The 50 Years of Bangladesh's Independence

In the exchange of an ocean of blood, we have achieved independence. Our independence is intertwined with the red sun of freedom, along with the thirty lakh martyrs' blood and the anguish of losing two lakh mothers and sisters. Under the leadership of the great leader of independence, the father of the nation, Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, we have attained a sovereign and independent Bangladesh.

The golden jubilee of the hard-earned independence is being celebrated by the Bengali nation, obtained through the heroic liberation war of 1971. We pay humble homage to the great architect of independent Bangladesh, the supreme leader of independence, Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman.

Under the leadership of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib, the Bengali nation fought for 23 years against the oppression and deprivation of Pakistani rulers. Even after gaining an overwhelming majority in the 1970 general elections, the Awami League did not hand over power and instead unleashed persecution and oppression on the people of Bengal. On March 7, 1971, Bangabandhu declared independence at the Racecourse Maidan, stating, "The struggle of this time is our struggle for freedom; the struggle of this time is the struggle for independence."

In the name of discussions, the Pakistani occupation forces launched a brutal and systematic attack on unarmed and defenseless Bengalis on the night of March 25, 1971. It became the most heinous genocide in history. On that night, Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman was arrested by the Pakistani forces. Just before his arrest, on the early hours of March 26, Bangabandhu officially proclaimed independence. This proclamation spread throughout Bangladesh through telegrams, teleprinters, and the wireless communication of the then Pakistan International Airlines (PIA). The resistance war against the invading forces began. After 9 months of bloody struggle, victory was achieved on December 16, marking the culmination.

Crossing the milestone of 50 years of independence is a significant milestone in the national life. Bangladesh, which was presented as an example of poverty and underdevelopment a decade ago, is now being considered as a model of poverty eradication and development by development experts. This golden jubilee celebration has become more colorful for the people of the country because under the leadership of Bangabandhu's daughter Sheikh Hasina, the Awami League formed a government and initiated governance in accordance with the ideals of the liberation war. All the visionary and pessimistic prophecies about Bangladesh have been proven wrong. Today, Bangladesh stands proudly as a respected country in the world.

The POPI family expresses their sincere respect and love for all the courageous martyrs who valiantly fought in the liberation war of 1971.