Historic March 7 passes quietly amid political shift

Today marks the anniversary of the historic March 7, a day forever etched in Bangladesh’s history. On this day in 1971, Sheikh Mujibur Rahman delivered his iconic speech at the Racecourse Maidan (now Suhrawardy Udyan), rallying the nation towards independence from Pakistan’s rule.

Recognized by UNESCO in 2017 as a world documentary heritage, Bangabandhu’s 19-minute extempore speech called for a non-cooperation movement and urged the people to prepare for liberation. His resounding words—”The struggle this time is for freedom, the struggle this time is for independence, Joy Bangla!”—ignited the spirit of revolution across the country.

However, this year’s commemoration took place under an entirely different political landscape. Following the fall of the Awami League government on August 5 last year, amid a student-led mass movement, former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina fled to India and has remained there since.

With the interim government’s decision on October 16 to discontinue the official observance of eight national days—including March 7 and August 15—there were no formal ceremonies today. The Awami League and its affiliated organizations refrained from public events, though videos shared on the party’s verified Facebook page suggested quiet observances in various parts of the country.