Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman’s 7 March speech and the declaration of independence on 26 March are inextricably intertwined. Bangabandhu’s 7 March speech played a huge role in inspiring the masses to prepare for the liberation war and was very significant in our historical context. We saw the final outcome of that speech in the form of the proclamation of independence on 26 March.  
Thwarting all the conspiracies of the Pakistanis and knowing that the Pakistani army was pointing the gun at him, Bangabandhu very tactfully expressed the sentiments of the entire Bengali nation.

Bangabandhu said, “Be prepared with whatever you have. Remember, when I have given blood, I will give more blood – but this time I will free the people of this country, Inshallah. This struggle is the struggle for our liberation; this struggle is the struggle for our freedom.”

After these words of Bangabandhu, there was nothing left to assume the independence of Bangladesh. Even then, the proclamation of independence was officially done on 26 March, 1971. Therefore, Bangabandhu’s 7 March speech and the declaration of independence are quite interconnected.

The declaration of independence was announced in the name of Bangabandhu. In the early hours of 26 March, Bangabandhu sent a telegram to the people of the country declaring Bangladesh independent before being detained by Pakistani forces. The declaration of independence was also broadcast on the EPR’s wireless message.

Documents published by the Ministry of Information in 1982 states that he (Bangabandhu) made this declaration in the early hours of 26 March, which was spread throughout the country through the transmitter of the EPR at that time. Later, several people read the declaration of independence on behalf of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman.

Major Siddique Salik, Public Relations Officer of Pakistan’s the then Eastern Army Chief, General Niazi, wrote in his book, “Witness to Surrender”, about the declaration of Bangladesh’s independence in this way, “When the first shot was fired, the voice of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman came faintly from a wave near the government radio of Pakistan... The words of that voice seem to have been pre-recorded. Sheikh Mujib declared East Pakistan as the People’s Republic of Bangladesh.”

Major Siddique Salik also wrote, “This may be my last message,’ the announcement said. Bangladesh is independent from today. I call upon the people of Bangladesh to deal with the occupying army wherever they are, with whatever you have. You have to oust the last soldier of the Pakistani occupying forces from the soil of Bangladesh and continue the struggle until the final victory is achieved.”

It is mentionable here that on the night of March 25, the Dhaka centre of Pakistan Betar was captured by the Pakistanis, but Bangabandhu kept three secret radio transmitters ready at three places. He had a pre-recorded speech submitted to a Subedar in Pilkhana. The code of which was ‘Balda Garden’. Attempts were made to contact the Subedar to spread the news about the crackdown, but he could not be found. Then, Bangabandhu recorded a new declaration of independence over telephone and it was broadcast shortly afterwards. Later, Bangabandhu shared this information with three American journalists.

On March 26, Bangabandhu’s official declaration of independence was printed in Bengali and English in the form of a handbill and distributed in Chattogram. Awami League leader Zahur Ahmed Chowdhury made arrangements to send Bangabandhu’s declaration of independence from the EPR headquarters in Chattogram to different parts of the country through wireless.

Chittagong District Awami League General Secretary M.A Hannan read Bangabandhu’s Declaration of Independence from Chattogram Kalurghat Radio Centre at 2:10 PM and 2:30 PM on that day. So, there is no confusion that it was none other than Bangabandhu who declared the independence of Bangladesh while others merely recited the declaration on behalf of Bangabandhu.

In the following nine months after the declaration of independence, the masses toiled a lot. The people of this country have set an example of supreme self-sacrifice to achieve freedom. During the months of the Liberation War, 3 million people of this country died, while thousands were tortured and hundreds of women lost their dignity. It is due to their sacrifice that we now have an independent Bangladesh.

Some people are born with freedom, but we snatched it away from the despotic rulers. So, for us, freedom means much more than just a mere word. But, sadly enough, at present subjugation within the country and throughout world at large seems to be slowly consuming everyone. We should not forget that our ancestors sacrificed their lives for our freedom, so we must protect it at any cost.

Retaining freedom requires a willingness to sacrifice and a mentality to co-exist. Apart from this, it is essential to make the best use of knowledge, intelligence, education, and good judgment to protect freedom. So, we should consider it our national duty to understand the meaning of freedom and protect it. Responding to the call of Bangabandhu, the brave Bangalis fought a fearless battle in 1971. Let this fundamental spirit of freedom inspire everyone and guide us through difficult times.  
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The writer is a Lecturer of Rajshahi
Cantonment Public School & College