THE WAR OF LIBERATION

Bangladesh has a glorious history for the War of Liberation. It has a rich traditional cultural heritage of centuries old. It also has a heroic and glorious background behind its birth as an independent and sovereign nation. It was first a part of the undivided India. When India was divided into two independent nations on the basis of religion in 1947 from the British rulers as India and Pakistan, Bangladesh became a part of Pakistan. Then it was known as East Pakistan. Again in 1971 Bangladesh emerged as an independent nation in the world fighting a bloody war against the oppressive Pakistani rulers. More than three millions heroic sons of our soil sacrificed their lives. From the beginning of the division Pakistani rulers started to impose illegal orders on our people of East Pakistan. They oppressed us in every sector. Then, in 1969 there raised a revolt against the tyranny and misrule of the Pakistani rulers. The people of Bangladesh ultimately had to fight to protect their existence. The Pakistani armed forces pounded on the unarmed civilians of Dhaka in the black night of 25^th March in 1971. The brutality of the genocide by the Pak army took away more than three millions lives of the people of our soil. The war lasted for nine months. A sea of blood had to shed to become victorious over the Pak army. Finally an Allied Force was formed with Indian army to liberate Bangladesh as a free and independent nation. The Pak army surrendered on 5^th December 1971. 16^th December 1971 was celebrated as the victory Day and thus we emerged as an independent in 1971.