Prime Minister says forces defeated in 1975 later turned Bangladesh into a ‘subservient state’
Prime Minister Tarique Rahman has accused the forces defeated in the November 7, 1975 revolution of later conspiring to turn Bangladesh into a “subservient state”, saying they deprived people of their democratic and political rights.
In a message issued on Thursday ahead of the Great National Revolution and Solidarity Day, Tarique said the defeated forces later united under the banner of the Grand Alliance and established what he described as a fascist regime in the country.
“History bears the witness that the defeated forces of 7 November 1975 later united under the banner of the Grand Alliance and turned the country into a subservient state following a prolonged course of conspiracy,” he said.
He also accused the alliance of carrying out the massacre of military personnel at the Bangladesh Rifles (BDR) headquarters in Pilkhana, undermining the dignity of the armed forces and depriving people of their voting rights and democratic freedoms.
Referring to the July 2024 mass uprising, the prime minister said the country was eventually freed from fascism through a movement led by students and people, at the cost of thousands of lives.
Recalling the events of November 7, 1975, Tarique said soldiers and civilians had united to thwart conspiracies against the country's independence and sovereignty.
He described the day as a defining moment in Bangladesh's history, saying it marked a clear distinction between those who supported the country's independence and those who sought to undermine it.
The prime minister said the Liberation War of 1971 was fought to achieve independence, while the struggle of 2024 was aimed at safeguarding the independence of the country and its people.
Drawing lessons from history, he said it was neither appropriate to remain preoccupied with the past nor wise to ignore its lessons while planning for the future.
Tarique said the foremost commitment on this year's November 7 should be to ensure that no one could again deprive the people of their rights or turn Bangladesh into a subservient state.
He stressed that national unity was essential to achieving this goal, given the country's socio-economic, geographical and political realities.
He also placed the Liberation War of 1971, the November 7 revolution of 1975, the anti-autocracy movement of 1990 and the 2024 mass uprising within a common historical struggle for an independent, self-reliant and welfare-oriented state that guarantees democratic and political rights.
Concluding his message, the prime minister called for national unity under the slogan, “Neither Delhi nor Pindi, nor any other country; Bangladesh comes first.”
He wished success to all programmes organised to mark November 7 and said the spirit of the revolution should guide the building of the Bangladesh of tomorrow.