1971 was the fight for independence, 2024 is the struggle to reclaim it: AB Party's Manju

In 1971, Bangladesh struggled for independence, while 2024 represents the struggle to restore and reclaim that independence, said Mujibur Rahman Manju, chairman of the Amar Bangladesh (AB) Party.

"Many of our dreams have led to the pain of not achieving what we hoped for [after 1971]. This accumulated pain led us to a mass uprising in 1990. On 5 August 2024, we found a new context," he said today (26 March) after paying tribute at the National Martyrs' Memorial in Savar, on the occasion of Independence Day.

He continued, "The conspiracy surrounding the 1970 elections, where even after winning, the people of Bengal [then East Pakistan] were not allowed to assume power, led to the massacre on 25 March 1971. This created a backlash on 26 March, and a nine-month long bloody war ensued."

"But there is a strange similarity here. Just as there was a massacre then, in its aftermath, the general public took to the streets, and based on that, Bangladesh was born again [in 2024], with new expectations for the future," he added.

The AB Party chairman further said, "The immediate challenges we face include restoring peace and order in the country, ensuring justice for those responsible for killings and abductions, and realising the dream of reforms to place the state in a new position."

"Lastly, we must ensure free and fair elections. We believe that if we can accomplish these four tasks, Bangladesh will stand in the right direction, and in the future, we will be able to realise both our dream of independence and the dream of 2024," he added.