State Minister for Information and Broadcasting Mohammad Ali Arafat on Thursday highlighted the significance of Bangabandhu’s March 7 speech in making the Bangali nation indomitable and urged the students to go forward, imbued with the spirit of the speech.
“There is no doubt that every word of Bangabandhu’s March 7 speech is very significant. But I like most of the words, you can't keep seven crore people subjugated. Being imbued with these words, you should march forward in the days ahead,” he told the students.
The state minister was addressing the inaugural ceremony of the 50th annual sports competition of Banani Bidyaniketan School and College on the school premises.
Arafat said the first part of the declaration of independence was materialized through the March 7 speech of the Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, where he uttered: “Ebarer Shongram amader muktir shongram, Ebarer shongram, shadhinotar Shongram (this war is a war for independence, this war is a war for freedom).”.
Finally, Bangabandhu announced the independence of Bangladesh on March 26 before he was arrested by the Pakistani occupation forces, he added.
The spirit of independence is not limited to ensuring only fundamental rights — food, clothing, shelter, education, and medicine — but the main theme of independence is standing head high and not bowing down to anyone, Arafat said, adding that, being imbued with this theme, Bangabandhu’s daughter, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, has not only secured economic development but also improved the country’s status in all other sectors.
“In today’s reality, which you (students) are now witnessing in the country, just 20 years ago, Bangladesh was not in this status. Today, your capacity to see big dreams has increased. We know you can now think big, and you will take Bangladesh much further in the future,” he added.
Just 20 years ago and even 10 years ago, there was no metro rail, nuclear power plant, 100% electricity coverage, or a tunnel (under river) in the country, the state minister said.
“But today Bangladesh reached space with satellites and undersea with submarines. We have built a huge infrastructure like the Padma Bridge with our financing,” he added.
Urging the students to make an assignment comparing Bangladesh’s holistic development with other countries across the globe, he said, “You will find that Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina took us to the dignified status of a small number of countries. She changed our status in the global community.”
Arafat urged the students to go forward with the slogans “Joy Bangla” and “Joy Bangabandhu” and work to take the country to a new height with the spirit of Bangabandhu’s March 7 speech.
Freedom fighter Md Wakil Uddin, MP, Shabnam Jahan Shila, MP, Deputy Commissioner (DC) of DMP’s Gulshan Zone Rifat Rahman Shamim, President of Banani Model School Managing Council Mir Mosharraf Hossain, and Principal of the school and college Dr Md Masiur Rahman spoke at the function, among others, with President of Banani Bidyaniketan School and College Governing Body freedom fighter Md Mustafizur Rahman in the chair.