Dhaka, March 26 -- Awami League General Secretary Obaidul Quader has said that only Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman had the legitimate right to declare independence for Bangladesh, paving the way for the nation's emergence on the world map through victory over Pakistan in the 1971 Liberation War.

As Bangladesh celebrates the 53rd anniversary of its independence on Tuesday, Quader addressed the longstanding controversy stirred by claims that BNP founder Ziaur Rahman had made the historic declaration.

"A debate persists over who officially declared our country's independence, a discussion that has continued for years. In our eyes, merely reading out the declaration does not make one its announcer," Quader said after paying tribute to th...