Anti-liberation forces failed to erase Bangabandhu's March 7 speech: PM

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina today said the international recognition of Bangabandhu's historic March 7 speech proves that history cannot be obliterated, although the anti-liberation forces tried it.

"History cannot be erased, truth cannot be covered by false, and now that has been proved. The historical speech of March 7 has attained the recognition of the world," she said.

The prime minister was addressing a programme marking the historic March 7 speech of Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman before his proclamation of independence on March 26 in 1971.

She said the historic speech is significant not only for the people of Bangladesh, but this has been one of the greatest speeches of the world leaders who had encouraged their peoples for independence.

"They [anti-Liberation forces] erased the name of the father of the nation, his picture could not be shown, the historical speech of March 7 was banned, Joy Bangla slogan was banned," she said.

Recalling the barbaric killing of the father of the nation, Hasina, the elder daughter of Bangabandhu, said the anti-liberation forces did not like the efforts of Bangabandhu after independence of the country to turn Bangladesh as the least developed country within three years and seven months from a war-ravaged one.

"And when the country was advancing towards economic emancipation, the anti-liberation forces did not like that," she said.

She also said the most regrettable matter is that Pakistanis could not kill the father of the nation, but he was killed by some of his own countrymen.

"Bangladesh could not advance a single step after the massacre. Bangladesh was totally stuck, there was no socio-economic advancement and no change in the fate of the people," she said.

Cultural Affairs Ministry organised the programme at the Osmani Memorial Auditorium with its State Minister Naheed Ezaher Khan in the chair.

At the outset, the iconic speech of Bangabandhu was played. Later the PM witnessed a cultural show.