Home Affairs Minister Salahuddin Ahmed today said Shaheed President Ziaur Rahman decisively protected Bangladesh’s vulnerable independence and sovereignty on November 7, 1975.
He made the remarks as the chief guest at a discussion and cultural programme organised by Officers’ Club Dhaka marking National Revolution and Solidarity Day 2026.
The minister said people’s aspirations remained unfulfilled after the Liberation War due to one-party rule, economic disparities, corruption and political instability.
At that critical juncture, he said, soldiers and people freed Ziaur Rahman from captivity and entrusted him with the responsibility of leading the country.
He said November 7 was not the exclusive achievement of any political party but a historic milestone of Bangladeshi nationalism and the freedom-loving people.
Referring to the July Mass Uprising of 2024, Salahuddin Ahmed said its success had come through years of sacrifices, killings, enforced disappearances and other forms of repression between 2009 and 2024.
He stressed that no particular group should claim ownership of the achievement.
Calling upon civil servants to remain politically neutral, he urged them to serve the Republic with dedication, reject unlawful orders and implement the elected government’s manifesto.
He warned officials against allowing the administration to be used for political purposes, recalling how political pressure and irregular elections had previously damaged state institutions.
Highlighting the responsibilities of deputy commissioners, the minister urged them to maintain professionalism and impartiality.
He also stressed the importance of democratic continuity, saying power should be transferred peacefully to those receiving the people’s mandate after five years.
The programme was chaired by Cabinet Secretary and President of Officers’ Club Dhaka Nasimul Ghani.
Special guests included Prime Minister’s Special Assistant for Hindu, Buddhist, Christian and Ethnic Minority Affairs Bijon Kanti Sarkar and Principal Secretary to the Prime Minister ABM Abdus Sattar.
Welcome remarks were delivered by Abdul Khaleque, Treasurer of Officers’ Club Dhaka and Senior Secretary of the Secondary and Higher Education Division.
The programme began with the national anthem and recitation from the Holy Quran.
A one-minute silence was observed in memory of the martyrs of the 1971 Liberation War, the martyrs of November 7, 1975, and those who were martyred during the July Mass Uprising of 2024.
A special documentary produced marking National Revolution and Solidarity Day 2026 was screened at the programme, and the chief guest was accorded a floral reception.
