Today, we observe 47 years of our existence as an independent country. For any country, this day is an occasion for rejoicing, but for us, celebration is laced with sombre thoughts and mixed feelings. Little did we know then the extent of killings, rape and plunder—that is comparable only to the Nazi brutality—the occupying Pakistani military had set in motion the previous night. But that was also the spark for the Bengalis to take up arms to resist and evict the enemy from our land, which we did after nine months, as per the call of Bangabandhu.

This day we salute those valiant freedom fighters, and the many mothers and sisters who remain unknown, whose blood and sacrifices have hallowed this land and freed the country of the occupiers. We pay our deepest respects to Bangabandhu for his singular leadership that carved the way for our ultimate victory, and the four leaders for their exemplary role during the nine-month Liberation War, steering deftly the terminal phase of our liberation struggle.

The last 47 years have seen the country make great strides, the latest acknowledgement of which is our eligibility for graduation to the rank of developing countries. While that speaks of our economic and infrastructure development, we have quite a way to go to ensure equitable distribution of wealth and social justice. And in this regard, we would like to restate the imperative of good governance, without which the dreams of our martyrs and freedom fighters will remain largely unfulfilled.

This is also a time to call upon the government of Pakistan to say mea culpa and acknowledge the killings, rape and plunder its military machine was engaged in after March 25, 1971. The people of Bangladesh bear no malice towards the people of Pakistan and would like to enjoy a normal mutual relationship, particularly as a member of Saarc. But for that to happen, an apology for 1971 remains a precondition.