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Liberation War and Bangabandhu

A.K.M Mozammel Huq
Despite emerging victorious in the election of 1970, the Pakistani military junta did not allow Bangabandhu to ascend to the seat of power. The people of East Pakistan became very angry in this situation. In this backdrop, Bangabandhu delivered his historic speech at a huge
public meeting held in the then racecourse ground (now Suhrawardy Udyan) on 7 March 1971. Many people thought that Bangabandhu would declare independence on 7 March. But Yahya Khan jeopardised Bangabandhu’s position by calling for a round-table meeting on 25 March while claiming that the problem would be resolved through discussions.
In fact, this address was an indirect declaration of independence as well as directive for a war. He did not declare independence directly during his 7 March speech, so that Pakistan could not carry out propaganda against Bangladesh’s independence movement by dubbing it as a secessionist one. In my view, it was the greatest speech having diplomatic farsightedness in world history.
At the start of his best diplomatic and most farsighted speech, Bangabandhu mentioned about the 23 years' history of Pakistani exploitations. These included: the failure of his party to remain in office despite winning the 1954 election; the language movement, the 6-points movement, the Agartala Conspiracy Case, etc. He reviewed the overall perspective of his address, explained his own role and position. He shed light on the role of the West Pakistani politicians. He called for the lifting of martial law. He issued instructions for facing the repression and military aggression. He announced the decision to continue all-out strike in East Pakistan till realization of the demands. He brought forth these themes to the public.
He spelt out some clear decisions:
a) Build up fortresses in all houses.
b) Set up action councils under the leadership of Awami League to carry on the struggle in every neighbourhood, village, union and subdivision, and remain prepared with whatever they possessed.
c) “Since we have shed blood, we shall shed more blood. But we shall free the people of this land by the grace of Allah”!
d) “We shall deprive them of food, we will deprive them of water”.
e) “You remain in barracks, nobody will tell you anything”.
f) “Even if I am not around to give orders you will have to face the enemy with whatever you possess”.
g) “The struggle this time is for our emancipation! The struggle this time is for independence”!
He declared independence during this speech in such a manner that the world community could not dub him a secessionist; on the other hand, he articulated complete instructions for a guerrilla war.
In fact, this speech was an outburst against the exploitations of previous 23 years. Although the people of East Pakistan were the majority in terms of population, the power to role remained with the West Pakistanis. The West Pakistanis exploited the Bangalis of this land for almost 24 years through repressions and discriminations. Although the lion’s share of foreign exchange earned by Pakistan was from East Pakistan, the province got a meagre share from it. The people of East Pakistan waged a 23 year-long struggle under the leadership of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman against the excessive political and economic discriminations practiced against them by the West Pakistanis.
The far-sighted leader Bangabandhu could realize and decide in 1948 that the Bangalis must be freed from exploitations, and a free and sovereign country must be carved out for the Bangalis. He started to work with this goal in mind and founded the Chhatra League on 4 January 1948. He was arrested and imprisoned on 11 March 1948 while participating in the movement for making Bangla a state language; he was then elected joint secretary of Awami Muslim League after its founding on 23 June 1949 while he was still in jail. After
coming out of prison, he transformed Awami League into a powerful organization after assuming the responsibility of its acting general-secretary. In 1954, the Jukto Front (United Front) achieved unprecedented success in the election under the leadership of Haque-Bhashani-Suhrawardy and the youthful leader Sheikh Mujib. But very soon, by instigating a riot with the backing of Pakistani intelligence forces between the Bangalis and Biharis at Adamjee Jute Mills of Narayanganj, Sher-e-Bangla A K Fazlul Haque was removed from the position of chief minister and Bangabandhu was arrested from his residence and taken to jail. Bangabandhu repeatedly warned the Pakistanis through his speeches in the Pakistan National Assembly during 1956-58 and vehemently protested the tortures, exploitations and discriminations against the Bangalis in a firm voice. He also noted in the Pakistan Assembly that the Bangalis would be forced to think and decide otherwise if the exploitations and discriminations were not stopped.
