The triumph of all Pakistan based National Election in 1970 for Awami League under the leadership of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman changed the landscape of our history. By this time, the Bengali nationalism movement got its impelling force or strength. AL did its polling campaigns based on Bengali nationalism and 6 points charter and in a landslide election victory, Mujib came out as the supreme leader of his nation and became the majority party leader in the-then Pakistan destined to be its Prime Minister. It was a pre-mediated veiled cover-up decision from the Pakistan’s side not to transfer power to Bangabandhu and his party.
Their ill motivated talks with our leaders finally miserably collapsed. Pakistan’s army with its mighty force cracked down on our innocent people in the wee hours of March 26, 1971. People of Bangladesh launched the counter-attack that marked the start of the Bangladesh revolution. Mujib’s inspired millions of people fought a bloody war against the monster Pakistan’s army and their local henchmen, especially the Jamaat-e-Islami gangsters for establishing the country, Bangladesh, through the supreme sacrifices of three million of our people. Like Thomas William Parsons we shall sing: "On thy grave the rain shall fall from the eyes of a mighty nation!" Thus, Bangladesh was attained on December 16, 1971.
Soon after Bangladesh came into being, The New York Times journalist Sydney Schanberg took a trip across the traumatised new country of Bangladesh. Everywhere he went, people showed him “all the killing grounds” where people were lined up and shot. “You could see the bones in the river, because it was a killing place.” He went to a hillside burial place and described, “There were shrubs and bushes, and there was a little boy, maybe twelve or thirteen, he was on his hands and knees, scratching the earth, looking for things. He looked disturbed. He was looking for his father, who he said was buried there. If you scratched enough there— it was shallow graves— you’d find a skull or bones. There were cemeteries everywhere. There was no doubt in my mind, evil was done.”
The 1971 war was the people’s war. People from all walks of life participated in this war with great patriotism and utmost valour. It is a masterpiece of prose, almost our holy book in its majesty and sweep. It was a 9-month long revolutionary struggle that is regarded as most sacred for us; and it was also the most popular war the Bengali people had ever fought. The Bangladesh national flag with its dual-colour, is an important symbol of 1971 War Victory Day. This Day is one of the most important public holidays in Bangladesh. “It was the people’s war, that’s why we need to remember it and explain it to youngsters so that you wouldn’t allow something like what happened back in 1971” has rightly been pointed out by the war veteran Md. Shafiqur Rahman.
It was a war against an enemy of unspeakable evil. A BBC journalist described the result of onslaught of Pakistan’s army on us, “In front of us a curious figure was standing, a little crouched, legs straddled, arms held out from his sides. He had no eyes, and the whole of his body, nearly all of which was visible through tatters of burnt rags, was covered with a hard black crust speckled with yellow pus. . . He had to stand because he was no longer covered with a skin, but with a crust-like crackling which broke easily. . . I thought of the hundreds of villages reduced to ash which I personally had seen and realized the sort of casualty list which must be mounting up along the whole territory of Bangladesh.”
Pakistan's army carried out totalitarianism, racism, militarism, and overt aggressive warfare beyond what a cynical world had experienced. And the governments of India and the Soviet Union did join this war strongly standing beside our people and our government. Thus, the war represented something significantly different, so that our victory would be a blow to Pakistan’s two nation theory, brutalism, racism, totalitarianism, militarism in the land of Bangladesh. Surely it was not the humane concern for Pakistan's inhuman atrocities of civilians that led to our outraged call for counter-war. Carol Lynn Pearson’s words are true to us, "Heroes take journeys, confront dragons, and discover the treasure of their true selves."
Our people were truly patriot; loved the country so dearly. From our side, the war was fought on the philosophies of establishing of Nationalism, Democracy, Socialism and Secularism in the country. The true spirits and values of our glorious Liberation War of 1971 can best be described by a song sings by famed singer Rathindra Nath Roy, “For the youngsters; for the adults; for the poor; for the riches; for all; for the have-nots; for the beggars-our country is for all people; for all people where there is no difference between coolies and blacksmiths; where there is no difference amongst Hindus, Muslims, Buddhists and Christians; one mother; and one country but belong to all (Chotoder boroder, shokoler, ……..ek mata, ek desh shokoler).”
We now celebrate the Victory Day on December 16 and our leaders’ landmark achievements. On this day 51 years ago, the day has taken on emotional significance for us and for the government that celebrates it annually. Still, the day continues to hold special resonance for us, as it has for decades. Since then, the flag of our nation and our movement has been the symbol of the 1971 revolution. The December 16 day will continue to be marked down in history as a very special day in the history of Bangladesh. This is what Bangladesh we wanted in 1971 and we established that Bangladesh in 1971. Joy Bangla. Joy Bangabandhu. Joy Four National Leaders of Bangladesh.
Idealism got jumped in the alleyway of realpolitik when the governments of military dictators usurped the throne of Bangladesh and ruled the country. In truth today, today’s Bangladesh is not our Bangladesh. It is not a Bangladesh which we achieved in 1971 at a very high price. Depraved military dictators, Zia and Ershad usurped power and ruled the country for 16 years. The spirits and values of our glorious Liberation War were battered according to their whims; the anti-liberation forces who were on the run for their grave misdeeds in 1971 were arrogantly rehabilitated everywhere in the country to serve their petty political interests.
One of them was made Prime Minister, some ministers and placed others in key positions of the country. The bright constitution of 1972 was ravaged like anything. The immortal slogan “Joy Bangla” was sent into oblivion. The so-called ‘Zindabad’ slogan with the Pakistani spirit soiled with dirt or soot was restored in its glorious place. The name of our glorious Liberation War, the name our country’s Founding Father…were made naught.
Khaleda Zia’s BNP, originally was born illegitimately in the cantonment, won the national election in 1991 with direct votes from people, but she also followed the line of her venal predecessors. She even decorated three of our notorious 1971 war criminals with Ministerial positions giving an utter state of shame or disgrace to our glorious national flag. The two-nation theory which was buried by our glorious Liberation War was brought back to deliberately assault our heroic and patriotic war of 1971. The Satanic lust twists and polluted the hearts of two evil military dictators, one civilian dictator and their henchmen who ruled the country.
A large number of war criminals who were in jails were set free and garlanded to further rape the country with more ferociousness using the name of our holy religion, Islam. Communalism was patronised to push out of the way of secularism which have great beauty and splendor which was achieved through our national liberation characterised by grandeur.
The valour, patriotism, the supreme sacrifices of our millions of people, our deep love for the country – everything were laid down by these shenanigan politicians. It is as if these morally reprehensible people raped everything and the beautiful country; its bright sun; and its bright moon and what not. The bare truth is that all these evil schemes were not needed to have done under any circumstances.
Communalism has now-a-days raised its ugly head more vigorously. The golden days which we have passed through are all really gone! Has a little thing not remained for us as yet?
The writer is an independent political analyst who writes on politics, political and human-centred figures, current and international affairs.
