DHAKA, March 6, 2018 (BSS) – Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina today said that appeal of Bangabandhu’s historic March 7 speech is everlasting and it’s an address of hopes and aspirations for the people.
“This speech showed the path of freedom to Bangalees … it’s an address of hopes and aspirations for them,” she said, adding the appeal of the speech not faded away after decades.
Sheikh Hasina said this while handing over the UNESCO certificates that endorsed the inscription of the historic 7th March Speech of Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman.
She handed over the certificates to the five organisations which made outstanding contributions to achieving the recognition of the 7th March Speech of Bangabandhu as part of the World’s Documentary Heritage.
The organisations are the Information and Communication Technology Division, Bangladesh Betar, the Department of Film and Publications, the Liberation War Museum and Bangladesh Film Archive.
The prime minister said the historic address of Bangabandhu is evergreen and fresh speech for us all. “When we listen to this historic speech we feel the charm that we had felt in 1971,” she said.
Sheikh Hasina said through the UNESCO recognition of the speech, the country’s independence, liberation war, sacrifice –all things got dignity.
She mentioned that Bangabandhu in his speech just not uttered the Independence of the country. “He said about way how he will liberate the country, how he will bring political, economic, social and cultural freedom of the country,” she said.
Sheikh Hasina, elder daughter of Bangabandhu, said in his speech the Father of the Nation gave the direction for the economic freedom after the independence of the country.
Highlighting the significance of March 7 speech, Sheikh Hasina said Bangabandhu had prepared the nation step by step for the independence and it was reflected in the speech.
“Bangabandhu did not only unite the nation, he also imbued the people with the spirit of liberation,” she said.
The premier said the speech was a clear guideline for economic, social and cultural emancipation alongside political freedom. It’s still infusing inspiration into the people for the last 45 years for their political and economic freedom, she said.
Sheikh Hasina regretted that after the brutal assassination of Bangabandhu in 1975, the military rulers imposed a ban on playing of the March 7 speech. But leaders and workers of Awami League and its associate bodies had played it on various national days ignoring the threats, she said.
The prime minister said none would be able to calculate how many times and for how many hours and minutes the 7th March speech has so far been played.
Sheikh Hasina said, coming to power in 2009, her government has been maintaining the pace of development due to continuation of her government and Bangladesh is going to be graduated to a developing nation soon.
“None would see Bangladesh with pity eyes from now on … the days are not far away when Bangladesh would be a poverty-and hunger-free Sonar Bangla as dreamt by Bangabandhu,” she said.
Liberation War Affairs Minister AKM Mozammel Haque and Cultural Affairs Minister Asaduzzaman Noor and trustees of the Liberation War Museum received the certificate from the prime minister on behalf the Liberation War Museum.
On behalf of the DFP, Information Minister Hasanul Haque Inu, State Minister for Information Tarana Halim, Secretary M Nasiruddin Ahmed and DFP Director General Mohammad Ishtaque Hossain received the certificate.
Minister for Post, Telecommunications and ICT Ministry Mustafa Jabbar, State Minister for ICT Division Zunaid Ahmed Palak and Secretary Subir Kishore Chowdhury took the certificate on behalf of the ICT Division.
On behalf of Bangladesh Betar, Information Minister Hasanul Haque Inu, State Minister for Information Tarana Halim, Secretary M Nasiruddin Ahmed and Director General of Bangladesh Betar Narayan Chandra Shill received the certificate.
Information Minister Hasanul Haque Inu, State Minister for Information Tarana Halim, Secretary M Nasiruddin Ahmed and Director General of Bangladesh Films Archive Sachindranath Halder received the certificate on behalf of the Film Archive.
Nurul Islam Nahid, Education Minister and head of the delegation that represented Bangladesh to the UNESCO meeting in Paris in October last, gave the welcome address at the function held at Ganabhaban, the official residence of the prime minister.
On behalf of the Liberation War Museum, its trustee Mafidul Haque also spoke, while PM’s Principal Secretary Md Nojibur Rahman conducted the function.
Finance Minister Abul Maal Abdul Muhith, Industries Minister Amir Hossain Amu, Commerce Minister Tofail Ahmed and Information Minister Hasanul Huq Inu were present on the dais.
The Head and Representative of UNESCO in Bangladesh Ms B Kaldun was present on the occasion.
Ministers, parliament members, freedom fighters, educationists, editors, writers, actors, singers, poets, senior journalists of print and electronic media were present, among others.