16 December Victory Day: Minds Without Fear, Heads Held High

Today is National Victory Day. The 52nd anniversary of victory was earned through the sacrifice of enormous bloodshed. The day of the emergence of Bangladesh as an independent sovereign state to this world.

After a long 9 months of armed struggle, sacrificing a lot of lives and huge bloodshed, valiant Bengalis claimed victory on this very day. After oppressing the freedom-seeking of this land the Pakistani attacking force surrendered to the people on this very day. With this surrender of the Pakistani forces, it came to an end of two and a half decades of exploitation and deprivation of the Pakistanis. The nation got free from persecution and oppression.

Everyone is now analyzing the gains and expectations of the 49 years spent after independence. On this 51st anniversary of Victory the departed souls of the freedom fighters having peace – the heinous war criminals are gradually being punished. The whole nation will commemorate the millions of martyrs who sacrificed themselves with utmost homage and love. For the supreme sacrifices of these great souls, we got an independent and sovereign Bangladesh. At the same time, strong commitment will be expressed to make Bangladesh a prosperous future-oriented one. To observe the occasion many programs would be celebrated by the government and non-government initiatives. All government and non-government institutions will hoist the National flag today. Various political parties, social and cultural organizations, and educational institutes will hold programs. 

The sun of independence that was set at the Palashi’s mango orchard in 1957, has again risen upon this 16th December 1971. The glorious moment of victory was initiated on this day. 91 thousand 549 Pakistani soldiers surrendered in the broad daylight. The Chief of the Eastern regional wing of the Pakistan Army Lt. General Amir Abdullah Khan Niazi signed the surrender document to the supreme commander of the Eastern regional wing of the Allied forces Lt. General Jagjit Singh Aurora at the historical Race Course Ground (well known as Suhrawardi Uddyan today). Not through negotiations, not through somebody’s kind favour, a victory through the struggle sacrificing sea of blood, which defeated the Pakistan forces and were bound to surrender with heads all down. The world beholds the birth of a new independent state. And the glorious leader who guided and lead the nation to this victory is perpetually unfading and luminous, the greatest Bangali in thousand years, the Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman. Delight comes in many ways in life. But being able to observe the victory through the sacrifice of million's bloodshed earning the freedom of the motherland from the oppression of alien forces has no comparison at all! The glorious and victorious sun has risen to this land of 55 thousand square miles on this day. The freedom-crazy Bangalis snatched this sun smashing the oppression and subservience. The sun that glows with the bloodstains of the sacrifices is the colour of victory. This colour of blood and victory along with the greenery of Bengal makes our National Flag. That sun of that victory day had visions of the future, for which 3 million people sacrificed their lives. After a long 9 months of suffering, a new country was born, an independent and sovereign Bangladesh.

In fact, the glorious moment of independence of Bangladesh did not come just in a day. Behind this lies the history of sweaty struggles of the nation. And if anyone would be thought of as the great commander of these struggles the name of the greatest Bengali of thousand years the Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman would always be there. Bangabandhu means Bangladesh. Bangabandhu means freedom. Bangabandhu means our new entity. His existence belongs to every inch of the 55 thousand square miles of the land.

Bengalis gave their blood in the British colonial age. Struggled against oppression, exploitation, and deprivation. In the struggles and movements of about 200 years, this Bengali nation has sacrificed the most blood. In 1947, the Bangali nation’s efforts were there in establishing a state called Pakistan. Bengalis were the main architect behind the making of Pakistan. But it took only a few years to get out of the disillusion. The oppression and exploitation, for which they had driven the British away, the same came to their lives in Pakistan in a few years. That began the struggles of a new era. Pakistanis considered the people of this land their underlings. Bengalis were being relieved in terms of economically and politically and in every aspect. They even refused to accept the electoral results. The turning points of history against them came in the form of 52’s Language movement, 66’s Historical 6 point demand movement and 69’s mass revolt, etc. The final blow was the result of the election of the 1970s. A new chapter began. On the glorious day of 7th March, Bangabandhu declared in his thunderous proclamation, “Struggle of this time, is the struggle for freedom, this struggle is our struggle for independence”. This proclamation brought new enthusiasm to the nation and brought craziness to the desire for freedom. About 90 thousand Pakistani soldiers accepted the defeat through surrender on this day at the Race Course Ground.