The pledge of 7 November: we will not let the country become a client state, PM urges youth to come forward
Prime Minister Tareque Rahman has said that the pledge of 7 November should be that no one in future can turn Bangladesh into a client state by taking away the country's interests and rights.
He made the remark while speaking at a children's parade organised at the Army Stadium in Banani, Dhaka, on Saturday (7 November) on the occasion of National Revolution and Solidarity Day.
The prime minister said the young generation must come forward to build a safe and humane Bangladesh, holding on to the core motto of independence. If a history-aware new generation stays united, Bangladesh will never lose its way again.
He added that as long as Bangladesh exists, the importance and relevance of 7 November will remain intact. The spirit of the day must be upheld to protect the country's independence, sovereignty, interests and rights.
The programme is organised under the direction of the Ministry of Defence and the overall supervision of the armed forces. Some 3,000 cadets of the Bangladesh National Cadet Corps (BNCC) are taking part in the special exhibition, along with 500 members of Bangladesh Scouts.
Present at the ceremony are Army Chief General Waker-Uz-Zaman, Air Chief Marshal Hasan Mahmud Khan, members of the cabinet, members of parliament, senior government officials, and diplomats and ambassadors of various countries.
Earlier in the morning, the prime minister paid respects by laying wreaths at the graves of martyred president Ziaur Rahman and former prime minister Begum Khaleda Zia at Sher-e-Bangla Nagar.
He then recited Fatiha and offered prayers, and joined a special munajat seeking forgiveness for the departed leaders.
The prime minister joined the colourful programme at the Banani Army Stadium on Saturday morning, where the special parade was organised to celebrate the historic 7 November National Revolution and Solidarity Day.
On Friday (6 November), at a seminar titled 'National Unity: The Spirit of 7 November' at the National Press Club, former adviser to the interim government Brigadier General (retd) Dr M Sakhawat Hossain said that had Ziaur Rahman not led the events of the historic 7 November, Bangladesh could not have survived with its present existence.
He said national unity had been built around Ziaur Rahman on 7 November. He was a natural leader, and his honesty, courage, leadership qualities and sense of nationalism had made him popular with everyone.
Sakhawat Hossain added that on 7 November, unity was created between members of the army and ordinary people around Ziaur Rahman. He had not tried to establish himself as a leader; circumstances had naturally brought him to the place of leadership.
The seminar was organised by the Vision Peace and Strategy Studies Centre (VPSSC). Speaking at the seminar, Professor Shafiul Haque said that after victory in the anti-autocracy movement through the mass movement of the nineties, a government was formed under Khaleda Zia's leadership through the democratic process.