The Pakistani vested coteries foresaw the possibility of Awami League’s victory and the defeat of Muslim League in the general election of Pakistan in 1958. They therefore made arrangement for silencing the voice of the Bangalis for good by imposing martial law and imprisoned many political leaders including Bangabandhu after arresting them.
After coming out of jail in 1962, Bangabandhu started to rebuild the banned Awami League. He began to execute a plan to make Bangladesh independent through an armed war by forming a nucleus for independence via the Chhatra League. With that same goal, he started to motivate the Bangalis towards freedom by announcing the 6-points for survival of the Bangalis in 1966. Three years after his arrest in 1966, the Pakistanis made final arrangement in 1969 for silencing him for good by hanging him in the gallows through filing the so-called ‘Agartala Conspiracy Case’. However, after freeing him from jail in 1969, the then convener of students’ action council Tofail Ahmed decorated him with the title ‘Bangabandhu’ on behalf of the council in presence of over 1 million people at Suhrawardy Udyan. The Pakistani army chief General Yahya Khan seized power at that time and declared Martial Law following the ouster of the so-called ironman of Pakistan Field Marshal Ayub Khan through the backdoor. Yahya Khan announced the holding of national election of Pakistan in 1970 with the precondition of acceptance of a Legal Framework Order (LFO). Bangabandhu gave his consent to participate in the election.
When we, a majority of the Chhatra League leadership, vehemently opposed participation in election by accepting the LFO, Bangabandhu said after summoning us, “This election is not for going to power. You continue your job by considering this election as a referendum on independence. Tell people clearly in public meetings, there would be a 1-point (or independence) movement if the 6-points are not accepted. Utilise the election as the best opportunity for creating public opinion. The leader of the Bangalis would also be decided through this election. If the Bangalis cast their verdict in my favour, then I know how to throw the LFO into the Sindh River after crossing the Buriganga. Independence is our ultimate objective. Continue your work by reposing faith in me. I do not want to die as a betrayer -1 want to uphold the honour of the Bangalis keeping my head high after freeing the country” (almost in Toto).
The main theme of LFO was that, none would be allowed to speak about regionalism or discrimination and the constitution of Pakistan was to be framed within 180 days. In case of failure to do so, the parliament would be dissolved automatically. Therefore, the Pakistani military had the notion that no party would be able to win absolute majority and the constitution would not be framed within 180 days. In that case, they would be able to make martial law permanent by putting blame on the political leaders.
Proving all notions and secret reports of the Pakistanis wrong, the Bangali nation gifted Bangabandhu with 167 out of 169 seats of Bangla and elected him as the supreme leader of the Bangali nation. This historic and memorable verdict of the people was an expression of support for the great liberation war. And Bangabandhu was given the singular mandate to declare independence. Many claim themselves to be the declarer of independence now-a-days. But apart from Bangabandhu, none had the legal right to declare independence, nor did they have credibility.
Millions of people descended on Dhanmondi Road-32 to convey greetings to Bangabandhu on his birthday on 17 March 1971. At that time, I informed Bangabandhu about the conspiracy by the Pakistani army to bring the arms stored with the Second East Bengal Regiment in Joydebpur by disarming the regiment on the pretext that there was a dearth of arms at Kurmitola (Dhaka) Cantonment. When I wanted to know what we should do under the circumstances, Bangabandhu roared back like a tiger, “You are a fool, what have you learnt that I shall have to tell you”? After pacing up and down, he said in an angry voice, “The Bangali soldiers must not be disarmed. Resist at the cost of anything.” We therefore got the orders from our leader.
