Shaheed President Ziaur Rahman recalled that on the night of 25–26 March 1971, he declared rebellion against the Pakistani military rulers while serving as the second-in-command of the 8th East Bengal Regiment. He later described that exact moment in his memoir:
“তখন রাত ২টা বেজে ১৫ মিনিট; ২৬শে মার্চ, ১৯৭১ সাল”
Translation: “It was 2:15 AM on 26 March 1971.”
In a commemorative article published on 26 March 1972 in the newspaper Dainik Bangla, Zia referred to the day of independence as:
“বাঙালির হৃদয়ে রক্তাক্ষরে লেখা দিন”
Translation:“A day written in blood in the hearts of Bengalis.”
The article, titled “Birth of a Nation,” was later republished in the weekly magazine Bichitra in 1974. Zia wrote that he gathered Bengali officers and soldiers and instructed them to join the armed struggle. According to him, they accepted his order instantly and willingly.
“সময়টা ছিল অত্যন্ত গুরুত্বপূর্ণ… সবাই একযোগে সেই আদেশ স্বতঃস্ফূর্তভাবে মেনে নেন।”
Translation:“The moment was extremely important… everyone accepted the order spontaneously.”
Read More: Nation Was United by Major Zia’s Declaration, Says President Chuppu
Declaration of Independence Broadcast from Kalurghat
After organizing the troops, Zia moved to the outskirts of Chittagong at Kalurghat, where Bengali radio workers had set up a secret station. From there, he read out the declaration of independence of Bangladesh to the nation. In his writing, Zia also described how Bengali nationalism began to grow after Pakistan’s founder Muhammad Ali Jinnah declared Urdu as the only state language during his Dhaka visit.
“উর্দু এবং উর্দুই হবে পাকিস্তানের একমাত্র রাষ্ট্রভাষা।”
Translation: “Urdu, and only Urdu, will be the state language of Pakistan.”
Zia believed this decision planted the seeds of Bengali nationalism.
Pakistani Actions Made Armed Resistance Inevitable
Zia wrote that continuous political repression, military rule, and discrimination against East Pakistan eventually made armed resistance unavoidable. He also mentioned key political events that shaped the independence movement, including:
- The Language Movement of 1952
- The 1969 Mass Uprising in East Pakistan
- The 1970 Pakistani general election
Sheikh Mujib’s 7 March Speech Seen as ‘Green Signal’
Zia described the historic speech of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman on 7 March 1971 as a turning point for military officers preparing for resistance. He expressed,
“রেসকোর্স ময়দানে শেখ মুজিবের ৭ মার্চের ঐতিহাসিক ভাষণ আমাদের কাছে ‘গ্রিন সিগন্যাল’ হিসেবে এসেছিল।”
Translation: “Sheikh Mujib’s 7 March speech at the Racecourse came to us as a green signal.”
He wrote that the brutal military crackdown on the night of Operation Searchlight convinced Bengali soldiers that joining the liberation war was the only option.
