saber Hossain Chowdhury have been elected directly to the top posts of two international organizations, namely CPA and 1PU; they have enhanced our pride on foreign soil. Today, we can proudly say on the 43rd anniversary of our great victory day that treading the same path of the dream with which the Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman had established an independent and sovereign People's Republic of Bangladesh, our country is being transformed into a secular, democratic and deprivation-free golden Bangladesh under the dynamic leadership of his competent successor and leader of the masses Sheikh Hasina. Bangladesh will soon establish herself in the international arena as a country free from hunger and poverty. Just as the global community had looked at the valiant Bangalis with reverence in 1971 during our liberation war, similarly Bangladesh is now gradually becoming an object of respect honoured by all as she frees herself from the stigmas of the past.
[The writer is a Member of Parliament and Minister for Commerce of the Government of the People's Republic of Bangladesh]
Translation: Dr. Helal Uddin Ahmed