In the 51 years since its birth, Bangladesh has made some remarkable socio-economic strides, but the dream of 'Sonar Bangla' envisaged by Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman is still a way off.
In order to realise that dream, Bangladeshis must walk shoulder to shoulder down the path laid out by the Father of the Nation, says Shakhawat Hossain, a freedom fighter from Gopalganj.
The retired schoolteacher came to the National Memorial on Saturday to lay a wreath in memory of the fallen heroes of the Liberation War on Independence Day.
He blended into the sea of people at the memorial as they paid tribute to the martyrs before sharing his own dreams and hopes for the nation he helped liberate.
Bangladesh has not been able to celebrate Independence Day with its usual vim and vigour in the last two years due to the coronavirus pandemic. But there was a semblance of normality this time around as the pandemic gradually ebbs away.
The day's programmes began by heralding gun salutes early in the morning as a mark of profound respect to the heroic struggle of this nation, which suffered a protracted subjugation under foreign rules from time to time till achieving their long-cherished Independence in 1971.
The National Martyrs' Memorial at Savar became the main venue of the celebration of the day, according to bdnews24.com and BSS.
President Abdul Hamid and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina paid tribute to the martyrs of the Liberation War at dawn. The gates to the National Memorial subsequently opened to the public.
People from all walks of life, including families of Bir Shreshthas, war-wounded freedom fighters, members of the diplomatic corps, leaders of different political parties, social, cultural and professional bodies, also laid wreaths at the national memorial in the morning of the day.
A group of students from Gazipur caught the eye as they marched towards the National Martyrs' Monument carrying a massive flag of Bangladesh to pay their respects. The 25 students in the group also had their faces painted in the red and green of the national flag.
Abbas Uddin, a lecturer at an academy named Iqbal Siddiqui College, said he comes to the memorial every year with his students on Independence Day and Victory Day to acquaint them with the history of the Liberation War.
Lima Akhter, a student, said, “After the declaration of independence on Mar 26, Bengalis plunged into the war of liberation. We got an independent Bangladesh under the leadership of Bangabandhu. This is what drove me to come and pay homage to the martyrs.”
Neatly strapped to a wheelchair, Kazi Billal, a young man from Magura, arrived at the National Memorial in Savar to pay homage to the martyrs of the Liberation War. With a glint of hope in his eyes, he says the indomitable spirit and heroism of the freedom fighters inspires him to overcome all obstacles in his own life.
People came in droves to the National Memorial on Saturday, some with family and others with friends.
Mugdha Saha, a karate trainee, came to pay homage to martyrs as a representative of Pappuraj Karate Academy. “It feels good to be here. I am learning a lot of things about our history," said the sixth-grader.
Osman Gani Farazi, a wounded freedom fighter, also made the journey to Savar to pay his respects to his fallen comrades. "It has been 51 years since independence. The current government has given everything to the freedom fighters. There isn't any benefit that I haven't received. I was given a flat in Dhaka because I was injured in the war and I am also getting an allowance,” he said.
However, there was still a tinge of sadness in his voice. "The number of fake freedom fighters has increased dramatically. The government needs to take urgent action in this regard. We put our lives on the line and lost limbs for our country. It hurts to see people get recognised as freedom fighters without fighting in the war."
"I wanted to see a prosperous country after independence. But corruption has become a major obstacle. Although the government has taken steps to resolve this issue, more needs to be done."
President of the Communist Party of Bangladesh Shah Alam, also a freedom fighter, says Bangladesh's standing after 51 years of independence was "unexpected". "We didn't get the country we wanted to see. The country is still riddled with class and group inequality," he said.
"Ninety-five per cent of people belong to one class, while the rest are in another class. Access to food, accommodation and treatment is different for these two groups. This inequality has not been resolved in 51 years.”
He blamed "unscrupulous" bureaucrats and politicians for the malaise. "Governments have changed but many of the [discriminatory] policies haven't. Inequality can only be eliminated with an overhaul of policies and systems.”
He called on the young generation to step forward and tackle these issues. “The young generation can solve these problems if they want. The struggle for their future lies here.”
Despite numerous challenges, Dhaka University Vice Chancellor Md Akhtaruzzaman believes it is possible to break down the barriers standing in the way of Bangabandhu's dream of a 'golden Bangladesh'.
“There are all kinds of obstacles before us. But these can be overcome if we face them with a sense of purpose. It has been done before and it will be done again in the future. If we can embody the ideals of Bangabandhu, the spirit and values of the great Liberation War, it will not be difficult to overcome any obstacle or adversity.”
But as the prices of essentials continue to spiral, are people really better off now?
"When a country goes through development on a wide scale, its impact trickles down to every one of its people. The lives of people across the broad spectrum of society are affected when these development plans are adopted," said Akhtaruzzaman.
“That is what is happening in Bangladesh. Nevertheless, there are still some disadvantaged and marginalised people. There is no alternative but to continue the various initiatives that have been taken in order to uplift them.”
The Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy has organised numerous events throughout the day, including poetry recitations, performances of folk and patriotic songs, painting exhibitions and an acrobatics performance.
Different political parties as well as socio-cultural and professional organisations have also taken various programmes to observe the day in a befitting manner.
The nation launched the War of Liberation at the call of Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman in the early hours of March 26.
Bangladesh emerged as an independent and sovereign country on December 16, 1971 with the surrender of the Pakistani occupation forces, who killed three million innocent civilians, perpetrated atrocities on more than 200,000 Bangalee women and burnt down lakhs of houses across the country during the nine-month bloody war.
