ED: The speech that defined the soul of a nation

Exactly 50 years ago, Bangabandhu stood at Ramna Race Course, and delivered a speech lasting 19 minutes. The fate of our people was changed forever, and the March 7 speech went down in history as one of the greatest of all time.

This address to the soon-to-be nation-state of Bangladesh not only created ripples in the hearts and minds of the teeming millions, but also started a movement towards freedom which would culminate, after months of war, in the birth of Bangladesh as a sovereign nation.

Indeed, 50 years ago, on this day, Sheikh Mujibur Rahman captured the imagination of millions, and gave full voice to the aspirations of a nation. There is no doubt, then, that March 7 will forever be a red-letter day in the history of Bangladesh, the significance of which we can never forget.

On top its historical importance, the March 7 speech is a masterpiece of oratory. Just as great leaders like Abraham Lincoln and Martin Luther King have delivered speeches that get studied year after year, Bangabandhu’s words too are destined to be studied by all future generations.

Standing at the year 2021, we still feel inspired by Bangabandhu’s call: “Ebarer shongram, amader muktir shongram, ebarer shongram shadhinotar shongram.”

Countless lives were lost, and a great sacrifice of blood was made, but Sheikh Mujibur Rahman’s words gave the nation the fuel need to go through the war, and eventually win it. There are other fights ahead of us, as we move up the development ladder as a nation. And in these upcoming battles, may the words of March 7 continue to spur us on.