In “hajar bochhor pore abar eshechhi phire / Bangla’r buuke achhi dnarhiye” the reality of freedom dawned on us. Those final days of Pakistan, when the soldiers clamped a curfew and compelled us to observe blackouts at night, were behind us. We moved toward President’s House, where Indian army officers and jawans mingled with ecstatic Bengalis. We walked to the Race Course, where the Pakistan army had acknowledged its military defeat less than 24 hours earlier. I remember telling myself that it was the same place from where Bangabandhu had given out the call for freedom in March.

Source: Dhaka Tribune December 16, 2020 17:37 UTC