Include Bangabandhu's 7 March speech in textbooks: High Court

The High Court has directed authorities concerned to include the 7 March speech of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman in all university-college, secondary and higher secondary textbooks.

At the same time, the court asked for the installation of a finger-raising sculpture of the 7 March speech of the Father of the Nation at Suhrawardy Udyan. 

The court also asked to form a committee to set up the sculpture.

HC bench of Justice FRM Nazmul Ahsan and Justice Shahed Nur Uddin passed the order on Wednesday.

The writ petitioner lawyer Md Bashir Ahmed informed the media about the directives.

On 7 March 1971, Bangabandhu in his historic speech at a mammoth rally in the then 'Race Course Maidan', now Suhrawardy Udyan, in the city directed the freedom-loving Bangalees for waging a decisive struggle against the Pakistani occupation forces.

In the 19-minute extempore speech from 4.23 pm before millions of people of former East Pakistan, Bangabandhu in unequivocal term said, "We spilled our blood…we are ready to shed more blood, the people of the country shall be freed, Inshallah!"

"Ebarer sangram amader muktir sangram, ebarer sangram swadhinatar sangram" – The struggle this time is for our emancipation, the struggle this time is for our independence- the great leader and the greatest Bangalee of all times went on to add.

During his deliberations amid thunderous slogans and applause, he also made a fervent appeal to the roaring people from all walks of life to take preparations for armed struggle against the tyranny, exploitation, subjugation and deprivation by Pakistani military junta with whatever they possessed and transforming every house into a fortress.

The people were overwhelmed and imbued with the spirit of Bangabandhu's unparalleled speech of independence regarded only as comparable to the Gettysburg Speech of slain US President Abraham Lincoln.

The whole nation responded spontaneously to Bangabandhu's call with thunderous slogan- "Bir Bangalee Astra Dharo, Bangladesh Swadhin Karo" -Brave Bangalees take up arms and free Bangladesh from occupation.

The vigorous speech inspired people of all walks of life to prepare for the war, which eventually began after the Pakistani regime on the black night of March 25 launched on the unarmed Bangalees the worst genocides in history for the next nine months.

Bangabandhu's 7 March speech has been selected as one of the most rousing and inspirational wartime speeches in the last 2,500 years. The dynamic speech had changed the course of the country's history.