ZCZC
BSS-39
PM-DISCUSSION 2 DHAKA
Sheikh Hasina said the Father of the Nation had presented independence to the nation and he had united the people and encouraged them in the independence struggle through the March 7 speech.
“I had asked many people that can anybody calculate how many days, times and hours the speech was played and how many people heard it… (I think) they cannot do it,” she said.
The prime minister said through the speech, Bangabandhu had showed the dream to the frustrated nation and enabled the people to hear the message of hope.
She said the Father of the Nation had highlighted the history of the Bangalee nation as well as repression and torture of the then Pakistani rulers through the speech. “He also had given guidelines to the people as to what to do,” she said.
Sheikh Hasina said the Pakistani rulers were ready at that time to take action after listening to Bangabandhu’s speech. “It was kept in their mind to suppress the movement in the way the British rulers did through the Jaliwanbagh massacre,” she said.
The prime minister said the Pakistani rulers at that time conspired not to hand over power to the Awami League who got majority in the polls.
“Protesting this, the people of the country took to the streets and Bangabandhu at that time said that he will tell his words on March 7 and the people from across the country gathered at the then Race Course Maidan to listen to his speech,” she said.
Sheikh Hasina said Bangabandhu had given that guidelines through his speech and the biggest word of it was that all will have to take preparation for the war.
“Bangabandhu also clearly gave directives that what will have to be done for guerrilla war and whose work what,” she said, adding the non-cooperation movement he declared was an unprecedented incident.
The prime minister said a single Bangalee did not work without the directives issued from Dhanmondi 32. “Even when Yahiya Khan came to Dhaka, any Bangalee cook of the President House didn’t work,” she said.
In this connection, Sheikh Hasina said: “The President House was compelled to phone to Dhanmondi 32 that the President is not getting hot and cooked foods until you ask the cooks and they have to pass time by eating dried foods.”
MORE/SH/KU/2016 HRS