The joy of the people of Bangladesh is, however, darkened by a cruel irony. Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, the father of the Bengali nation, is in the prison of the enemy at this hour, when Bangladesh, his dream, has come true on the international plane. The Bangabandhu, whether away from his people or among them, is always in their hearts. IIc is the symbol of the consciousness that has changed the past for us and is part of the mythology that will sustain this nation in the future. And yet his absence from us now is painful.
The emergence of free Bangladesh should be welcome to all progressive nations. The new state represents peaceful coexistence, non-alignment in international politics and opposition to imperialism and colonialism in all forms and is committed to democracy and a secular and socialist way of life. I invite the nations to follow the example of India and Bhutan and accept the reality of seventy-five million people. The alternative to this is flying in the face of common sense.
The West Pakistan Government is being engulfed by the evil it has brought into existence. The attempts of her partrons in the UN Security Council to save her from Nemesis has so far been unsuccessful. The American resolution calling for a cease-fire in the sub-continent without attending to the root cause of the conflict in Bangladesh is, in fact, a monument to America's blindness and perversity. China is also guilty of the same failure of judgment. The people of Bangladesh are grateful for the Soviet veto.
We in Bangladesh must now complete the task assigned to us by history and drive the last nail into the coffin of a fascist state led by crazy militarists. The ring of death is fast closing round the enemy. Ile is in retreat everywhere and recling under the blows of the Mukti Bahini and our ally. The hour has struck for the people of Bangladesh to rise against the invader to a man and give him the coup de grace he has earned. They must at the same time aid the liberators in every possible way, help maintain law and order, and co-operate with the administration of the Government of Bangladesh. Let it not be said of anyone in Bangladesh. whatever his station in life, that he failed when the call came.
I call upon all enemy troops and razakars to lay down their arms and surrender. They can yet save themselves by heeding this call. I also call upon all citizens of Bangladesh to avoid the temptation to take the law into their own hands. We must remember that it is the prerogative of the State to punish offenders according to the due process of law. If a single citizen of Bangladesh is harmed or hurt because of his language or race it will be a betrayal of the ideals of the founder of the nation and the flag of free Bangladesh.
Bangladesh will carry in her bosom the scars caused by the occupation army for a long time, but there is comfort and exultation in the thought that the end of the invader is come, that Bangladesh is going to be completely liberated, and that her homeless stricken children will soon return home from their sorrow and exile.
