Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman is the great leader who transformed the general people’s power into an armed struggle that freed a nation called Bangladesh and created history. The three most remarkable speeches of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman of all time are highlighted below. Pushpita Karim writes.

7 March 1971

In Bangladesh, the 7th March Speech is recognized as a historical speech by Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman in Dhaka gathering over 2 million people in attendance. The Founding Father of Bangladesh delivered the speech throughout a time of increasingly strained relations between East Pakistan and West Pakistan’s political and military formation.

Bangabandhu began with the words, ‘I came before you today with a heavy heart. You know everything and understand everything. The painful reality is that the streets of Dhaka, Chattogram, Khulna, Rajshahi, and Rangpur are now stained red with the blood of our forefathers. Today, the people of Bengal want freedom, they want to survive, and they want to be able to practice their rights. What did we do wrong?’ The speech persisted about 19 minutes and ended with the words-

‘THIS TIME, THE STRUGGLE IS FOR OUR LIBERTY. 

THIS TIME, THE STRUGGLE IS FOR OUR INDEPENDENCE. JOY BANGLA!’

It effectively declared Bangladesh’s independence. The historic speech delivered on March 7, 1971, has been translated into English and several other languages. In 2017, UNESCO designated Bangabandhu’s March 7 speech as one of the world’s most historic speeches, worthy of mention in the “Memory of the World Register.”

21 February 1971

Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman laid floral wreaths at the Central Shaheed Minar at 12:45 a.m. on February 21, 1971, and conveyed an inspirational speech. In his speech, he urged every Bengali to begin preparing for their fight.  It was the perfect speech at the perfect time, just a month well before the War Of liberation, to motivate the country on their way to achieving the rights of self and fighting for freedom.

Conspirators who shot and martyred in the language movement in 1952 have not yet completed their aim, Bangabandhu said, ‘The conspiracy is still heading on. In the future, there will be more conspiracies. On this Shaheed Day, we must take an oath, we will shed blood, but we will not give up our demands, and we will oblige them to fulfill our demands. My appeal to everyone in the coming days may be more difficult. The conspirators haven’t given up yet. They can still come back.’

Hereafter the Liberation War, March 1972

As the liberation war came to an end, Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman urged the liberation fighters to hand in their weapons in order to bring peace and safety to the newly independent country. In his speech at the event, Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, who was both proud and emotional said,

‘I COULD SACRIFICE AND IGNORE EVERYTHING, BUT YOUR LOVE IS THE ONE THING I COULD NEVER IGNORE.’

For details: speechofbangabandhu