She with deep gratitude recalled Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman.
She also paid her tributes to four national leaders, three million martyrs, two hundred thousand dishonoured women of the War of Liberation, and the greatest sons of the soil - the freedom fighters whose supreme sacrifices made independent-sovereign Bangladesh.
Expressing gratitude, she recalled those foreign states and friends, who had extended their support to Bangladesh during the Liberation War in 1971.
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Under the undaunted leadership of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib, the Bangali nation got prepared for independence through the Language Movement of 1948-'52, the Education Movement of 1962, the Six-point Demand of 1966, and the Eleven-point Movement and Mass Upsurge of 1969, she said.
The Awami League secured an absolute majority in the whole of Pakistan during the general elections of 1970, she said, adding that, however, Pakistanis did not allow the Bangali nation to assume power.
The Father of the Nation realized that the oppression, persecution, and deprivation meted out to the Bangali nation would not be ended without achieving independence, she said.
Accordingly, on the historic March 7 of 1971, Bangabandhu in front of a million people at the then Race Course Maidan firmly pronounced: “The struggle this time is a struggle for our emancipation, the struggle this time is a struggle for independence."
At the call of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib, a country-wide non-cooperation movement began, she said, adding that preparation for waging armed struggle also continued.
She further said that on the fateful night of March 25 of 1971, the Pakistani occupation forces launched a brutal onslaught and committed genocide on the innocent and unarmed Bangalis.
"At the early hours of March 26, Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib declared the independence of Bangladesh. The formal War of Independence started. The first government of the People's Republic of Bangladesh with Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman as the president, Syed Nazrul Islam as the vice-president and Tajuddin Ahmad as the prime minister were sworn in on April 17, at the historic Mujibnagar and led the Liberation War," the premier added.
She went on to say that the valiant freedom fighters earned the ultimate victory on December 16 by defeating Pakistani occupation forces and their local collaborators- Razakar, Al-Badr and Al-Sham.
Sheikh Hasina said in just three and a half years of his government, the Father of the Nation rebuilt the war-ravaged country.
"Destroyed roads, bridges, culverts, railways, ports were rebuilt to revive the economy. In just 10 months, our constitution was drafted on the basis of the spirit of the Liberation War under his direction. In 1975, the GDP growth rate exceeded 9%. Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib turned war-ravaged Bangladesh into a 'least developed' country," she continued.
While Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib was advancing to build an exploitation-deprivation-free non-communal democratic 'Sonar Bangla' overcoming all obstacles, the anti-liberation forces brutally killed him along with most of his family members on 15 August 1975, she mentioned.
After the assassination of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, the development and progress of Bangladesh came to a halt, she said, adding that the politics of killing, coup and conspiracy started.
"The assassins and their accomplices promulgated the 'Indemnity Ordinance' to block the trial of this heinous murder in history," she added.
"Getting the public mandate in 1996, Bangladesh Awami League formed the government after 21 years. After assuming the office, we took initiatives to establish Bangladesh as a dignified state in the comity of nations. Through the introduction of social safety-net programs, poor and marginalized people are brought under government allowances," the premier said.
"We made the country self-sufficient in food production with special emphasis on agricultural production. The Ganges Water Sharing Treaty was signed with India in 1996. We signed the historic Peace Accord in 1997 with the aim of establishing peace in the Chittagong Hill Tracts. By repealing the 'Indemnity Ordinance', we started the trial of Bangabandhu murder case," she added.
She further said that by forming governments for three consecutive terms since 2009, Bangladesh Awami League has relentlessly been working for the last 14 years to improve the living standard of the people.
"We are implementing the unfinished tasks of the Father of the Nation. Today, Bangladesh is self-reliant in food production. We are now focusing on ensuring nutrition for the people. Our sovereign rights over a vast area in the Bay of Bengal have been established through the peaceful settlement of maritime disputes with Myanmar and India. The implementation of the Bangladesh-India Land Boundary Agreement has put an end to the protracted inhuman life of the enclave people," she said.
The nation has become free from stigma by executing the verdict of Bangabandhu murder case, she said, adding that the trial of four national leaders has been accomplished.
"The trial of war criminals continues and the verdicts are being executed," she continued.
"We have formulated the Second Perspective Plan for 2021-2041 and are executing the 8th Five-Year Plan. We have started the implementation of the 100-year 'Delta Plan-2100' for the first time in the world. Today, the benefits of 'Digital Bangladesh' have been expanded from urban to remote rural level. The urban facilities are being delivered to every village. All landless-homeless people are being provided houses. No one of Bangladesh will be left homeless," she said.
"A total of 100% of people have been brought under electricity coverage. Per capita income increased to $2,824 now from $543 in 2005-06. We have made impressive progress in every sector of the country. Bangladesh is now a 'Role Model' in every field of socio-economic development, including agriculture, education, health, communication, information technology, industry, trade and commerce," she added.
The premier said that Bangladesh has received the final approval of the United Nations to graduate from a least developed country to a dignified developing nation.
"Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib elevated Bangladesh to a 'least developed' country, and we took the motherland to the row of a 'developing' state on the auspicious occasion of 'Mujib Year' and the Golden Jubilee of our victory," she mentioned.
"Everything we have achieved in the last 51 years since our Independence has been attained by the Father of the Nation and the Awami League," she said.
Sheikh Hasina firmly believed that if this trend of development continues, Bangladesh will be established as a hunger-poverty-free and developed-prosperous country by 2041 as dreamt by Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman.
The establishment of the nation-state 'Bangladesh' through the victory of the War of Liberation on 16 December 1971 was the greatest achievement of the Bangalee nation, she said.
"To make this achievement meaningful, we have to know and let people know about the Greatest Hero of Independence Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib and the War of Liberation," she said.
"We will convey the spirit of the great Liberation War from generation to generation- let this be our pledge on this victory," the premier hoped.
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