Bangabandhu's speech of March 7, 1971 is rightly given local and international recognition. To me, it is another brilliant piece of writing akin to Rabindranath Tagore's work that will live on and continue to inspire future generations.
While I hold no aspirations to have been in Bangladesh during the bloody struggle for independence in 1971, I would have cherished being among the two million people who listened to the speech as it was delivered. I can only imagine that the experience have been awesome and unforgettable.
Popular expatriate Sir Frank Peters masterly described the speech as 'The speech that impregnated the minds of millions and Bangladesh was conceived'. I had never seen it described like that before, so fresh, so different, and so accurate against tedious repetition.
Sir Frank also underlined another valid point in his Financial Express report, which many of us had forgotten or paid little heed. He said it would be a grave injustice if honour, respect, and gratitude were not extended to freedom fighters - both living and dead - who made this day of independence possible.
He went on to say: 'Their past has given us our present and the only dead freedom fighters of Bangladesh are those who are forgotten'.
While many of the freedom fighters are still with us, we ought to take the opportunity to thank and salute them more often. I salute them now.
Prof. Abid Kabir,
Dhannmondi, Dhaka
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