How relevant is the independence declaration debate today?

Even after 54 years of independence, the debate over who declared Bangladesh’s independence in 1971 remains unresolved. The inability to reach a political consensus on such a nationally significant issue raises serious questions about political failure. Avoiding this question is not an option, as it remains a matter of national importance. Therefore, revisiting the discussion on the declaration of independence and its proclaimer is necessary.

On the night of March 25, 1971—specifically in the early hours of March 26—just before being arrested by the Pakistani army, Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman sent out the declaration of independence via the EPR (East Pakistan Rifles) transmitter for nationwide broadcast. This was the first and official declaration of independence. The following day, on March 27, Major Ziaur Rahman made an announcement from the Kalurghat radio station in Chittagong, which was explicitly on behalf of Bangabandhu.

In other words, Ziaur Rahman read out Bangabandhu’s declaration in his own style, which not only inspired the soldiers but also galvanized the general public. Unfortunately, over time, unnecessary controversy has been created over this issue, particularly regarding who the true proclaimer of independence was. This debate is neither honorable for Bangabandhu nor for Ziaur Rahman. The controversy has been fueled primarily for political gains in electoral politics.

Just as BNP has used this issue for political advantage, the Awami League, as the party that led the Liberation War, has also failed to show enough magnanimity in addressing it. As a result, even 54 years after independence, the debate persists. Worse still, the disagreement between the country’s two major political parties, BNP and Awami League, has escalated to such an extent that at one point, the Awami League even began denying Ziaur Rahman’s role as a freedom fighter, labeling him a "freedom fighter by chance" or even a "Pakistani agent." The government also revoked his "Bir Uttam" title. However, following the political shift on August 5, the interim government reinstated Ziaur Rahman’s "Bir Uttam" title on March 11.

Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman giving a speech at the Race Course Maidan on March 7, 1971. Photo collected

On March 7, 1971, at the Racecourse Ground, Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman delivered a historic speech where he unequivocally stated, “This time, the struggle is for our emancipation! This time, the struggle is for our independence!” He urged the people to be prepared with whatever they had and called upon them to turn every home into a fortress. While he instructed the entire nation to prepare for war, he did not formally declare independence at that moment for strategic reasons.

In the days leading up to March 25, the country witnessed a series of crucial events. Then, in the early hours of March 26—just before his arrest by the Pakistani military at his residence on Dhanmondi Road No. 32—Bangabandhu sent out the Declaration of Independence through the East Pakistan Rifles (EPR) transmitter for nationwide broadcast.

Later, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Government of Bangladesh published this declaration in a booklet titled "Bangabandhu Speaks."
The declaration read as follows: This may be my last message. From today Bangladesh is independent. I call upon the people of Bangladesh wherever you might be and with whatever you have, to resist the army of occupation to the last. Your fight must go on until the last soldier of the Pakistan occupation army is expelled from the soil of Bangladesh and final victory is achieved.

News of Bangabandhu's declaration of independence in India's Amritbazar Patrika, March 27, 1971. Photo collected

Bangabandhu’s Formal Declaration of Independence

On the night of March 25, 1971, the Pakistani military launched a brutal genocide against the Bengali people. Before being arrested from his residence at Dhanmondi Road No. 32, Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman wrote the Declaration of Independence, which later became part of Bangladesh’s Constitution. This was the first formal declaration of independence, and as this declaration was transmitted via radio the following day across the country, March 26 was recognized as Independence Day.

Renowned journalist Nirmal Sen provided a firsthand account of this declaration. He wrote: "On the night of March 26, Sheikh Mujib sent out a declaration via radio. That message reached our police station’s post office on March 26. The call for independence came in the name of Sheikh Mujib. I saw the declaration with my own eyes. I am not willing to accept or believe any borrowed theories about this matter."
(Nirmal Sen, Maa Janmabhumi, Torofdar Prakashani, p. 52).

Even Major Siddiq Salik, the Public Relations Officer of General Niazi, documented this event in his book Witness to Surrender (p. 85). He wrote: "On the night of March 25, as the first shot was fired, a faint voice of Sheikh Mujib was heard over a frequency close to that of Pakistan Radio’s official transmission. It seemed as though the message had been pre-recorded. In that message, Sheikh Mujib declared East Pakistan as the People's Republic of Bangladesh."
The reality is, had Bangabandhu not been able to issue this declaration before his arrest, March 7 might have been observed as Independence Day instead.
Veteran freedom fighter Moidul Hasan also noted: "After the speech of March 7, it was widely believed outside Dhaka that Bangabandhu had called for independence and was leading the resistance struggle against the Pakistani invaders."
(Muldhara ‘71, UPL/January 2016, p. 4).

