A strong sense of dignity prompted the Bengali nation to liberate Bangladesh from rulers like Pakistani absentee landlords and others, observes State Minister for Finance MA Mannan.
“Before the 1971 we’re not the owners of our mother land. We’re like tenants of Pakistani absentee landlords and others for thousands of years. But, we have been able to liberate our country through a Liberation War just imbued with the sense of self-dignity and self-respect,” he said on Monday.
The junior minister was addressing the closing ceremony Global Dignity Day organised by Friendship, a non-governmental organisation, at Krishibid Institution in the capital.
Mannan said self-respect is a path to dignity. “A nation that can stand up on its own feet stands with the strength of dignity and self-respect.”
He said their government is working to establish the national dignity at all levels so that the country’s future generation can never be enchained by outsiders.
“Those who used to give us loan with interest and take the capital back were called donors and their credit as assistance in the recent past. And the language of the terms of conditions was absolutely slavish. But our Prime Minister [Sheikh Hasina] at a Cabinet meeting strongly asked us to change those words,” he mentioned.
Speaking at the programme, Dhaka North City Corporation Mayor Annisul Huq, said the strength of dignity and self-respect transcends the human condition. “Every individual understands dignity at a separate age and in different ways. But it’s the strength of individual dignity that goes on to build societies and nations. Individual dignity, personal dignity, collective dignity and national dignity are all linked.”
France Ambassador to Bangladesh as Sophie Aubert stressed the need for ensuring self-respect of individuals for establishing the dignity of a nation. “Poverty exits in our society. But poverty doesn’t necessarily mean that poor people have no dignity. They’ve dignity and it should be ensured.”
Source: Prothom Alo
