Bangladesh earned its independence through one of the bloodiest wars in history. Millions of people died, evicted from their homes and women were raped during the nine months of war. But the achievement of people is plundered time and again.

It is clear that the freedom fight was the war of laypeople but over the years a certain party established such a narrative that it belonged to them and their leaders. Even worse, by claiming such falsification they ravaged the country through an unimaginable degree of corruption.

Bangladeshi people were enraged when Pakistani rulers ignored their verdict they showed through votes. Unfortunately, after a half a century the people are again deprived of even voting rights altogether. Mirza Fakhrul Islam, the secretary general of Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) rightly said, “If the leaders of any country think they would rule over us, they must know that Bangladesh never accepted such authority. That was not accepted in the Mughal era, not in the British period, and not in the Pakistan period. This won’t happen now as well,”

Fakhrul has proved himself as a politician who is true to democracy. Although his party failed to stop the current government, the latter lost its credibility as BNP was adamant not to join an unacceptable election.

It may be frustrating to see the tyranny is lingering and encroaching its paw to decimate the country, but the war of independence taught us that it needs huge sacrifice, courage, and patience to gain freedom and democracy.

And sustaining the democracy is tougher than achieving it. If one looks back at the 25th of March of 1971, the blackest night in our history, when thousands of people were killed, it was even bleaker than the current situation. One must have felt hopeless with the future.

But the brave nation fought for its pride and freedom. It can do that again.

The Boxer: The author is one of the indefatigable working-class Bangladeshis who have been trying to change the fate of the nation but were betrayed by the ruling elites and autocrats. The name is inspired by a character in George Orwell's 1945 novel Animal Farm.