Ziaur Rahman’s Declaration

Genocide 1971. Photo collected

In an interview published in Bichitra (1972, p. 43), Ziaur Rahman stated: "On March 27, sporadic battles were taking place all around the city. At 6:30 in the evening, I arrived at the radio station. I wrote down the declaration of the war of independence. Within a short time, the announcement was broadcast on the radio."

Ziaur Rahman arrived at the Kalurghat Radio Station with the assistance of local Awami League leaders and radio personnel, including Belal Mohammad, after traveling from Patiya.

A separate interview with Ziaur Rahman was published in Dainik Bangla on March 26, 1972. It described the events of that day: "Major Zia arrived at Chittagong Radio Station on the evening of March 27. The radio staff were excited to see him, but what would he say? He wrote a statement, then tore it up. What message would he deliver to the people of the country and the world? The radio staff kept announcing that Major Zia would speak in fifteen minutes, but fifteen minutes passed, and he had written only three lines. His mental state at that moment was indescribable. Writing the statement was also risky. He had to carefully consider the choice of words and the presentation of his message. After nearly an hour and a half of drafting, he finally prepared his historic declaration. He then read it out himself in both Bengali and English."
Records show that four speeches of Ziaur Rahman were broadcast from the radio station. The first declaration he delivered was as follows:

"Bismillahir Rahmanir Rahim.
Dear fellow fighters, I am Major Ziaur Rahman, declaring the independence of Bangladesh on behalf of the Provisional President and Chief of the Liberation Army. I urge everyone to join the war. Bangladesh is independent. We have embarked on our war of liberation. Take up whatever arms you can and come forward. We must fight and drive the Pakistani forces out of our country.
Khoda Hafez. Long live Bangladesh!"

Cover of the book 'In Exchange for Millions of Lives'. Photo collected

Rafiqul Islam Bir Uttam’s Account in Lokkho Praner Binimoye
Rafiqul Islam Bir Uttam’s book, Lokkho Praner Binimoye, is considered one of the most important documents on the Liberation War of Bangladesh. In this book, he writes:
*"An appeal was made to confront the enemy with whatever weapons were available. This declaration was broadcast from the Chittagong Radio Transmitting Center at Kalurghat (Swadhin Bangla Revolutionary Radio Station) on March 26 at approximately 2:30 PM by M.A. Hannan, the Secretary of the Chittagong District Awami League, on behalf of the nation’s leader, Sheikh Mujibur Rahman.

The 10-kilowatt transmitter at Kalurghat had a clear broadcasting range of about 60 miles in radius. As a result, most people in the rest of the country could not hear this first declaration due to the limited reach of the radio transmission. Because of this technical constraint, the first declaration by Hannan on March 26, Zia’s announcement on March 27, and subsequent announcements by others were also not clearly heard.

Even on the first day, many within the radio’s effective range could not hear Hannan’s speech because people generally did not turn on their radios at 2:30 PM. Additionally, those who did turn them on were anxiously tuning into Radio Dhaka for news updates in the midst of the chaotic situation.

In reality, even if we did not have any functioning radio station that day, history would have taken its own course. The entire Bengali population had already risen in armed resistance against the Pakistanis."*
(Rafiqul Islam, Lokkho Praner Binimoye, 1981, p. 91).

Ziaur Rahman’s Letter to Rafiqul Islam & His Second Announcement on March 28. Photo collected

On March 28, the following day, Ziaur Rahman made another announcement. In this statement, he explicitly declared independence on behalf of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman. The declaration was as follows:

*"Bismillahir Rahmanir Rahim.
Dear fellow countrymen, I am Major Zia, speaking. On behalf of our great national leader, Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, I declare the independence of Bangladesh. Resist the enemies! Join the Liberation War in great numbers.
To Great Britain, France, the Soviet Union, China, and all freedom-loving nations of the world, we appeal: Support our just struggle and recognize Bangladesh.
InshaAllah, victory is inevitable.

Khoda Hafez.
Long live Bangladesh!"*
In the book Selected Speeches of Ziaur Rahman, another English speech is mentioned. It is as follows:
I Major Zia, Provisional Commander-in-chief of the Bengal Liberation Army, hereby proclaim, on behalf of Sk. Mujibur Rahman the independence of Bangladesh.
2. I also declare we have already formed a sovereign legal Government under Sk. Mujibur Rahman which pledges to function as per law and the constitution.
3. The new Democratic Government is committed to a policy of non alignment in international relations. It will seek friendship with all nations and strive for international peace.
4. I appeal to all Governments to mobilise public opinion in their respective countries against the brutal genocide in Bangladesh.
5. The Government under Sk. Mujibur Rahman is sovereign legal Government of Bangladesh and is entitled to recognition from all democratic nations of the world.

