On this day in 1971, Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib delivered his historic speech in a mammoth public rally at Suhrawardy Udyan (then Race Course Maidan) where people in thousands thronged to hear from Bangabandhu with anger boiling inside at repression and injustices to the then East Pakistan.

In a thunderous voice, Bangabandhu declared 'Ebarer Sangram Amader Muktir Sangram, Ebarer Sangram Swadhinatar Sangram' (this struggle is for our freedom, this struggle is for our independence), inspiring the people from all walks of life to prepare for the war that the Pakistani regime inflicted upon the unarmed Bangalees committing one of the worst genocide in history.

Being inspired by his speech, the Bangalees joined the war and achieved the independence defeating the Pakistani occupation forces. Credited with one of the worst genocides in the human history, Pakistan army began the war 18 days later.

Meanwhile, different political, cultural and social organisations including main opposition Awami League (AL) took up elaborate programmes to observe the day. The programmes included placing wreaths at Bangabandhu's portrait in front of Bangabandhu Memorial building, offering fateha and holding discussions.

Leaders of the AL and its front organisations, Muktijoddha Oikya Parishad, Bangladesh Muktijoddha Sangsad, central command council and Amra Muktijoddhar Sontan placed wreaths at the portrait of Bangabandhu in the morning.

They also set loud speakers at the districts and upazilas to play the 7th March speech of Bangabandhu.

As part of the day's programmes to observe the historic day, the AL organised a discussion at the auditorium of Institutions of Engineers, Bangladesh (IEB) focusing the importance of Bangabandhu's 7th March speech.

Addressing the seminar, the AL leaders said the country's liberty would not have been attained if Bangabandhu had not delivered the 7th March speech.

AL senior leader Zillur Rahman, who presided over the discussion, said to uphold the dignity of the 7th March historic speech, they have to be united to liberate the people from this corrupt and terrorist government.

Awami League General Secretary Abdul Jalil said Bangabandhu declared the liberation through the historic 7th March Speech, but its formal proclamation was done on March 26. If the speech is analysed it would be exposed that it had all directives for waging the Liberation War.

Terming the recent arrest of the country's most wanted terror Bangla Bhai a drama, he said the BNP-Jamaat government followed a new policy for Bangla Bhai.

Jalil said the government itself has to take all the responsibilities for the bloodshed during the last two years and Prime Minister Khaleda Zia has to compensate for this, as she rejected the demands of the opposition to nab militants.

The government rather always blamed them for tarnishing the image of the country, HE added.

Dhaka University teacher Prof AAMS Arefin Siddique presented a keynote on the importance of historic 7 March speech.

Workers' Party President Rashed Khan Menon, AL leader Syeda Johra Jajuddin, Syeda Sajeda Chowdhury, Abdur Razzak, Tofael Ahmed, Suranjit Sengupta, Motia Chowdhury, Sheikh Fazlul Karim Selim, Dr AK Azad Chowdhury, Dr Borhan Uddin Khan Jahangir, JSD President Hasanu Haque Inu, and Mofazzel Hossain Chowdhury Maya also spoke.