The historic 7 March marks the day in 1971 when Sheikh Mujibur Rahman delivered a defining speech at the then Ramna Race Course, now Suhrawardy Udyan, calling on Bangalees to prepare for a decisive struggle against the Pakistan occupation forces.
The speech is widely seen as a turning point in Bangladesh’s independence movement, igniting the spirit of Bengali nationalism and the struggle for liberation.
Addressing a massive rally, Sheikh Mujib urged people to resist the occupation forces and prepare for sacrifice.
“Turn every house into a fortress, resist the enemy with everything you have … Having mastered the lesson of sacrifice, we shall give more blood. God willing [Inshallah], we shall free the people of this land,” Sheikh Mujib had said in his speech.
In the 19-minute address delivered from 4:23 pm before millions of people of the then East Pakistan, he said, “We spilled our blood … we are ready to shed more blood, the people of the country shall be freed, Inshallah!”
“Ebarer sangram amader muktir sangram, ebarer sangram swadhinatar sangram [The struggle this time is a struggle for emancipation, the struggle this time is a struggle for independence],” he declared at the rally.
On 30 October 2017, UNESCO recognised the speech as part of the world’s documentary heritage and included it in the Memory of the World International Register, which lists significant documentary records of global importance.
The Awami League (AL) used to observe 7 March every year through various programmes, and when the party was in power the day was also marked with state-sponsored events.
This year, however, the day arrives in a different political context following the fall of the AL government on 5 August 2024 amid a mass uprising triggered by a violent crackdown on student protests.
During the uprising, Sheikh Mujib’s daughter and Awami League President Sheikh Hasina fled the country with her sister Sheikh Rehana and took refuge in India.
Hasina has since been staying in New Delhi with facilities provided by the Indian government, while many senior Awami League leaders remain on the run and others are in jail.
On 16 October 2024, the interim government decided to cancel the official observance of eight national days, including 7 March and 15 August, which commemorates the assassination of Sheikh Mujib and most of his family members in 1975.
The Tarique Rahman-led government, formed after a landslide victory in the 12 February parliamentary election, has left the issues unchanged.
