Bangladesh: The quest for independence
“The struggle of this time is for freedom, the struggle of this time is for independence.” These were the words of Bangabandu Sheik Mujibur Rahman as he rallied his fellow Bengalis to fight for independence from Pakistan during a landmark speech on March 7, 1971. Two weeks later, Rahman, also known as Bangladesh’s “Father of the Nation,” declared independence for the Bengalis — resulting in his arrest by Pakistani forces, which in turn set the wheels in motion for a nine- month war of liberation that culminated in the birth of a new nation.
This was the tenor of the 45th Bangladesh Independence and National Day celebration held recently at the Ballroom of the Makati Shangri- La, Manila.
One of the prime objectives of the hardearned independence of Bangladesh was to build a happy and prosperous nation, said Bangladesh Amba s sador John Gome s, adding that unprecedented infrastructure developments have since been made by a nation that is ranked as one of the low-income ones. Significant inroads have also been made in the areas of agriculture, health, education, power and energy as well as information communications technology.
During the struggle of the Bengalis for independence, the Philippines stood beside them and in fact, was one of the first to recognize the new nation when it finally obtained independence, and spoke in favor of Bangladesh during the latter’s admission to the United Nations in 1974.
Since then, relations have become more warm, with several bilateral agreements signed over the years, with shared goals that include poverty alleviation, empowerment of women, climate change issues as well as healthcare and education for the marginalized sectors.