PM: Youth have many things to learn from March 7 speech

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Friday said the country’s youth had many things to learn from the historic March 7 speech of Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman.

“The youth have many things to know, learn and understand [from the speech]. By grasping the true meaning of the speech, they will develop patriotism, dutifulness and sincerity towards the country,” she said while addressing an academic seminar, titled “Immortal Poem of the Poet of the Politics,” held at at Krishibid Institution Bangladesh in Farmgate, Dhaka, reported UNB.

Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman Memorial Trust, of which Sheikh Hasina is the chairperson, organized the event to mark the anniversary of the historic March 7 speech that Bangabandhu gave in 1971, a few weeks before the Liberation War began. 

Saying that personal achievement did not matter much, the prime minister said: “What really matters is how much one can give to the country. This is the main motto for a politician. One’s ideology should be geared towards contributing to the progress of one’s country and society,” she said.

Sheikh Hasina, also the president of the ruling Awami League, said in the March 7 speech, the father of the nation not only took a stand for the oppressed people of Bangladesh, but also of the world. 

She said Bangabandhu had always talked about the necessity of sacrifice for any great achievement. 

It was because of the sacrifices made by Bangabandhu and millions of Bangalis that Bangladesh earned its independence in 1971, she added. 

Hasina said Bangabandhu, in his historic speech, mapped out the direction the nation was going to take in future. “We have to follow those directives, line by line, to ensure our country’s progress." 

Hasina said the then student leaders who are still alive had given many different interpretations of the March 7 speech, BSS reported.

The formers student leaders, in their interviews with different media outlets, said before the rally, Bangabndhu had discussed the speech with them. “What they said was so extraordinary, it made me laugh,” the prime minister said. 

In this connection, the prime minister recalled the role of her mother.

“Just before the rally, my mother told Bangabandhu: ‘You have struggled your entire life, and you know well what the people want, and what you will have to do for them. No one knows better than you,’” she said.

“My mother also told Bangabandhu: ‘Many people will say many things, but you don’t need to listen to them… say the words that come from your heart,’” the prime minister added.

Talking about Unesco’s recognition of the March 7 speech as a world documentary heritage, the prime minister said the speech had been placed in an UN body as an invaluable document of human civilization.

“It is a great and rare honour for the people of Bangladesh,” she added.

At the outset of the event, the recorded video of the historical speech was also shown, reported UNB.

Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman Memorial Museum President Hashem Khan and CEO of the Trust Mashura Hossain spoke at the event as well. 

University Grants Commission Chairman Prof Abdul Mannan presented a keynote paper at the seminar, while Jahangirnagar University Vice-Chancellor Prof Dr Farzana Islam and Dhaka University International Relations department Associate Prof Niloy Ranjan Biswas of the international relations department at Dhaka University conducted a discussion. 

Member secretary of the trust, Sheikh Hafizur Rahman, spoke at the event as well.