Today is National Revolution and Solidarity Day, marking 7 November 1975 with tributes and a procession
Today is the historic 7 November, National Revolution and Solidarity Day. On this day in 1975, the Sipahi-Janata revolution changed the course of politics in the country at the time. The country and the nation found a new direction.
On this day in 1975, General Ziaur Rahman came to the centre of power in the country. After that, amid coups and counter-coups inside and outside the army, Ziaur Rahman took the country towards stability.
A review of history shows that, following the assassination of the then head of government, Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, on 15 August 1975, and the killing of the four national leaders in Dhaka Central Jail on 3 November, the then deputy chief of the army, Brigadier General Khaled Mosharraf, staged a coup with his followers and detained army chief Major General Ziaur Rahman at Dhaka Cantonment.
Declaring himself army chief, Khaled went to Bangabhaban on 6 November, arrested the then president, Khandaker Moshtaque Ahmed, announced the dissolution of the cabinet and the national parliament, and installed Chief Justice Abu Sadat Mohammad Sayem as president of the country. That same night, ordinary soldiers of the army united and put up resistance.
People from all walks of life took to the streets, spontaneously supporting that resistance. In the combined Sipahi-Janata revolution, Ziaur Rahman was freed from detention. While trying to prevent a counter-coup, Khaled Mosharraf was killed on the morning of 7 November along with several of his followers. An unprecedented example of solidarity was created in the country's politics, and Ziaur Rahman came to the centre of power.
The ruling party BNP has announced a seven-day programme to mark National Revolution and Solidarity Day. On the first day, Saturday 7 November, at 8:30am, Prime Minister Tarique Rahman and central party leaders will pay tribute at the graves of BNP founder Ziaur Rahman and former prime minister Khaleda Zia at Sher-e-Bangla Nagar.
After that, the prime minister will lead a procession in front of the party office at Nayapaltan. The procession will start from the BNP central office at Nayapaltan and turn right near the Chief Justice's residence at Kakrail.
It will then pass in front of Hotel Intercontinental, through Banglamotor and Farmgate, and end at Manik Mia Avenue.
The matter was confirmed at a press conference at the BNP central office at Nayapaltan at noon on Friday, 6 November, by the party's acting secretary general and the prime minister's political adviser, Ruhul Kabir Rizvi.
