Dr Enamul Haq reminisces Bangabandhu’s historic 7th March speech

Among the millions of people who had gathered to listen to Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman's historic 7th March speech was a young Dr Enamul Haq, now a legend in Bangladesh's television and theatre industries. The veteran actor reminisces about the pivotal day in Bangladeshi history.

I joined as a young lecturer in BUET in the year 1965. From that time up to 1971, I continued teaching and acting, while joining the movement towards the freedom of our country. I had participated in countless street theatre performances, which would instil patriotism for the country.

When the 7th of March came around, I remember the entire city being on its heels for Bangabandhu's upcoming speech. The Father of the Nation was truly a sensation, and not one person wanted to miss out on what he had to say later that day. Everywhere you looked, there were processions going to the Race Course field. With a lot of difficulty, I could find a place to stand in the crowd. We were all tense but hopeful, eagerly awaiting what our leader would say.

In an entrance befitting of a true hero, Bangabandhu's vibe was unmissable. As he started speaking, pin-drop silence was around the field, in amazement of the charisma and power that he possessed. I was thinking to myself, "This is our leader, the leader of Bengal" The speech was so powerful that even the people who opposed Bangabandhu, mainly from the Muslim League, were forced to keep their mouth shut. The roaring crowd, with every word that came out of his mouth, realised in their hearts that freedom was inevitable.

 By now, everyone in the world knows of this historic, chilling and energetic speech. If you analyse it, you will find that Bangabandhu, with utmost caution, had warned us of what was about to happen. He knew how brutal the West Pakistani government and army could be. He had made the world realise that we were bound to achieve freedom soon, and in the end, his words rang true. To this day, I remember standing in awe, witnessing a pivotal step in the independence of Bangladesh.