Dr. Muhammad Mahtab Hossain Mazed

16 December 2023. On this day in 1971, the Pakistani invaders surrendered at Race Course Maidan (now Suhrawardy Udyan) in DhakaAnd we are on the way to pass 53 years of that Mahendra time of victory. The year has turned again and the month of victory is December.

Today is the day of Bengali nation's glory. It is the day to get the place of the red-green flag on the world map. Today, the glory of this day will be revealed only by paying tribute to the brave children who sacrificed their lives for this flag and map. And this achievement was not possible in a day. For this the Bengali nation had a long penance and sadhana.

The father of the nation was Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur RahmanAs the Bengalis under the leadership of Bangabandhu began to stir for freedom, the level of Pakistani brutality on the people of Bengal increased. After Bangabandhu's historic speech on March 7, 1971, Pakistanis became more vocal. As a result, on March 25 midnight, Pak forces attacked the unarmed Bengalis. After the declaration of independence on March 26, when the Mukti Bahini was gradually organized, the level of oppression by the Pak Bahini increased. They burned the houses of sleeping people in the villages, picked up the youths and shot them dead and brutally tortured themUnable to bear such oppression and persecution by the Pak army and Razakars, the common people of Bengal at one time fell into a people's war in a collective effort. Here students and teachers, farmers, blacksmiths, intellectuals, educated and uneducated, children and adolescents, women all participated and continued intense struggle with the desire to make the country free from enemies. After nine long months of war, this desire of the people of Bengal was fulfilled on December 16. So the victory of December 16 is not an ordinary victory, it is the victory of our blood-stained spirit, the victory of our national identity. This victory is both motivation and glory for usDr. MM Majed, the prominent researcher and founder of National Patient Welfare Society of Bangladesh, wrote a column on today's topic.

In his column, the word "Victory" is always joyful. Just hearing the word victory makes me happy. But if it is the victory day of Bangladesh, then the feeling of breaking the dam and happiness starts stirring in the heart. But behind the word victory lies more sorrow than happiness. We have to cherish this victorious country in the dreams of martyrs, which was obtained in exchange for the blood of 30 lakh martyrs and the honor of mothers and sisters. But in the present time, various anti-independence activities of various parties-organizations started in different contexts. Which is opposite to the dream cherished by the freedom fighters of our country. Such discriminatory behavior hurts their ego. And so everyone must gain knowledge about the liberation war, about the victory of Bangladesh. May the hearts of every people of the country be filled with correct information analysis and knowledge gathering.

Let the spirit of liberation war, the spirit of victory be nurtured in the mind of every people. And from where we were on December 16, 1971, we have progressed a lot on December 16, 2022. According to the development standards of the World Bank and its followers, Bangladesh can now be proud of its development. Average per capita income, gross national income, economic growth is increasing. Production is increasing, the state is getting income from more sources. Roads, buildings, offices, courts, schools and colleges have increased a lot.

Where we were in 1971 and where we are today, one has to be a little surprised to take account of the development. The question is, will this trend of development continue? There is a sense of satisfaction in the public mind with the current situation. People think 'present is good, future is bad.' People are often change averse. Since the anti-partition movement (1905-11) people in this country were change-oriented. This is the case in all countries of the world. Production is increasing, the wealth of the rich is increasing, the masses are apathetic, sleepy. From the French Revolution to the dissolution of the Soviet Union, people in all countries of the world were awake, looking forward to change, looking forward to progress. Now the public mind is not in that state. Now the peace of the self-interested is steadily increasing.

If dance-song-entertainment is considered as a part of culture, then Bangladesh has made incredible progress in terms of culture as well. The number of artists and writers has increased enormously. TV channels, newspapers are increasing. Many books are published every year. The number of these students is increasing everywhere from primary school to university. Exam results at all levels have been remarkably good. And it is true that our achievements in the last 52 years are not less. We have progressed from underdeveloped countries to developing countries. The enviable growth of our economy, infrastructural development, poverty alleviation, achievement of MDGs, our success in any consideration is worth mentioning; But when 16 percent of the country's wealth goes into the hands of a few families, when the rate of inequality is increasing, when the gap in constitutional rights becomes obviousThen, in the light of the liberation war and the basic principles of independence, the calculation became confusedThe father of the nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman wanted to build a golden Bengal without discrimination through the supreme sacrifice of 3 million martyrs and 3 million mothers and sisters.

