Samia Jahan, Ashikujaman Syed :
On December 16, 1971, we won our long-cherished freedom. Liberation of Bangladesh is a matter of unfathomable joy and final blow to the shackles of Pakistani tyranny ; immense pride in the valiance of our freedom fighters and all those who contributed to the independence movement .
Millions of people lost their lives for our liberty while many were subjected to unimaginable suffering by the Pakistani army and their local collaborators. Debuting as an independent country and nation is the result of their great sacrifice. So, it is our duty to remember and honour these valorous heroes and bear their real spirit to free the motherland from the clutches of tyrannic rule.
What is the canvas of the consciousness of the liberation war! The canvas of the consciousness of the liberation war is patriotism first and foremost. A nation dedicated to the welfare of the country and a progressive nation will be a nation rich in the spirit of true liberation war. Those who love the sky-wind-green of this country; Those who love the people of this country; Those who are happy in the development of this country are the ones who nurture the spirit of liberation war. They lovingly hold the red-green flag in their hearts.
This victory day is quitely special, Bangladesh will be reaching a grand milestone. The nation is about to celebrate 50 years of Independence – our golden jubilee! We have surely progressed a lot since the war. With a booming economy, we also made improvements in terms of gender equity, health care, education, living standard, child mortality, etc. And on the occasion of 50 years of Bangladesh’s independence, we celebrate the achievements made by the country with pride.
Bangladesh People’s Republic; But in reality the people do not have the opportunity to participate in governance; Democracy in danger; Which is against the spirit of liberation war.
The second feature of the spirit of liberation war is Bangladesh based on social justice free from discrimination, poverty free, non-communal, injustice, injustice, exploitation, oppression.
Bangladesh’s human rights violations, extrajudicial killings, corruption and the rise of corruption are now being discussed and criticized internationally beyond the country’s borders.
Another problem is inequality. The perception of the people is that no state or government facilities, jobs, business, etc. are being possible for the citizens other than the party members due to the massive impact of party affiliation. In the case of members of the law enforcement agencies or in other government departments, there is a separate arrangement for the people belonging to the ruling party in the administration.
There is widespread bias in law enforcement and law enforcement among the general public and members of the ruling party. If the ruling party members are first class citizens, then the ordinary citizens are considered as second or third class depending on the situation.
Complaints of discrimination due to religious beliefs and in some cases due to appearance, dress and grooming can be heard not only from the minority community but also from the general public. Therefore, the spirit of the Liberation War has not yet been realized in building a non-discriminatory, just society.
A lot of blood, sweat and tears have gone to achieve Bangladesh’s independence and victory. And the martyr’s, many other unsung heroes and the Biranganas( war women) didn’t sacrifice for sacrifice life and lost chastity respectively dreaming a Bangladesh where freedom of expression and the right to vote remain a big concern, justice cries in the wildernesses, road safety is a matter of movement, female folk can’t think of their safety, violence happens in the name of religion, freedom of speech is choked. So, are we bearing the true spirit of liberation war?
The nation is celebrating the 50 years of glorious victory. So, it’s time to think about honouring the true spirit of our Liberation War in a manner befitting through realising the vision of our fallen heroes. Speaking of consciousness, bringing division among the people cannot be a healthy political thought. So, tangible changes need in lives. We are to follow a healthy democratic system and work hard to move this country forward which will make the great sacrifices of the freedom fighters meaningful. That should be the consciousness of this time. Otherwise, sacrifices of the freedom fighters and many other unsung heroes will sink into oblivion as well as the young generation will be unable to bear the true spirit of victory and liberation war.
(Samia Jahan, Ashikujaman Syed
The author is a child journalist, Rajbari Government College;E-mail: [email protected]
&
Research Assistant, Bioinformatics Research Lab, Center for Research Innovation and Development (CRID);
E-mail: [email protected])
