Dhaka, March 7 -- Today is the historic Seventh March, a seminal date in Bangladesh's road to independence. On this day in 1971, a crowd estimated at several lakhs gathered at the then-Racecourse Maidan in Dhaka (today's Suhrawardy Uddyan) to hear 'Bangabandhu' Sheikh Mujibur Rahman deliver a clarion call of freedom for the Bengalis of East Pakistan.

Although he stopped short of declaring independence outright, much to the discontent of some of his younger lieutenants, Mujib's riveting delivery laid the groundwork for the freedom struggle that lay ahead, as he urged his fellow Bengalis to prepare to "fight the enemy with whatever means available" to them.

Ideals of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Can Inspire the Young Generation

"This time th...