December 16 is not just another entry in the calendar for the people of Bangladesh. Its much more than that.
It symbolizes the culmination of great sacrifices and struggles to achieve victory. This date marks the victorious end of the Bangladesh Liberation War in 1971 .The Pakistani Army surrendered arms that day. This means they failed to destroy the Bangladeshis’ spirit and could do nothing but allow Bangladesh to emerge as an independent nation. It is also a day to celebrate the souls that laid their lives in the quest for their homeland’s freedom, and the Bengali people’s undying spirit.
The Freedom Struggle
The journey was not at all “pleasant”. It was paved with years of oppression, injustice, and the unending fight. Take, for instance, the Language Movement of 1952. Students and political activists worked hard to obtain recognition of Bengali as a state language. It was just another phase of history where the oppressive government of West Pakistan had displayed systemic injustice to the mortals loyal to the cause.
The turning point was 1970. Awami League, led by Sheikh Mujibur Rahman won a landslide victory in the general elections held that year. However, guess? West Pakistan didn’t even transfer power. Oh, surprise, surprise, eh? It just created a bigger divide between the two regions. Things were worse on March 25, 1971, when the Pakistani military began Operation Searchlight. The brutal slaughter of civilians happened in their territory, East Pakistan, or the present Bangladesh, and marked the commencement of the war for independence.
A testimony to massacre, rape, and millions of displacements was the war. Still, the Bengali did not yield-in fact, they stood up against their rulers and freedom- imbibed with an iron will and a thirst for justice to take up guerrilla warfare, valiantly fighting with possible allyship from across the world.
The Sacrifices
Now, what is the impact of this war? It was devastating- it touched about 30 million people directly or indirectly. Three million lives were put to death, and many suffered violence and displacement. Women, children, the aged, the young men-all, are representative of the throbbing pain and loss that war entails.
And the damage one should not forget. The cities have been razed to the ground; houses burned, and blood stains scattered all over the land. But even under such pain, the Bengalis held their divine strength. The spirit of resistance was everywhere, and every family acutely knew what freedom cost.
It is a day of memories for all those whose sacrifices turned into events. The day to remember the sacrifices of the 3 million martyrs, the freedom fighters, and every little work done by one or more of those could be caring for the injured or sending supplies. It is a day of remembrance for the resilience of the human spirit against the unbreakable bond of people for a shared cause.
This day carries great strange pride for Bangladesh. This is the day on which every person unites to relive and celebrate his independence. There are ceremonies, lots of processions, and a lot of contemplation of the past. But not only in the past; the present requires reflection.
So far, how far have we gotten? What still has to be accomplished to turn the dream of an independent and prosperous Bangladesh into reality?
Final Words
December 16, the date is a reminder of the heroes who freed us from the shackles of oppression. Lightens our spirit again with a renewed pledge to the principles of independence, freedom, equality, and justice. Victory Day reflects the power hidden in being united when a country is for a cause greater than the country itself. This is just a celebration of our past, but taking responsibility for shaping a future worthy of the sacrifices made. It is a celebration of the achievements; it is, too, a promise of keeping the future open for that just and honorably won liberty. This truly is a proud day for Bangladeshis and the spirit of this nation. Well, it shall never be broken.
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Writer,
Humyara Yeasmin
Intern, Content Writing Department,
YSSE.