Ziaur Rahman’s Declaration and Its Impact

Ziaur Rahman addressing the nation after assuming office as Deputy Chief Martial Law Administrator on November 7, 1975. Photo collected

Ziaur Rahman’s declaration on March 27, 1971, greatly inspired unarmed soldiers and the general public to join the Liberation War. On that day, Dr. Abdul Mannan, MP, made a passionate appeal to the nation, urging everyone to take up arms for the struggle. In fact, upon learning that the radio station was operational, various political leaders and cultural activists gathered at the Kalurghat Transmission Center to express their support for independence through songs, poetry, and speeches. (M.A. Halim, Daily Sangbad, April 8, 1992).

On March 30, in another speech broadcasted from the Swadhin Bangla Betar Kendra (formerly Chittagong Radio Station), Major Zia declared Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman as the Head of State of independent Bangladesh and the Supreme Commander of the armed forces. On that same day, two Pakistani fighter jets bombed and destroyed the radio station. (Dr. Anwarul Islam, Swadhinatar Ghoshona O Bangabandhu, 1992, p. 65).
Unnecessary Controversy Over the Independence Declaration

The reality is that the primary declaration of independence was made by Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman before his arrest, and its seeds were planted in his historic speech on March 7. About half a month later, on April 10, 1971, the Mujibnagar Government (Bangladesh’s first government) formally issued the Proclamation of Independence, which became the official state declaration. However, in between these two key events, on March 27, Ziaur Rahman read out a declaration on behalf of Bangabandhu from Kalurghat Radio Station, which played a crucial role in uniting and inspiring the troops.

During wartime, a declaration by a senior military officer can have a significant strategic impact. Ziaur Rahman’s speech reassured the people that the Bangladesh Army had joined the war, giving civilians the confidence and motivation to participate in the struggle for liberation.

Barrister Moudud Ahmed’s Statement on the Declaration of Independence

At an event in 2011, the late BNP leader Barrister Moudud Ahmed stated, “Recognizing Ziaur Rahman as the announcer of independence does not diminish Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman in any way. Bangabandhu’s stature is far greater.” He further mentioned that “if Zia was acknowledged as the announcer of independence, it could put an end to the ongoing controversy surrounding the history of the Liberation War.” (BDNews, March 29, 2011). However, the Awami League did not show such generosity. Accepting this historical fact would not have harmed the Awami League, and even after half a century of independence, such a significant national issue would not have remained a point of division.

Instead, by completely denying Ziaur Rahman’s contributions to the Liberation War, labeling him as a "Pakistani agent," and revoking his Bir Uttam title, the Awami League created a long-standing rift with the BNP. This divide intensified with the August 21 grenade attack, and the nation continues to pay the price for this political polarization.
Authority to Declare Independence

It is crucial to understand that being the announcer of independence and merely reading out the declaration are not the same. Moreover, a nation's struggle for independence is not a matter of a single day, nor is it about a radio announcement by a major. It requires long-term preparation.

From the early 1960s, Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman gradually led the movement for autonomy and independence in East Bengal. Without this decades-long movement, simply declaring independence on March 26 would not have resulted in actual independence. Even if Bangabandhu himself had suddenly declared independence on that day without prior movements, the country would not have been liberated.

The BNP must also acknowledge the reality that not just anyone can declare independence—it is a matter of legitimacy and historical authority. In 1971, only Bangabandhu had the rightful authority to declare independence. Even if Tajuddin Ahmad had stood at Racecourse Ground and made such a declaration, people would still have waited for Bangabandhu’s call, because the entire nation was politically centered around him.

Therefore, the notion that seven crore people joined the Liberation War solely because of Major Ziaur Rahman’s radio announcement is both unrealistic and absurd. At the same time, denying any significance of Zia’s announcement, claiming he never made one, or even calling him a "by-chance freedom fighter" and revoking his Bir Uttam title are examples of short-sighted political actions.

In conclusion, the Liberation War is the greatest achievement of the Bengali people. If there had been unity between the country’s two major political parties on this and other nationally significant issues, no party would have been able to establish a fascist regime. And if fascism or autocracy had not taken root, perhaps the Awami League and Sheikh Hasina would not have had to endure such a tragic fate.

Ameen Al Rashid: Journalist & Writer