BANGLADESH AND BENGALI PEOPLE

Bangladesh came to today's shape through a long history of political evolution.
With their ethnic and linguistic identity, their own customs and literature, the whole of Bengal was united. Bengal was probably the wealthiest part of the subcontinent up till the 16th century. The Bengali people have always fought to preserve their own identity and freedom. The great liberation war of 1971 is not a mere single fact, but one of the many historic facts, the final out-come of a long-lasting struggle for freedom.

The high ideals which inspired our heroic people to dedicate them to, and our brave martyrs to sacrifice their lives in the historic struggle for national liberation, and for an independent-sovereign People’s Republic of Bangladesh, were Nationalism, Socialism, Democracy and Secularism.

It was the Bengali PEOPLE, irrespective of their race, cast, class, gender, religion and status, struggled as one nation to uphold the ultimate goal of our historic liberation. Every one had played their individual part to accomplish the mission. There was a grater unity among the people than we have now. Indeed, there had always been some recognised traitors in our national history; some of them are still active, some of them have passed away.

To honour and to reach the destination of true aspiration of the great liberation war, it shall be a fundamental aim of the State to realise through the democratic process a socialist society, free from exploitation - a society in which the rule of law, fundamental human rights and freedom, equality and justice, political, economic and social, will be secured for all citizens.

On this day we can achieve these goals by the elimination of: communalism in all forms; the granting by the state of political status in favour of any religion; the abuse of religion for political purposes; and any discrimination against, or persecution of persons practicing a particular religion.