The nation remembers the Black Night of 25 March 1971 with deep loathing. This was not merely a night; it was a night of genocide. Armed Pakistani military forces pounced upon unarmed civilians.
Blood from countless people, including women and children, flooded Dhaka, and that stream of blood eventually spread across the entire country.
Following a nine-month bloody war, we achieved our great independence at the cost of 3 million lives and the honour of countless mothers and sisters. We have enjoyed that precious independence for 55 years, yet we stumble repeatedly.
Sometimes, our 55-year-old independence seems afflicted by polio; it possesses all its limbs but lacks strength in its legs. Despite its chronological age, it has failed to reach maturity. In this independent land, the Liberation War and freedom fighters face insults.
Driven by personal greed and abandoning self-respect, some freedom fighters cling to anti-liberation forces to survive.
Shockingly, the party of those anti-liberation forces won significant success in the election and now sits proudly as the opposition in the National Parliament. This unbridled freedom is gradually making us more dependent.
Indians shed blood and campaigned for nearly 200 years to end British rule. The British East India Company established dominance over India through the Battle of Plassey in 1757. They began with trade, but the British government commenced direct rule in 1858.
The first resistance began with the Sepoy Revolt in 1857. Although it failed, it shook the British throne. To secure their stay, the British chose to create permanent hatred between Muslims and Hindus, applying the "divide and rule" policy.
The nationalist movement began a year after the mutiny with the formation of the Indian National Congress. Gradually, the independence movement gained momentum through non-violent protests and mass awakenings, including the Non-Cooperation Movement in 1920, the Civil Disobedience Movement in 1930, and the Quit India Movement in 1942. Finally, weakened by the Second World War, the British decided to leave India in 1947.
Before leaving, the British divided the subcontinent into Pakistan and India based on the "Two-Nation Theory," prioritising the religious hatred they had sown. They treated Hindus and Muslims as separate "nations." Gujarati barrister Muhammad Ali Jinnah demanded a separate state for Muslims.
The plan formed Pakistan by joining Muslim-majority regions: Punjab, Sindh, and Balochistan in the west, and East Bengal in the east. Conversely, Congress leaders Mahatma Gandhi, Jawaharlal Nehru, and Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel opposed this division.
Ultimately, the British Viceroy Lord Mountbatten mediated the political split. Two independent states emerged in August 1947, with Pakistan's independence day set for 14 August and India's for 15 August.
However, Pakistani rulers treated East Pakistan as a colony. Political discrimination, cultural aggression, economic deprivation, and military oppression continued. The greatest blow came with the attempt to snatch away linguistic freedom. The people of East Pakistan roared in protest.
Only five years after independence, Pakistani police fired upon Bengalis. On 21 February 1952, Rafiq, Salam, Barkat, and others martyred themselves for their language. That day sowed the seeds of a separate East Pakistan. Anger grew, culminating in the 1970 elections. Despite a landslide victory for the Awami League led by Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, Pakistani rulers refused to hand over power. Instead, they sacrificed democracy for genocide.
On the night of 25 March, they arrested Bangabandhu and took him to West Pakistan. In his absence, Bengali military officers, police, and civilians prepared for war, but they lacked a political leader to organise the struggle.
Major Ziaur Rahman emerged as a symbol of courage. He revolted and declared from the Kalurghat Radio Station on 26 March 1971: "This is Major Zia speaking. I declare the independence of Bangladesh." This declaration emboldened the freedom-loving people and struck Pakistani confidence like a thunderbolt. A total war began involving people from all walks of life. Meanwhile, some local collaborators formed the Razakar, Al-Badr, and Al-Shams forces to support Pakistan. After nine months of sacrifice, Bangladesh became a sovereign nation.
As we recall that genocide in 2026, the son of Major Zia, Tarique Rahman, serves as the Prime Minister of Bangladesh. In a message, he stated: "The genocide of 25 March was a planned massacre. Why this planned massacre could not be resisted remains a subject for historical research regarding the political leadership of that time.
However, the 8th East Bengal Regiment in Chittagong initiated formal armed resistance with the cry 'We Revolt'. The nine-month armed struggle began through this resistance." Prime Minister Tarique Rahman urged citizens to honour the martyrs' sacrifices by establishing equality, human dignity, and social justice.
Though 55 years have passed, we have yet to taste true independence. The nation has faced repeated deception by domestic exploiters and autocrats.
While the country has held 13 parliamentary elections, true happiness eludes the people. We failed to protect the two legends who played key roles in our independence: Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman and the proclaimer of independence, President Ziaur Rahman.
Their deaths resulted from conspiracies involving anti-liberation forces and their foreign masters who could not accept a sovereign Bangladesh. Past governments have rewritten history to suit their ideologies, preventing an impartial account of our 55-year journey.
Historians have remained busy flattering those in power. From the glorification of the Sheikh family during 16 years of autocracy to the distorted versions under military rule, the true history remains unwritten.
Following the 2024 mass uprising and a national election, Tarique Rahman—the son of the proclaimer of independence and three-time Prime Minister Khaleda Zia—now leads the country. After 17 years in exile, he has rebuilt himself.
Having survived a near-death experience during the "One-Eleven" period, he understands the price he has paid. Prime Minister Tarique Rahman must now distinguish between friends and foes.
He must distance himself from flatterers and encourage the writing of authentic history that gives everyone their due respect. Above all, he must remain vigilant against anti-liberation forces, regardless of their current guise. One must remember that even if you feed a snake milk and bananas, it will strike when it finds the chance.
bd-pratidin/GR
