Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina yesterday said youths have many things to learn from the historic March 7 speech of Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman. 

“Youths have many things to know, learn and understand [from the speech]. By going through this, patriotism, dutifulness and sincerity towards the country will develop among them,” she said. 

The PM was addressing an academic seminar titled “Immortal Poem of the Poet of the Politics” at Krishibid Institution Bangladesh. 

Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman Memorial Trust organised the programme to mark the day of historic March 7 speech of Bangabandhu. 

The PM said how much one gets in his/her life matters little. “How much one can give to the country matters a lot. This is the main motto for a politician. How much he/she does for his country and society is the main thing for a politician.” 

Hasina, also the ruling Awami League chief, said in the historic March 7 speech, the Father of the Nation not only told about the oppressed and suppressed people of Bangladesh but also of the world.

“He also talked about the way of freedom from this oppression and suppression in his speech," she said. 

The PM said in 1971, not only Bangladesh but also many other countries across the world were under oppression and suppression. 

Hasina, also the chairperson of the Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman Memorial Trust, said Bangabandhu had always talked about the sacrifice for any great achievement. 

She said by the great sacrifice of Bangabandhu and millions of people, Bangladesh got its independence. 

But she regretted that after the assassination of Bangabandhu in 1975, country's independence was put almost on the verge of failure. “It was our good luck that we got the chance to come to power to talk about the Liberation War spirit. The country was under an era of darkness from 1975 to 1996. After that, we started our journey again towards the path of light.” 

The PM said after the killing of Bangabandhu, there were repeated attempts to erase his name from the history of the country. 

“The history of the independence was tampered and someone else was made the proclaimer of the independence. There was too much propaganda that some generations went to the path of confusion,” Hasina said. 

She mentioned that after assuming power in 1996, the AL government started its programmes to bring back the country to its right path with true history. “Our target was to establish it in the world arena that we attained our independence through the Liberation War.” 

Hasina said Bangabandhu in his historic March 7 speech had given the future direction of a nation. “We've to advance our country following the directives.” 

At the beginning of the programme, the recorded video of the historical speech was also shown.

Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman Memorial Museum President Artist Hashem Khan and Chief Executive Officer of the trust Mashura Hossain spoke at the programme. 

University Grants Commission Chairman Prof Abdul Mannan presented the keynote paper while Jahangirnagar University Vice-chancellor Prof Farzana Islam and Dhaka University International Relations department Associate Prof Niloy Ranjan Biswas discussed it. 

Member Secretary of the trust Sheikh Hafizur Rahman also spoke.