Parliament Speaker Hafiz Uddin Ahmad has said the East Bengal Regiment's armed resistance against the Pakistani military's crackdown in 1971 laid the foundation for Bangladesh's independence.
Speaking at a programme at the RAOWA Convention Centre in Mohakhali, Dhaka, on Saturday, the Bir Bikrom recipient described the Liberation War as "a struggle for the survival of the Bengali nation" rather than the war of any political party.
He said the regiment's five battalions revolted independently and mobilised people across the country.
"Had the East Bengal Regiment not begun resisting the Pakistani military's genocide in 1971, this country would still have remained Pakistan," he said.
Calling the East Bengal Regiment "a name very close to my heart", the Speaker said he had carried that identity with pride from the day he received his military commission and would continue to do so for the rest of his life.
Reflecting on his military career, the 82-year-old recalled joining the Army, serving in the East Bengal Regiment and taking part in the Liberation War.
"I am now 82 years old. It feels as though nothing happened by my own will. [God] has guided everything, and life has unfolded as destiny ordained," he said.
The Speaker said he had originally planned to pursue a civil service career while focusing on football rather than joining the military. He said repeated encouragement from Pakistan national football team official Major Mohammad Malik eventually persuaded him to choose the Army.
He was initially commissioned into the Education Corps before transferring to the East Bengal Regiment on the advice of a senior officer.
Recalling his first meeting with Ziaur Rahman, he said the then major encouraged him to join the East Bengal Regiment during a football match at the Pakistan Military Academy in Kakul. He added that the advice influenced his decision despite opposition from some senior officers.
The Speaker also said the 1970 general election reflected public frustration over long-standing political and economic disparities between East and West Pakistan.
Referring to events preceding the Liberation War, he claimed that "Sheikh Mujibur Rahman declined to declare independence before the military crackdown", while asserting that "Ziaur Rahman's declaration later inspired people to join the resistance".
