Bangladesh owes an immense gratitude to those foreign individuals who made a major contribution to its 1971 War of Liberation. In 2012, the Government of Bangladesh began conferring special honours on these Friends of Bangladesh as an expression of gratitude for their great contribution to our War of Liberation. Awards were presented in three categories – Bangladesh Swadhinota Shammanona (Bangladesh Freedom Honour), Bangladesh Muktijuddho Shammanona (Bangladesh Liberation War Honour) and Muktijuddho Moitri Shammanona (Friends of Liberation War Honour).

Father of National Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman

Father of the Nation

Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman

On 7 March Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman (1920-1975) made a historic address at a mammoth gathering at the Race Course which marked a turning point in the history of the Bengali nation. In his address Mujib made specific charges against the Martial Law authorities which failed to transfer power to the elected representatives. At the end of his speech, he made a clarion call, saying: "Build forts in each homestead. You must resist the Pakistani enemy with whatever you have in hand..Remember, we have given a lot of blood, a lot more blood we shall give if need be, but we shall liberate the people of this country, Insha Allah [ie, if God blessed]..The struggle this time is the struggle for our emancipation; the struggle this time is the struggle for independence."

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