From struggle to independence.
In the face of adversity and against all odds, Bangladesh emerged from the shadows of struggle,
defining its destiny with resilience, courage, and unity. The story of its journey from a turbulent
past to a beacon of independence serves as a testament to the power of unwavering determination
and the human spirit.
The struggle of Bangladesh that led to the conquering victory towards independence was only
achieved by the loss of 3 million martyrs in the terrible war between east and west Pakistan. West
Pakistan (today known as Pakistan) was Urdu speaking and East Pakistan (today known as
Bangladesh) was Bengali speaking. This created a conflict between the two countries and West
Pakistan tried to pressure their native language onto the Bengalis. Upon this oblivion, Bengali
students in February 21st 1952 started protesting. West Pakistani police opened fire at them, and
students named Abdus Salam, Abul Barkat, Rafiq Uddin Ahmed, Abdul Jabbar and Shafiur
Rahman were killed. Citizens of East Pakistan kept the protests going and many strikes were
happening in the country, alongside this came economic problems such as inflation as well as lack
of food and shelter and many more deficiencies of basic human rights.
On the 7th of march in 1971, Sheikh Mujibur Rahman delivered a speech informally declaring
independence. However, the West Pakistanis saw this as a direct challenge to their control and on
March 25th the Pakistani military launched a brutal crackdown on the Bengali population in East
Pakistan. This involved mass killings, rapes and the displacement of millions of people. On March
26, 1971, Sheikh Mujibur Rahman declared Bangladesh's independence in a powerful speech,
rallying the people to resist the Pakistani military's oppression and fight for freedom. This marked
the beginning of the Bangladesh Liberation War.
For nine long months people faced brutality from the Pakistani military, leading to a humanitarian
crisis. The Mukti Bahini engaged in guerrilla warfare, and with support from India, they turned
the tide. The liberation of Dhaka on December 16, 1971, marked victory and the birth of
Bangladesh as an independent nation. It was a time of sacrifice, resilience, and international
recognition of Bangladesh's struggle.
In this years study tour to the Millitary Museum, we- the students got to engange in all the weapons
and equipment use during this brutal war. We also got to know more about our language, the
sacrifices and