The Bangladesh Army stands as a proud symbol of national strength and resilience. Its roots go back to the historic Proclamation of Independence on 26 March 1971. Shortly after, on 4 April, a significant meeting at the Teliapara Tea Garden bungalow in Habiganj laid the foundation of the Bangladesh Armed Forces. At that meeting, Colonel (Retd.) M.A.G. Osmani was given the responsibility to coordinate Bengali officers and organize the regular forces for the Liberation War under a united command.

On 10 April 1971, the Provisional Government of Bangladesh was formed. In the absence of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, Syed Nazrul Islam became the Acting President, while Tajuddin Ahmad served as Prime Minister and Minister of Defence. Colonel Osmani was appointed Commander-in-Chief, with Air Vice Marshal A.K. Khandker as Deputy Chief of Staff. Sector commanders like Major K.M. Shafiullah and Major Ziaur Rahman played vital roles in the war.

Though some of its structure came from the former Pakistan Army, the Bangladesh Army was rebuilt with patriotism, sacrifice, and the dream of a free nation. Since independence, it has become one of the country’s most respected institutions, serving not only in defense but also during natural disasters, peacekeeping missions, and national emergencies.

Challenges Then and Now

Since its beginning, the Army has faced conspiracies to weaken or divide it, often driven by anti-liberation forces who opposed independence in 1971 and still work against the country’s progress today.
Now, after 54 years of independence, we see a dangerous attempt to divide the Army and destroy its image. These conspirators are trying to turn the people against the military, create internal conflict, and break the unity that has always held the Army together.

They have spread misinformation, organized anti-military protests, and used offensive slogans to disrespect this institution. When they failed to manipulate the Army for their political interests, they began targeting it directly, both at home and from abroad.

The “False Proclamation” and the Attack on History

One of their most serious acts has been to promote a fake “July Proclamation” in an attempt to replace or discredit the original Proclamation of Independence from March 1971. This is not just false—it is deeply insulting to the 3 million martyrs and over 200,000 women who suffered during the war.

This Is Not a Political Movement—It’s a Conspiracy

We’ve seen political protests and movements to oust the then-government where also a lot of people died due to police fire in the past—during the time of Ershad and Khaleda Zia. Now Dr. Yunus's group claims about 667 people died, where they included 167 persons who died in a fire accident in the Gazi Tyre Factory. Later, 40 persons were identified from the police who had been killed by the protesters, 49 persons were later found alive, 14 persons were falsely identified, and among the rest, many were killed by 7.62 mm bullets, which are not used by police. It is now discovered that the conspirators were armed with these weapons and killed their own men.

If you want to call this genocide and prosecute it under the ICT Act, then why weren't earlier incidents recalled and tried under the same act? No one ever tried to change the story of 1971 or discredit our independence. What we are seeing now is not a movement for democracy—it is a planned operation to divide the nation and weaken its strongest pillar: the Bangladesh Army.

These conspirators know that if the Army is broken, the country becomes vulnerable.

Time for Unity and Firm Action

At this critical moment, the Bangladesh Army must stand firm—not only for its own integrity but for the Constitution, the freedom we earned in 1971, and the future of Bangladesh.
The people of Bangladesh trust their Army. Time and again, it has rescued the country from disaster, conflict, and political instability. Today, the people are once again looking toward their Army—with hope, faith, and expectation.

Let us all, as a nation, take a united oath to protect the spirit of 1971 and defend our hard-earned freedom—for ourselves and for the next generation.

Conclusion

The Bangladesh Army is the soul of our nation—born from sacrifice, guided by discipline, and trusted by the people.
As long as it remains united, no enemy can defeat Bangladesh.