The Home Minister and BNP Standing Committee member Salahuddin Ahmed on Friday stated that the 1971 Liberation War stands unmatched in the nation’s history and must not be equated with any other event, including the 2024 movement that toppled the previous government.

Speaking at a BNP discussion marking Independence Day at Engineers’ Institution in Dhaka’s Ramna, Salahuddin addressed those who had proposed placing the 2024 uprising alongside 1971 in the constitutional preamble. “1971 will never match any other history. Bangladesh’s most glorious achievement is its independence, Liberation War and the struggle for freedom,” he said.

He emphasized that BNP does not seek to diminish anyone’s contributions or claim ownership of victory but insisted that the Liberation War must be honored above all else.

He said events such as 1975, 1979, 1990 and 2024 hold their own significance but cannot stand on the same footing as the war of independence.

Drawing a clear distinction between the two movements, Salahuddin said the 2024 uprising was a popular movement to topple a fascist autocratic government. “The autocracy fell, but the state was not newly created. The state was won at the cost of hundreds of thousands of lives. We must protect its sovereignty and independence,” he said, adding that the government would continue practicing democratic values to prevent any future return of authoritarianism.

Salahuddin outlined BNP’s role in the country’s democratic history, describing it as a record of defending democracy, restoring multiparty politics, establishing parliamentary governance and introducing the caretaker government system.

He credited former president Ziaur Rahman with liberating the country from one-party rule and restoring democratic foundations through the Fifth Amendment to the constitution.
He described BNP Chairperson Begum Khaleda Zia’s legacy as one of fighting military autocracy and leading struggles for democratic freedom, noting that parliamentary democracy began its journey after BNP assumed power in 1991.

Criticizing the Awami League, Salahuddin said those who claimed to be the sole custodians of the spirit of independence had consistently denied Ziaur Rahman’s documented role in declaring independence.

He said that on the night of March 25, 1971, when Pakistani forces launched mass killings at Rajarbagh Police Lines and other locations, it was Ziaur Rahman who declared rebellion from Chittagong and called for independence.

“It is documented that the Liberation War began through Ziaur Rahman’s declaration. He even declared independence in the name of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, yet the Awami fascist forces have always refused to give him that credit,” the home minister said.

Salahuddin pledged that the government would continue advancing the state through parliamentary discussions, consensus and democratic culture, ensuring that Bangladesh’s sovereignty and democratic institutions remain protected.