Cabinet declares 7 March as ‘Historic Day’

Bangabandhu delivers his historic speech on 7 March 1971
File Photo

The cabinet on Wednesday declared 7 March as ‘Historic Day’ instead of the ‘National Historic Day’ in a bid to observe the day nationally and internationally, commemorating the historic speech of Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, reports BSS.

The announcement came from the weekly cabinet meeting held virtually with prime minister Sheikh Hasina in the chair.

The prime minister joined the meeting through a videoconference from her official Gonobhaban residence, while other cabinet members remained connected from the secretariat.

“The cabinet approved a proposal placed by the cultural affairs ministry for declaring 7 March as the ‘Historic Day’ to observe the day nationally and internationally, commemorating the historic 7 March speech of Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman delivered in 1971,” cabinet secretary Khandker Anwarul Islam told the newsmen.

But the day will not be a public holiday, he added.

Earlier, on 13 July, the cabinet declared the 7 March as the ‘National Historic Day’ in a bid to observe the day nationally.

About the decision, the cabinet secretary said Bangabandhu’s historic 7 March speech was actually the source of inspiration for the country’s independence and the Liberation War. People from all walks of life joined the Liberation War spontaneously in the line with the guidelines given in the historic speech.

He further said the historic day has also importance in the international arena as UNESCO included the 7 March speech of Bangabandhu in the Memory of the World Register.

Firm leadership and bold guidelines of Bangabandhu as well as the national upsurge was reflected in the speech he had delivered at the historic Suhrawardy Udyan, he said.

“The declaration of the day is a logical decision as it’ll help raise the authentic history and significance of the Liberation War before the future generations of the country,” the secretary added.