Message from Awami League President Sheikh Hasina, on the Occasion of Historic Mujibnagar Day

April 17 marks a pivotal milestone in the birth of independent Bangladesh. On this day, I pay solemn tribute to the Father of the Nation, Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, the architect of our independence. With profound gratitude, I remember the four national leaders—Tajuddin Ahmad, Syed Nazrul Islam, A.H.M. Qamaruzzaman, and M. Mansur Ali—who steered our Liberation War, alongside all freedom fighters, the three million martyrs, and the hundreds of thousands of brave women who endured unspeakable horrors. We also honour the millions of displaced refugees who sought shelter in neighbouring India and the countless Indian soldiers who stood with us in our bloody struggle for freedom.

In the 1970 elections, the Awami League secured a landslide victory in both national and provincial assemblies—a resounding mandate for Bangabandhu’s Six-Point Movement, the charter of Bengali emancipation. But Pakistan’s ruling clique knew the Six Points were a strategic blueprint for independence. Instead of transferring power democratically, General Yahya’s regime launched Operation Searchlight on the night of March 25, slaughtering unarmed Bengalis in their sleep. In the early hours of March 26, Bangabandhu declared independence—a proclamation broadcast nationwide through EPR wireless, telegrams, and teleprinters—before being arrested by Pakistani forces from his home at Dhanmondi 32.

Facing this tyranny, the people’s elected representatives convened on April 10, 1971, to draft the Proclamation of Independence, asserting:
"By the mandate of the sovereign people, we, the elected representatives, hereby constitute a Constituent Assembly to establish equality, human dignity, and social justice. We proclaim Bangladesh a sovereign People’s Republic, endorse Bangabandhu’s declaration, and decree that until a constitution is adopted, Sheikh Mujibur Rahman shall serve as President and Syed Nazrul Islam as Vice President—with the President as Supreme Commander of the armed forces."

On April 17, in the mango groves of Meherpur’s Baidyanathtala, the first government of independent Bangladesh took oath before hundreds of journalists. Bangabandhu was named President (with Syed Nazrul Islam as Acting President in his absence), Tajuddin Ahmad as Prime Minister, and the Proclamation was ratified—giving our Liberation War not just moral but *legal* legitimacy. This was no mere armed conflict; it was the culmination of a prolonged political struggle, waged under elected leadership. Even the Mukti Bahini’s commanders were Awami League MPs from the 1970 election and members of the April 17 Constituent Assembly. The Proclamation served as Bangladesh’s interim constitution until victory.

After Bangabandhu’s return from Pakistani captivity on January 10, 1972, the Constituent Assembly drafted our full Constitution, adopted on December 16. Guided by its principles—democracy, secularism, Bengali nationalism, and socialism—the Awami League worked tirelessly to build a prosperous, exploitation-free Bangladesh. Yet today, anti-liberation forces, backed by domestic and foreign conspirators, have hijacked the state. Their terror, bigotry, and misrule threaten both citizens and sovereignty. By denying the Spirit of ’71, Bangabandhu, and our Constitution, they betray the sacrifices of millions.

In these dark times, we must draw strength from our history. Bangladesh is no isolated entity—it is the culmination of every struggle: the Language Movement (1952), the 21-Point Demand (1954), the Six Points (1966), the 1969 Mass Uprising, the 1970 election, Bangabandhu’s declaration, the April 17 government, the Liberation War, and the 1972 Constitution. *They are all threads of the same unbroken resistance.*

We will overcome this darkness. We will reclaim Bangabandhu’s dream of a Golden Bengal.

Joy Bangla! Joy Bangabandhu!
Let the dawn break through this night.