<div style="text-align: justify; "><span style="font-size: 1rem;"><b>The month of independence will begin tomorrow giving a heartbreaking reminder to the genocide that the Pakistani occupation forces carried out in the country from March to mid-December in 1971.</b></span><br></div><div style="text-align: justify; "><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">The month of March is very significant in the country's history as Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman declared the country’s independence in the early hours of March 26 in 1971.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">The month also made the nation proud for the historic 7th March speech of Bangabandhu, which has been recognised by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) as part of the world's documentary heritage.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Five decades ago, the nation engaged in the war of independence in this month of March under the leadership of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman and earned a sovereign Bangladesh on December 16, 1971 after fighting against the Pakistani occupation forces for around nine months.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">March is depicted in the country's history as a month of grief as well as inspiration and dedication for the freedom of the country and the people.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify; ">The struggle for independence started escalating from the beginning of March in 1971 when the then Pakistani dictator postponed the scheduled March 3 session of the National Assembly as part of their conspiracy against the peaceful and legitimate movement of Bangalee.</div><div style="text-align: justify; "><span style="font-size: 1rem;"><br></span></div><div style="text-align: justify; "><span style="font-size: 1rem;">Amid deteriorating political situation and increasing demand for freedom of the country from Pakistan's misrule, the first version of Bangladesh's national flag was hoisted on Dhaka University campus premises for the first time on March 2 by the Dhaka University Central Students' Union (DUCSU).</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">The movement against the conspiracy of Pakistani rulers took a dramatic turn on March 7, which eventually became a red-letter day in the history of the long arduous freedom struggle of Bangalee.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">On March 7 in 1971, Bangabandhu - the architect of independent Bangladesh - delivered his epoch-making speech of independence at the Race Course Maidan, now Suhrawardy Udyan in Dhaka.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify; ">"We had spilled bloods...we are ready to shed more bloods, the people of the country shall be freed, Insha Allah," Bangabandhu in unequivocal term said in his 18-minute extempore speech before a million freedom-loving people.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">He went on saying "The struggle this time is for our emancipation, the struggle this time is for our independence".&nbsp;</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Bangabandhu also made a fervent call to the roaring people from all walks of life to take preparations for armed struggle against the tyranny, exploitation, subjugation and deprivation by Pakistani military junta with whatever they possessed and transforming every house into a fortress.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Bangabandhu's tantalizing speech literally had a mesmerizing and sparkling effect on the entire population of this soil and they became united under his capable and farsighted leadership to bravely fight for liberating the motherland from the clutches of the Pakistani forces.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">When the people from all walks of life became united for establishing their democratic rights, Pakistani occupation forces carried out the defamed 'Operation Searchlight' on sleeping Bangalee on the night of March 25.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">As soon as the Pakistani occupation forces started genocide Bangabandhu declared independence of the motherland instructing the people to put up strong resistance and fight against them till the liberation is achieved.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">At the instruction of Bangabandhu, the brave nation had fought successfully the nine-month war and liberated Bangladesh on December 16 in 1971. 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