President, Prime Minister and Jamaat Ameer Call for Unity in the Spirit of November 7

Dhaka: President Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir, Prime Minister Tarique Rahman and Jamaat-e-Islami Ameer and opposition leader Dr Shafiqur Rahman have called for unity in the spirit of November 7 on the occasion of National Revolution and Solidarity Day. In separate messages and speeches on Friday (November 6), they spoke of establishing democracy, justice and the rights of the people.

In his message for the day, the president said the Sepoy-People's Revolution of November 7, 1975 is an unforgettable day in Bangladesh's national life. Through the united revolution of sepoys and people at that critical juncture, the country regained its independence and sovereignty, and martyred President Ziaur Rahman was freed from captivity, he said.

The president said the solidarity of sepoys and people was an unprecedented awakening inspired by the spirit of independence. The same spirit was reawakened in the 2024 mass uprising, where the unity of students, women and men, members of the armed forces and people from all walks of life ended 16 years of fascist rule and saved Bangladesh from becoming a subservient state.

In the message, the president also said that in the continuation of November 7, Ziaur Rahman restored multiparty democracy, the rule of law and freedom of speech and the press, and freed Bangladesh from a subservient foreign policy alongside economic emancipation and social peace. Noting that under an elected government the country has again set out on the path of democracy, he called for strengthening all state institutions including democratic ones and for keeping the national parliament at the centre.

The president said the state will be run on the philosophy of "Bangladesh before all" in the interest of the country and its people, with national interest, equality, fairness and democratic practice receiving the highest priority. He called on the people to end corruption, discrimination and all conspiracies, and wished overall success to all programmes of the day.

In his own message for the "historic National Revolution and Solidarity Day", Prime Minister Tarique Rahman said the historic Sepoy-People's Revolution of November 7, 1975 determined the course of Bangladesh. Those who wanted to turn Bangladesh into a subservient state, establish one-party autocratic rule by taking away the people's democratic rights and undermine the glory and dignity of the army were defeated through that revolution, he said.

The prime minister said that on November 7, sepoys and people united to resist all conspiracies against Bangladesh's independence and sovereignty, and that the day was an important chapter in identifying friend and foe in the country's history. Stressing the importance of learning from history, he said it is neither proper to remain absorbed in history all the time, nor is failing to learn from history in charting the future path a lesser historic mistake.

In the message, Tarique Rahman said the defeated evil forces later united under the name of a grand alliance and turned the country into a subservient state, undermined the army's glory through the planned killing of soldiers at BDR Pilkhana, and established fascist rule by taking away the people's voting rights. Through the sacrifices of thousands of martyrs and the bloody mass uprising of heroic students and people, the country was freed from fascism after more than a decade and a half, he said.

The prime minister said the 1971 war was for achieving independence, while 2024 was for protecting the independence of the country and its people. The main pledge of this November 7 should be that no one can in future take away the rights of the country and its people or turn Bangladesh into a subservient state, he said, emphasising national unity.

In the message, the prime minister also said the Liberation War of 1971, November 7 of 1975, the anti-autocracy movement of 1990 and the mass uprising of 2024 all had one aspiration: building a self-reliant, safe and welfare state by establishing the people's democratic political rights in an independent Bangladesh. The resounding slogan of patriotic, democracy-loving people, he said, should be: "Not Delhi, not Pindi, not any other country, Bangladesh before all."

On the same day, speaking as chief guest at a discussion meeting organised by Jamaat-e-Islami Dhaka City North at Al-Falah Auditorium in the capital, Dr Shafiqur Rahman said the spirit of November 7 is the spirit of establishing the people's rights against injustice, dictatorship and autocratic rule. The country must be run by understanding the language of the people's minds, he said, adding that history will forgive none who ignore the people's expectations and rights.

Shafiqur Rahman said the grave of democracy was dug on January 25, 1975 with the establishment of a one-party system. The events of November 7 grew out of public anger against the curtailing of media freedom, suppression of dissent, corruption, looting and extrajudicial killings, he said, adding that on November 7 the sepoys carried out the revolution and ordinary people expressed solidarity with it.

On the current political situation, the opposition leader said the verdict of the referendum and the July Charter must be implemented in line with the promises made to the people before the election. Criticising the decision to repeal 20 of the 133 ordinances issued by the interim government, he said such decisions are creating a path back to authoritarian rule. He also alleged that attempts are under way to establish party control over institutions including universities, district councils and city corporations.

At the meeting, Jamaat secretary general Mia Golam Parwar, speaking as special guest, said November 7 cannot be seen merely as a military event, as behind it lay public anger against one-party rule and the taking away of people's rights. Dhaka City North amir Mohammad Selim Uddin, who chaired the meeting, said the aspirations of the 2024 mass uprising will not be fulfilled if extortion, corruption, syndicates and partisan control continue. Leaders of Jamaat at central and city levels also spoke at the meeting.