Guerrilla fighters of the joint force formed by the National Awami Party (NAP), the Communist Party, and the Chattra Union during the 1971 Liberation War yesterday took an oath to uphold the spirit of the historic struggle for independence.

They made the pledge at the Central Shaheed Minar in Dhaka, where surviving members of the guerrilla force, along with the family members of martyred fighters, gathered to commemorate their wartime sacrifices.

The day-long programme was organised by the NAP–Communist Party–Chattra Union Special Guerrilla Force Coordination Committee.

Reading out the declaration at the gathering, former president of the Communist Party of Bangladesh (CPB) Mujahidul Islam Selim said, "The Liberation War was an armed political struggle built on the active participation, sacrifice, and self-sacrifice of the masses."

Highlighting the collective leadership of political parties and the sacrifices of ordinary people as the driving forces behind victory, Selim recalled the contributions of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman alongside national leaders such as Maulana Abdul Hamid Khan Bhashani, Comrade Moni Singh, Professor Mozaffar Ahmed, Sher-e-Bangla AK Fazlul Huq, and Huseyn Shaheed Suhrawardy.

He also noted that despite achieving victory in 1971, the full realisation of the spirit and achievements of the Liberation War remains incomplete.

"Various vested quarters and political interests are attempting to distort history," he said.

At the programme, guerrilla fighter Mizanur Rahman shared memories of a battle fought on November 11, 1971, in Betiara village against Pakistani forces.

"In that battle, we lost 11 fellow fighters. That struggle, like the entire Liberation War, was made possible by the sacrifices of our martyred comrades and the courage of the masses," he said.

As part of the event, photographs and archival reports published in different media during the Liberation War were displayed at the Shaheed Minar premises.