Bangabandhu’s March 7 speech made independence evident

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RANGPUR, Mar 06, 2019 (BSS) – As the nation was determined in non-cooperation
movement at the call of Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur
Rahman since beginning of March, 1971, his historic March 7 speech made
independence quite evident.

Like the whole Bangalee nation, Rangpur people easily guessed conspiracy
of hatred Pakistani President General Yahiya Khan who cancelled on March 1
the scheduled parliament sitting on March 3, 1971 and declared curfew on the
day.

Bangabandhu vehemently rejected cancellation of the scheduled parliament
session and called strike on March 2 in Dhaka and March 3 in the country when
Rangpur people started mobilising them to show stiff resistance to the
Pakistani junta.

“The struggle for independence sparked in Rangpur when common people
brought out protest processions breaking curfew on March 3, 1971” said former
district unit Commander of Bangladesh District Muktijoddha Sangshad (BMS)
Mosaddek Hossain Bablu.

Thousands of people participated in protest processions on the city streets
as part of non-cooperation movement against the Pakistani regime on March 3
when the Bangalee nation already set it’s only target of achieving
independence.

“The ultimate struggles literally began in Rangpur city from March 3, 1971
when minor boy Sangku Samajhder, 12, embraced martyrdom as non-Bengali Behari
Sarforaz Khan opened gunfire on him at Alamnagar area in protest processions
at 9:30 am,” Bablu said.

Rangpur turned volatile through sacrificing Sangku along with two other brave
sons on March 3 and the situation went beyond control of the Pakistani regime
forcing them to declare curfew from March 3 to March 5 in the city.

“At such a volatile moment, the historic speech delivered by Bangabandhu on
March 7, 1971 gave the Bengali nation a concrete direction for achieving
independence through the War of Liberation,” Bablu added.

Former Rangpur city unit Commander of BMS Sadrul Alam Dulu said Rangpur unit
convener of Chhatra Sangram Parishad Rafikul Islam Golap received the flag of
Swadhin Bangla and manifesto of independence from central leaders at Dhaka on
March 17, 1971.

The struggles for independence soon took irreversible shape with
participation of common people en-masse when Rafikul Islam Golap hoisted the
flag of Swadhin Bangla at residence of the Deputy Commissioner of Rangpur on
March 23.

“Simultaneously, Chhatra League leader Elias Ahmed hoisted the flag of
Swadhin Bangla at the Deputy Commissioner’s Office as the situation was going
under control of the independence-seeker Bangalees in Rangpur city,” Dulu
said.

On March 24, one Sahed Ali, a butcher by profession, suddenly snatched away
an LMG from a Pakistani soldier at Nisbetganj area and instantly hit
Pakistani Lieutenant Abbas when they were standing by the side of a jeep
there.

“Critically injured Lieutenant Abbas succumbed in the hospital at night on
the day. It was the first successful assault of the heroic Rangpur people on
the Pakistani occupation forces,” Dulu added.

On March 28 in 1971, just after three days of March 25 crackdown by Pakistani
army on innocent Bangalees at Dhaka, over 30,000 of people demonstrated
unique heroism while attacking Rangpur cantonment with indigenous weapons
attempting to capture it.

Former district unit Deputy Commander of BMS Matiar Rahman said around 600
heroic sons belonging to the Muslim, Hindu, Buddhist, Oraon and Santal
communities embraced martyrdoms in the attempt on way to achieve ultimate
independence.

The Rangpur people like the whole Bangalee nation started offering stiff
resistances to the occupation forces and fighting heroically since the March
7 historic speech of Bangabandhu on way to achieve the ultimate independence.

“The freedom fighters became insuperable from early December when the
Indian Mitra Bahini joined them and the Bangalee nation finally achieved
ultimate independence through winning the War of Liberation on December 16,
1971,” Rahman added.