Most of the countries located in the eastern side of the world have had a colonial past. History states that they have had to fight to get freedom from their ruthless colonial masters. That is not all. Apart from their colonial rulers, there were multiple internal strifes and border issues that they also had to deal with. It took immense time, patience, and commitment to get rid of all the economic and social issues and finally celebrate the day by defining oneself and reinstating one’s identity. When you have to write a paragraph on Independence Day, you must mention the history behind the independence struggle, the heroes who laid down their lives for the country, and the way the day is celebrated throughout the country.
Let us show you how to write it –
Essay on Independence Day
For countries with a colonial past, their Independence Day is a mighty affair. On this day, they got back their freedom and their power as citizens of the country to call their nation their own. It is on this day, that they got the rights of a citizen and could proudly tell the world that they were no longer under the colonial masters.
Talking about Bangladesh, formally, its Independence Day is on the 26th of March. It was on March 26, 1971, that Bangladesh after a long fight got its independence from Pakistan. This historical incident was followed by the MuktiJuddho of Bangladesh, which is referred to as the Victory Day. The country commemorates this day as a national holiday. Also, Bangladesh is the only country in the world where the basis of the independence movement was the proliferation of the language – the mother tongue of Bangladesh – Bengali. It is due to the constant suppression of the Bengali language along with other social and economic factors that led to the independence movement by the people of Bangladesh.
Independence day paragraph
Back in the 1800’s, the Western powers, especially the British and other colonial powers had captured and ruled numerous countries. Most of those countries got their freedom in the latter part of the 1900s. Those countries that got their freedom, celebrate the ‘particular day’ that it was granted as the Independence Day of the country.
For Bangladesh, that date is the 26th of March, 1971. It is celebrated in Bangladesh as a national holiday.
Let us get into the history behind Bangladesh’s independence –
The British completely captured India after the Battle of Plassey in 1757. At that time, Bangladesh was part of India and it was referred to as ‘Bengal’ in general. In 1905, the British partitioned Bengal into East Bengal (the current Bangladesh portion) and West Bengal. Finally in 1947, when India was divided into India (Hindustan) and Pakistan, then the East Bengal portion went to Pakistan, due to its Muslim majority.
In 1947, a group called – Inner Group was formed to help in the freedom process and fight the Britishers. The primary problem that arose for East Bengal was – Jinnah, Pakistan’s President wanted to impose Urdu as the national language even in the eastern part of Bengal (after division). However, Bengali was the mother tongue of the people of East Bengal. Also, culturally, the people of East Bengal, despite their Muslim majority, were similar to the West Bengal people. Hence, they vehemently opposed the move to change their language and alter the essence of their part of the country.
Taking all this into stride the members of the Bengal Provincial Muslim League followed the ideologies of Subhas Chandra Bose and Mujibur Rahman (the then primary leader of Bangladesh’s freedom movement, and is referred to as the Father of Bangladesh) put forth the idea of engaging in an armed struggle.
At the end of the day, what happened was – Mujibur Rahman kept fighting for the independence of Bangladesh from Jinnah-ruled Pakistan. In fact, during this whole period, Rahman sought active help from Nehru to the extent of discussing the government-in-exile.
Mujibur Rahman led the Awami League party and demanded the freedom of East Bengal from Pakistan with his 6-Point Programme. When the elections were held Awami League won with a massive majority, but yet was not allowed to form the government. But later, he did get to form the government, only to be faced with another 9-month-long war.
During the tough period of 1971, he also took help from Smt. Indira Gandhi, the then Indian PM to fight Pakistan. This fight was followed by one for a second independence, which is termed Muktijuddho or Victory Day.
Finally, on March 26, 1971, Mujibur Rahman declared the independence of Bangladesh on radio, while Operation Searchlight was on. While Mujibur Rahman was placed in jail, Major Ziaur Rahman, who was the then officer of the East Bengal Regiment, declared independence formally – from the Swadhin Bangla Betar Kendra. That is how Bangladesh gained independence.
Paragraph for Independence Day celebration
Independence Day is celebrated on the day the particular country gained freedom from foreign powers. On that day, the national flag is flown over the government buildings. Multiple activities are held throughout the day such as – flag-hoisting ceremonies, multiple state-related occasions, as well as parades. Apart from that, people who have laid their lives down for the country are honored as well.
The Independence Day of Bangladesh is celebrated on March 26, 1971. On this day, the British created East Bengal or East Pakistan (as referred to officially) and gained independence from Pakistan. This was followed by the MuktiJuddho, which is referred to as Victory Day (16th December 1971). This date is also referred to as Vijay Diwas in India.
On this day, the country celebrates its independence and honors the leading heroes of the country who laid down their lives for Bangladesh. From the government to schools, colleges and every other institution celebrates this day with much fanfare.
