How the Seventh March Speech Became World Heritage

The historic speech delivered on 7 March 1971 by Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman has been recognised as a documentary heritage of global significance. On 30 October 2017, the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization formally inscribed the speech in its Memory of the World International Register, acknowledging its exceptional historical importance. The recognition brought immense pride to the people of Bangladesh and elevated the speech to a permanent place in the world’s documented heritage.

Bangabandhu delivered the speech before a massive gathering at the then Racecourse Ground in Dhaka, now known as Suhrawardy Udyan. The address became a defining moment in the struggle for independence, inspiring millions with a powerful call for unity, resistance, and the pursuit of freedom and justice. Over the decades, historians and scholars have regarded the speech as one of the most influential political addresses of the twentieth century.

Key Milestones in International Recognition

The process leading to the international recognition of the speech was the result of sustained institutional efforts. During his tenure as Director General of the Bangladesh Film Archive, Dr Mohammad Jahangir Hossain initiated the formal process of documenting and preserving the speech and its historical context. In 2015, the archive submitted a proposal to UNESCO seeking global recognition.

At around the same time, the Department of Film and Publications, under Director General Mohammad Liaquat Ali Khan, also submitted a separate proposal. By March 2016, the initiative had expanded to include the Liberation War Museum as well as the Ministry of Information and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The then Foreign Minister instructed Bangladesh’s ambassador to France and permanent representative to UNESCO to take the necessary steps for inclusion of the speech in the Memory of the World Register.

Following extensive evaluation and verification by UNESCO experts, the organisation formally declared the speech a documentary heritage of humanity in October 2017.

Courageous Preservation During Wartime

Equally remarkable is the story of how the original audio and visual recordings of the speech were preserved during the turbulent period of 1971. The filming was undertaken by a small group of dedicated personnel from the then Film Division, now the Department of Film and Publications. Despite immense political tension, they decided to record the historic event, ensuring that future generations would witness this defining moment.

After the military crackdown in Dhaka on 25 March 1971, there were grave concerns that the occupying forces might destroy the footage. Director Mohibbur Rahman Khayer ordered that the recordings be secretly moved to safety. Cameraman Amzad Ali Khandakar undertook the dangerous task of transporting the material across the Buriganga River and eventually hiding it in a rural location in Munshiganj.

The recordings were concealed inside a steel trunk along with other important historical film materials. Only after the country achieved independence were the materials retrieved and returned to official archives.

The film reels faced another threat following the political upheaval of 1975, when conspirators attempted to locate and destroy the footage. Dedicated archive staff secretly concealed the original picture and sound negatives in a different film container within the film library, ensuring their survival.

Today, the original recording equipment used to capture the speech, including the sound recorder and camera, remains preserved by the Department of Film and Publications. The recognition by UNESCO ensures that this powerful declaration of freedom will continue to inspire future generations and remind the world of the enduring struggle for justice and self-determination.

Author: Political researcher and analyst