Dhaka: Today, January 24, is one of the major milestones of the Bengali nation's independence movement.
The mass uprising took place in the context of the 6-point National Liberation Charter and later the 11-point program given by the student organiations for the freedom-loving oppressed people.
On this day in 1969, the then dictatorial Ayub government of Pakistan withdrew the Agartala conspiracy case and was forced to release all the accused including the main accused Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman.
On the occasion of the day, President Md. Abdul Hamid and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina have issued separate messages.
In his message, the President called upon all to play their role in building a prosperous Bangladesh inspired by the spirit of mass uprising of 1969. Mentioning that this day has been commemorated in the history of our liberation struggle and freedom movement as the day of mass uprising, he paid deep homage to the memory of those who were martyred in the freedom movement of the country.
In her message, the Prime Minister called upon the people to build a developed, prosperous and peaceful modern Bangladesh by building the golden Bangladesh of the dream of Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman.
She said the mass uprising of 1969 was a significant chapter in the history of Bangladesh. We have achieved great freedom through armed liberation war following the ‘52 language movement, the Bengali liberation charter 6 points, the subsequent 11 points and the continuation of the mass uprising of 199. We got an independent-sovereign state Bangladesh.
This unprecedented mass uprising took place on 24th January with the spontaneous participation of people from all walks of life in Dhaka through mourning on 21st, 22nd and 23rd January after the martyrdom of Shaheed Asad, the hero of the historic 20th January ‘69 uprising. Along the path of this mass uprising, the Bengali nation achieved great independence through a bloody armed liberation war.
On this day in 19699, young Matiur and Rustam, a ninth class student of Nabakumar Institute, along with a few others were martyred on the highway in front of the Secretariat in Dhaka. Protesters broke the walls of the secretariat and set it on fire. Protesters set fire to the houses of Ayub- Monaim clique brokers, ministers, MPs and their mouthpieces in the then-daily Dainik Pakistan and Pakistan Observer. The people changed the name of Ayub Gate to Asad Gate.
Various socio-cultural and political organizations have chalked out detailed programs on the occasion of the day.