A glorious source of inspiration for Bengalis, Victory Day is deeply embedded in the socio-economic, cultural environment of independent-sovereign Bangladesh and the life spirit of Bengalis. From the inspiration of this victory, the long journey of Bengali today, all the achievements. Taking inspiration from the victory saga of 1971, Bangabandhu's daughter Hon'ble Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has been working tirelessly to build the dream of Sonar Bangla. Due to the efforts of Sheikh Hasina, the current prosperity of Bangladesh has broken the all-time record. The breeze of prosperity that is blowing in the country due to the tireless work of the honorable Prime Minister and the patriotic workers of the liberation war cannot be ended by this small effort.

However, I would like to highlight two or four issues.

> Socio-economic condition:- It goes without saying that the current socio-economic condition of Bangladesh is at the top than the last few decades. The way the present government has played an effective role against hunger and poverty and brought economic liberation to the people of Bengal is unmatched. Although it is not possible to fulfill 100% of the hopes and aspirations of the common people in Bangladesh with limited resources, we can say that the current government has succeeded in eradicating poverty from the country. As a result of this, social inferiority including begging has reduced to a large extent in our country. People have now become very conscious about the question of self-esteem.

> Communication system:-Bangladesh is basically a village-based country. The communication system of this country is not supposed to be like developed countries. But with incredible success, the current government has also brought about a revolutionary change in our communication system. If we look at what village, what city, the overall communication system of the country, we see that our condition is improving. In particular, everyone knows the effective role that the Bangabandhu Bridge over the Yamuna River is playing in connecting the capital Dhaka with North Bengal. Many opportunities have been created across the country so that people can easily communicate. Padma Bridge is another achievement of the current government. This bridge is making the communication of the capital Dhaka easier with South Bengal. The current government has taken various steps to ease traffic congestion in Dhaka city. The current government has also taken the groundbreaking step of establishing metro rail in Dhaka for the first time. And all this is possible as a result of the efforts of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina
> Information technology: Bangladesh is no longer behind in information technology. Various information technology facilities have been created in the country to realize Sheikh Hasina's dream of 'Digital Bangladesh'. As a result, people's sufferings in various matters have reduced a lot. Now people can do many daily tasks sitting at home. Village people no longer have to go from door to door to send a letter, send money from one place to another, etc. From banking to everything, people are now able to complete their work very easily and quickly with the help of technology. Satellite, social media, telecommunications are now in the favor of technology in all sectors. Such breakthroughs in information technology have further glorified our great victory.

> Significance of Victory Day :- Victory Day is very significant for us. Because, on this day we were able to free ourselves from the chains of subjugation. Our freedom was won at the cost of three million lives. This freedom obtained in exchange of tears and blood is a great honor for us. Generation after generation is carrying the victory flag of the liberation war, singing the glorious story of victory. So the importance of Victory Day is immenseBy observing this day every year, our new generation and the world are repeatedly reminded of our liberation war and freedom fighters, brave martyrs. We are inspired by remembering the glorious history of our country. I am motivated to move forward on the path of progress.

>Victory Day Background:-
History of two decades of movement and struggle. The first milestone in history is the language movement. Through this movement, Bengali language-based nationalistic spirit was exposed. This consciousness gradually developed into the independence movement. Through the education movement of 1962, the six-point movement of 1966 and the mass uprising of 1969, the independence movement gained extreme strength on the call of the father of the nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman on March 7, 1971. The Bengali nation vowed to aspire for independence. On the night of March 25, 1971, the Pakistani invasion forces attacked the Bengali people. At midnight on March 25, i.e. in the early hours of March 26, Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman announced the independence of Bangladesh. After this announcement, Bangabandhu was arrested and taken to prison.

Responding to the call of Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, the entire nation jumped into the resistance struggle. After 9 months of armed struggle, the freedom fighters won. Pakistani forces conceded defeat and surrendered. by doing This historic event took place on 16 December 1971 in Suhrawardy Udyan, Dhaka. Later, the day was recognized as Victory Day in national history. We have to work to fulfill the dreams of those martyrs whose lives we were able to free from the chains of subjugation and got an independent country. They have to work for peace of mind. Loving the country, aiming towards the development of the country, should always be active in the welfare of the country and the nation in accordance with the ideals of Bangabandhu. Only then will Bangladesh progress to the top of development.

Finally, we have failed to properly understand the historical significance of Victory Day and we have not been able to develop our beloved Bangladesh in the right way. So, to make Bangladesh as an ideal independent state, we must properly understand the significance of Victory DayAnd under the leadership of Bangabandhu, there will be no place for the anti-independence people in the independent Bangladesh, which was gained in exchange of a sea of blood. Let us pledge today that we will show honesty in all our actions to prevent corruption at any cost to establish Bangabandhu's dream of Sonar Bangla i.e. prosperous Bangladesh. If not, the souls of 3 million martyrs will curse us, let us not forget this cruel truth. Let this be our pledge on this great victory day.

The writer is a Founder and Chairman,Jatiya Rogi Kalyan Society