Govt plans to observe March 19 as Armed Resistance Day

Liberation War Affairs Minister AKM Mozammel Haque on Saturday said the government would take necessary steps to observe March 19 as the First Armed Resistance Day and consider making ‘Joy Bangla’ the national slogan.

“The present government, responding to the people’s demand, will take necessary step to observe the First Armed Resistance Day on March 19... It will also consider making ‘Joy Bangla’ the national slogan,” he said speaking at a discussion meeting in the capital.

Terming the 19th March in 1971 as a unique day in the history of country’s Liberation War, the minister said, “Under the directive of Bangabandhu on March 2, we launched the attack on the Pakistani forces on March 19. After the incident, slogans were started to be chanted across the country - ‘‘Go through the path of Joydebpur and do free Bangladesh.”

First Armed Resistance Day Celebration Council, Bangabandhu Research Council and Bangladesh Journalist Rights Forum (BJRF) jointly organized the programme at Bangladesh Press Council with BJRF President Azizul Islam Bhuiyan in the chair.

About the role of mass media to build a developed country, the minister said the media people, being imbued with the spirit of Liberation War, can play a very significant role in the greater interest of the country and its people.

Recalling the contribution of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina to the overall development of the country he said, “The Prime Minister, daughter of Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, is working restlessly to establish the honour, dignity and rights of the mass people.”

Mozammel paid rich tributes to the martyrs, including Hormut, Niamat and Monu K Halifa and others who made their supreme sacrifices on March 19, 1971, along with the 30 lakh martyrs in the nine-month Liberation War.

Swapon Kumar Saha, former Jatiya Press Club general secretary and advisory editor of Daily Bartaman, freedom fighter Abdus Sattar Mia, journalist Yusuf Sharif, Lion Gani Mian Babul and journalist Atuar Rahman, among others, also spoke on the occasion.

Source: BSS