It has been 51 years since the voice of an independent nation grew to the fore. It has been 51 years since our nation learned to roar.
With the historic March 7 speech of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, we learned to stand on our feet and fight for our rights. And the very fact that we are alive and well today is a testament to the raw energy of that voice -- the roaring voice that captured the imagination of millions. Bangabandhu had been there from the very start of our long walk to freedom, and it is very fitting that with the roar of his voice, our people were inspired to make the final stand.
From the inspiring words of the likes of Gandhi to the historic mandates of Martin Luther King, a speech like this is rare when it comes to the epochs of history, a voice that is so powerful that it transcends the laws of time itself.
Standing in the year of 2022, beyond the 50 years celebration of this nation’s independence, it is now our duty to take his words to our heart, and go forward with all our might.
The places have changed, the enemies have changed, our conditions have changed as well -- but the battles remain the same. Now, our enemies are the structures of global power, through which we are quickly rising through. Bangladesh has achieved much in this battle of growth, and yet, it has so much left to do. There are still problems that are persistent, both home and abroad. We suffer from corruption. We need better infrastructure. We need to ramp up our diplomatic efforts and establish ourselves as an economic powerhouse.
Nations rise, nations fall -- but the battles remain the same. And with the revolutionary spirit of Bangabandhu watching over us, Bangladesh will no doubt keep on rising and keep astonishing pundits all over the world.
As Bangabandhu said, “Ebarer shongram, amader muktir shongram, ebarer shongram shadhinotar shongram.”
