The historic Seventh March Address

The 7th March is a red-letter day in our national history. On this day in 1971 Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, in his historic address, made clearly for the first time the assertion about independence and his informal proclamation ultimately reshaped the history. The 7th March address of Bangabandhu in 1971 was a great event as such a historic speech is delivered rarely once in a century. Long 45 years have elapsed since 7th March 1971, but the whole scenario, including the mammoth gathering of freedom loving people and the epoch-making address by Bangabandhu, the poet of politics. Bangabandhu’s 7th March speech is rightly compared by many with the Gettysburg Address of Abraham Lincoln. And to us it was more than that. Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman’s historic Mar 7 speech that effectively declared Bangladesh’s independence has been selected as one of the most rousing and inspirational wartime speeches in the last 2,500 years. ‘The book, ‘We Shall Fight on the Beaches: The Speeches That Inspired History’ is a collection of “extracts from the most rousing and inspirational wartime speeches of the last 2,500 years. Bangabandhu’s speech has been placed on page 201 under the title ‘The Struggle This Time Is the Struggle for Independence’. There is no doubt that Bangabandhu’s historic speech is one of the best in the world. In the general election held in 1970, the Awami League secured absolute majority in the National Assembly. But when the time for transfer of power arrived, the non-Bengali rulers of Pakistan started conspiracy against the transfer of power to the Awami League in the Centre. The inaugural session of the National Assembly was scheduled for 3 March. But suddenly, on 1 March, President

General Yahya Khan postponed the session through a Radio announcement. On hearing this news, people came out in streams onto the streets. The Bengali people of East Bengal then started a relentless movement for establishing their rights. Protesting this move of the Pakistani ruler Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman called a hartal in Dhaka on 2 March and another throughout the province on 3 March. On 3 March, he announced a programme for non-cooperation while addressing a huge public rally at Paltan Maidan. In this backdrop, the historic public meeting at the Ramna Racecourse Maidan (now Suhrawardy Udyan) was set for 7 March 1971. The whole Race Course Ground, now Suhrawardy Udyan, had turned into a human sea. About one million people of all ages and from all parts of the country came, all chanting thunderous slogans ‘Joy Bangla’, ‘Joy Bangabandhu’. In his oration Bangabandhu mentioned four conditions. The immediate lifting of martial law; withdrawal of all military personnel to their barracks; transfer of power to elected representatives of the people; and a proper inquiry into the loss of life during the conflict. On that day Bangabandhu made a historic address at Race Course Ground that reshaped the history and led the nation towards independence. Bangabandhu in his address narrated the stories of deprivation of and repression on the People of Bangladesh and urged the people to turn every house into a fortress and get ready with whatever is available to fight the enemy. He vowed, “As we have shed blood, we would give more blood, but must we liberate the people of Bangladesh, Inshallah”. As the elected leader of 75 million people Bangabandhu declared amid thunderous applauses of the crowd, “The struggle this time is for our emancipation, the struggle this time is for independence”.

 He issued the guidelines to be followed by the people during the struggle. “Continue the fight with whatever you have near your hands. Even if I am unable to issue directives and even if my colleagues also are not available, you will close the roads permanently.” Bangabandhu in his speech tactfully stopped short of making unilateral declaration of independence in order to avert a possible massacre of the people starting from the Race Course that very day. He took time and left the option open for eventual ‘talks’ only on strategic ground. This showed another aspect of Bangabandhu’s prudence, political sagacity and love for his people.

Bangabandhu’s 7th March address contained clear assertion about independence for the first time amid growing demand by the people. And from that point of view 7th March address was the informal proclamation of independence, which was given the final shape by him in the early hours of March, 26,1971. Since the beginning of the Non-Cooperation Movement, the administration of Pakistani rulers had virtually collapsed and Bangladesh was being run under the directives of Bangabandhu. Specially, after his historic 7th March speech, everybody in Bangladesh took him as the lawful and real ruler of Bangladesh.

The speech lasted about 19 minutes and concluded with, “The struggle, this time, is a struggle for our emancipation. The struggle, this time, is a struggle for our independence. Joy Bangla!”. It was a de facto declaration of Bangladesh’s independence. It was the maiden formal message of Bangabandhu to the people to get ready for armed struggle to achieve independence. Bangabandhu’s speech changed the course of history and the whole nation started preparing for final showdown with the Pakistani rulers. People across the country- from the capital to remote villages- continued to raise slogans like:

‘Sab Kother Shesh Kotha, Bangladesher Swadhinata’ and

‘Bir Bangalee Astro Dhoro, Bangladesh swadhin Koro’.

The entire country from Teknaf to Tetulia was boiling with tension running high. And finally, Bengali nation took up arms for liberation as Bangabandhu had asked them to do. In other words, the nation fought and achieved independence through armed struggle as outlined by Bangabandhu in his historic 7th March address.