On Friday, 19 March 1971, the Pakistani invading forces led by Brigadier Jahanzeb suddenly went to Joydebpur (Gazipur) to disarm the Second East Bengal Regiment. At this time, the workers and masses of machine tools factory, diesel plant and ordnance factory assembled at Joydebpur from all sides with sticks, choppers, chisels, sickles, double-barreled guns etc. They erected a huge barricade by placing carriages of cargo trains, useless railway tracks, slippers, logs of large trees, wood, bamboo, bricks etc. at the Joydebpur rail-gate. Five barricades were erected from Joydebpur up to the road-junction, so that the Pakistani forces could not return with the arms. The second-in-command of the Second East Bengal Regiment Major K M Shafiullah (later army chief) was ordered to open fire on the people. When the Bengal Regiment soldiers started to come forward by firing towards the sky instead of firing at the people, we took up position at the present-day Gazipur Central Jame Mosque. Then we took turns to fire bullets on the army with our guns and Chinese Rifles.
When we were putting up barricades, a convoy was arriving in Joydebpur from Tangail with rations. The masses blocked that ration-vehicle. The Chinese Rifles and LMGs of 5 soldiers were snatched. Meanwhile, Brigadier Jahanzeb ordered the Second East Bengal Regiment to remove the barricades from the rail-gate.
Some Bangalis were martyred and hundreds of heroic people were wounded by the firing of Pakistani forces at Joydebpur. Now, the sculpture ‘Jagrata Chowrangi’ has been installed at the junction of four roads.
The next day, Bangabandhu mentioned about the Pakistani attack of 19 March during talks with General Yahya Khan; Yahya Khan then remarked that the people of Joydebpur had attacked the Pakistani forces with modern weaponry and Chinese Rifles, as a result of which many Pakistani soldiers were injured.
After 19 March, slogans were raised throughout Bangladesh, “Tread the path of Joydebpur -Make Bangladesh Independent”, “Take the path of Joydebpur - Start the armed war”.
In such a backdrop, the Pakistani invading forces started the most barbarous genocide in history under the ‘Operation Searchlight’ throughout Bangladesh, including Dhaka, on the dark night of 25 March. Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman declared independence via EPR wireless from his historic road-32 residence at Dhanmondi (now Bangabandhu Bhaban) at midnight, i.e. early hours of 26 March. That declaration of independence in English was as follows:
“This may be my last message, from today Bangladesh is independent. I call upon the people of Bangladesh wherever you might be and with whatever you have, to resist the army of occupation to the last. Your fight must go on until the last soldier of the Pakistan occupation army is expelled from the soil of Bangladesh and final victory is achieved”.
The Mujibnagar Government or the first Government of the People’s Republic of Bangladesh was constituted on 10 April 1971 at Mujibnagar of Meherpur by making Bangabandhu the President and supreme commander of the liberation war with the objective of giving final shape to his declaration of independence. Syed Nazrul Islam was made the Vice-President cum acting President in Bangabandhu's absence; Tajuddin Ahmad became the Prime Minister; Captain Mansur Ali, A H M Qamaruzzaman and the murderer Mostaq were made cabinet members, and General MAG Osmany was made the military chief. The Mujibnagar Government was formally sworn-in on 17 April 1971. Under the leadership of the Mujibnagar Government, the valiant freedom fighters liberated Bangladesh by fighting heroically and defeating the Pakistani forces. The barbaric Pakistani forces carried out indiscriminate killings and tortures during this 9 month-long war. Three million Bangalis were martyred and 200 thousand mothers and sisters lost their honour as a result. This 9 month-long armed war came to an end through the surrender of the Pakistani invading forces to the Muktibahini and allied forces at Suhrawardy Udyan on 16 December 1971. We salute the valiant martyrs on the occasion of this great Independence and National Day. At the same time, we express our abhorrence for the barbaric Pakistani forces, all anti-independence Pakistani collaborators and war-criminals.
Joi Bangla.
Joi Bangabandhu. □
Translation: Dr. Helal Uddin Ahmed