Bangladesh Awami League Joint General Secretary and former Minister A.F.M. Bahauddin Nasim has paid glowing tributes to India on the 54th anniversary of its formal recognition of Bangladesh as an independent sovereign state on 6 December 1971, describing the decision as โhistoric and farsighted.โ
In a written statement issued on Saturday, Nasim said India became the first country in the world to extend diplomatic recognition to Bangladesh when the Liberation War was at its most crucial and brutal phase.
โAt a time when Pakistanโs occupation forces were committing genocide, rape, arson, looting, and crimes against humanity, and when millions of Bengalis had taken refuge in India, this courageous and humanitarian stance by India stood firmly with the Bengali nationโs supreme sacrifices and fearless struggle for independence,โ he said.
Nasim noted that Indiaโs recognition opened the floodgates for international support to Bangladeshโs blood-soaked war of liberation and set a powerful example of standing beside the oppressed. He expressed eternal gratitude to Indiaโs political leadership, armed forces, and common people for their immense sacrifice and compassion during the nine-month war.
โHistory has proved India to be a tested and true friend of Bangladesh,โ the Awami League leader added.
Highlighting the steady growth of bilateral relations since 1971 in political, economic, and cultural fields, Nasim said the Awami League firmly believes that Bangladesh-India ties will grow even stronger in the days ahead on the foundation of mutual respect, equality, trust, and cooperation. Such friendship, he stressed, will contribute significantly to regional peace, stability, and development.
At the same time, Nasim made it clear that โthe interests of Bangladesh and its people are above everything else for the Awami League.โ He categorically stated that Bangladesh will never accept any form of hegemony or dominance on its soil.
Warning against politically motivated anti-India campaigns, Nasim said opposition to India driven purely by narrow political interests reflects the mindset of defeated anti-liberation forces and Pakistan-backed elements. โDamaging relations with a large neighbour and a historically proven genuine friend under the influence of a Pakistan-oriented attitude will never bring any good to Bangladesh,โ he observed.
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Nasim urged all quarters to take pragmatic decisions guided by humanitarian values, democratic ideals, and the principle of peaceful coexistence based on equality, and to further strengthen friendship and cooperation with all countries, including India.
The statement has been widely circulated among Awami League leaders, activists, and the media on the occasion of Bangladesh-India Friendship Day, observed every year on December 6.
Since partition, Bengalis have protested for their rights. Regarding this, in February 1966, Bangabandhu proposed the Six Points in Lahore, Pakistan, known as the “charter of freedom,” demanding autonomy for East Pakistan.
The 1969 mass uprising in East Pakistan led to the overthrow of Ayub Khan’s autocratic regime, planting the seeds for Bangladesh’s independence. It was a pivotal moment in Bangladesh’s history, igniting the flame of resistance and setting the stage for the liberation movement. On December 5, 1969, during a party meeting, Bangabandhu said, “The name of our independent country will be Bangladesh.” After that, on March 7, 1971, Bangabandhu’s historic speech at Dhaka’s Racecourse Ground called for independence and the liberation war, with the iconic slogan “Joy Bangla” symbolising Bengali nationalism.
Bangabandhu’s declaration
The Pakistani military junta did not agree to hand over power. Both Yahya Khan and Zulfikar Ali Bhutto were very desperate to โfinish offโ Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman. According to freedom war researcher Afsan Chowdhury, “The Pakistani military junta decided to attack the Bengalis after the general elections in 1970. That means Sheikh Mujib would not be given power.”
On the other hand, Bangabandhu was not afraid of his life. He knew that he was on the right track, and nobody could refuse his demands. What were the demands? Simply, Bangabandhu wanted a bloodless, peaceful, and democratic solution for attaining absolute autonomy in East Pakistan, built on his six-point formula. That is why Bangabandhu patiently waited, even until March 25, 1971. But the Pakistani junta continued to carry out their conspiracy. There were two options for the Pakistani junta: either granting full autonomy to East Pakistan or suppressing demands for autonomy through military force as part of their predetermined blueprint.
Unfortunately, Yahya Khan did not want a peaceful solution. So he chose the second one and opted for a crackdown instead of providing an agreeable LFO (Legal Framework Order). The crackdown began at 11pm on March 25, 1971. Therefore, this time Bangabandhu had no other option but to declare the message of the liberation war.
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According to the famous book “Bloodbath in Bangladesh,” written by Prabodh Chandra: โThe 25th of March was spent by Sheikh Mujibur Rahman and his party leaders awaiting a call from General Pirzada for a final meeting with Yahya Khan and also for the final drafting session for working out the details of the interim transfer of power. No such call came. At zero hours on March 26, the army swung into action against the unarmed people of East Pakistan, launching an operation on a war scale. Meanwhile, Sheikh Mujibur Rahman proclaimed the birth of the sovereign, independent state of Bangladesh.โ
So, what was the message? The text of Bangabandhu’s message was as follows:
โThis may be my last message. From today, Bangladesh is independent. I call upon the people of Bangladesh, wherever you are and with whatever you have, to resist the army of occupation to the last. Your fight must go on until the last soldier of the Pakistani occupation army is expelled from the soil of Bangladesh and final victory is achieved.” The text of this message was transmitted through EPR wireless throughout the country. Sheikh Mujib’s proclamation of independence was initially transmitted over the radio on March 26. Belal Mohammad, Abul Kasem, a few representatives of the Swadhin Bangla Betar Kendra, and local Awami League leader MA Hannan were among the pioneers of this broadcast.
The sacrifices made during this period ultimately led to the birth of Bangladesh as an independent nation
Impact and legacy
March 26, 1971, stands as a symbol of the Bangladeshi people’s unwavering determination and resilience in their struggle for independence. This day marked the beginning of a nine-month-long liberation war in which the Pakistani military brutally carried out a genocide. The sacrifices made during this period ultimately led to the birth of Bangladesh as an independent nation on December 16, 1971.
After independence, Bangladesh was called the “bottomless basket,” but over time, that statement proved wrong. Bangladesh embarked on a path of reconstruction and development guided by the principles of Bangabandhu’s โSonar Bangla.โ After 53 years of independence, today Bangladesh has improved gradually to meet international standards in areas such as infrastructure, education, healthcare, private sector investment, domestic output, foreign commerce, technology, resource management, and per capita income. On March 26, Bangladesh celebrated the arrival of freedom and set out on a path towards prosperity and sovereignty under the rising sun of liberty.
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