The crisis over independence and sovereignty is not over yet: Mahbub Ullah

The crisis over Bangladesh's independence and sovereignty is not over yet, National Professor Mahbub Ullah has said. To think that independence has become safe would be a delusion, he said.

Professor Mahbub Ullah made the remarks at a seminar held at Bangla Academy on Monday on the occasion of National Revolution and Solidarity Day. The seminar took place in the Kabi Shamsur Rahman seminar room of Bangla Academy.

He said independence and sovereignty have repeatedly come under threat in the country's history, and each time people have had to stand up and resist. There is therefore no room for complacency in safeguarding independence; along with national unity, patriotic leadership and the people's support, military capability must also be increased.

Independence and sovereignty have come under threat again and again, he said. In 1975 and in July 2024, the people of the country stood up in resistance. How many more times they will have to stand up in the future is unknown.

In his view, until the question of a nation's national identity is permanently resolved, stability and democratic politics cannot mature in that country. Divisions among the people must be removed and unity established. In choosing friends, determining foreign policy, and increasing military, knowledge and technological capability, the interests of the state and the protection of sovereignty must come first.

Recalling various events of the 1971 Liberation War and the political history that followed, Professor Mahbub Ullah said that after the Pakistani forces began their genocide on 25 March 1971, the people of the country were left bewildered. At that time, on 26 March, Ziaur Rahman declared rebellion against the Pakistani forces and proclaimed Bangladesh's independence from the Kalurghat radio station.

Through that proclamation he became known to the people of Bangladesh. In the crisis of 1971, Ziaur Rahman became a symbol of hope for the people. Professor Mahbub Ullah described him as a leader and saviour of the nation in times of crisis in Bangladesh's history.

Mahbub Ullah claimed that during the 1971 Liberation War, a secret agreement was made between the expatriate Bangladesh government and India. He said the agreement contained provisions for Bangladesh to have no army of its own and to seek India's approval in adopting an independent foreign policy. He said the country's economic condition was devastated after independence.

At the seminar, a paper was presented by Kazi Mohammad Mahbubur Rahman, acting dean of the Faculty of Social Sciences at Dhaka University. In his paper he discussed the historical context of the 7 November 1975 soldiers' and people's uprising, its impact on Bangladesh's political and military history, changes in the geopolitical situation, and the constitutional transformation that followed.

He highlighted the development of Bangladeshi nationalism, multiparty democracy, balance in foreign policy, economic self-reliance, and various aspects of the Fifth Amendment to the Constitution. He also stressed strengthening national sovereignty, political solidarity and defence capability in light of the present government's 'Bangladesh First' policy.

Chowdhury Sayma Ferdous, a member of the Bangladesh Public Service Commission, said the 7 November 1975 soldiers' and people's uprising marked the beginning of an important change in Bangladesh's political and constitutional history. Through it, the path was opened for a multiparty political process, freedom of the press and the independent dignity of the judiciary.

One of the main lessons of 7 November, she said, is to protect national sovereignty, maintain internal solidarity and follow an independent foreign policy.

The seminar, chaired by National Professor Mahbub Ullah, was also addressed by Bangla Academy Secretary Md Selim Reza and Professor Sajjad Siddiqui, chairman of the Department of Peace and Conflict Studies at Dhaka University.