The prime minister, Sheikh Hasina, exchanges pleasantries with guests at a get-together at Ganabhaban in Dhaka on Saturday. —New Age photo

The prime minister, Sheikh Hasina, Saturday said the struggle was not over yet and it would continue until the anti-liberation forces and their protectors would remain engaged in playing game with the fate of people.
‘Although the country achieved independence over 40 years ago, the struggle is still on. Our spirit of independence got dampened after the killing of the Father of the Nation,’ she said addressing a seminar on Sheikh Mujib’s historic March 7 speech at Suhrawardy Udyan (then Race Course Maidan).
Sheikh Mujibur Rahman Memorial Museum organised the seminar at the Osmani Memorial Auditorium in the city.
Member secretary of Bangabandu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman Memorial Trust Sheikh Hafizur Rahman delivered the welcome speech.
Professor Ashraf Hossain of Dhaka University English Department presented the keynote speech while professor Abul Hasan Chowdhury of Kusthia Islamic University’s Bangla Department and professor Shafi Ahmed of Jahangirnagar University’s English Department took part in the discussion.
Sheikh Mujibur Rahman Memorial Museum curator and member of the Memorial Trust Syed Siddiqur Rahman delivered the vote of thanks.
After the August 15, 1975, Hasina mentioned, the anti-liberation forces became so powerful that they started distorting the history of the country’s liberation war and independence.
Regarding the appeal of the historic March 7 speech of Mujib, she said, ‘The historic March 7 speech is still live and logical as we’ll have to have our hopes and aspirations fulfilled based on the spirit of the independence.’
About the war crimes trial, Hasina mentioned that the government had started the trial of the war criminals and it would be completed.  ‘Many quarters who don’t believe in the liberation are out to save the war criminals, but they won’t succeed,’ she categorically said.
She requested all the pro-liberation forces to come forward and get united against the evil-design of the anti-liberation forces. ‘Time has come for us to be united…we’ll have to implement the directives of the Father of the Nation given in the historic March 7 speech,’ she said.
Hasina said the March 7 speech of Mujib was the most-listened speech in the world and this would remain evergreen in the future as well.
She asked the new generation to know the real history of the country and the liberation war. ‘You’ve to know how the country achieved its independence and who led the country towards independence.’