Bangabandhu and Bangladesh, By Dr. Faizul Islam

Bangabandhu and Bangladesh

Dr. Faizul Islam

 

The life of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman started in a very simple and unremarkable way. He was born on 17th March 1920 in the village of Tungipara of FaridPur. After his matriculation, he was admitted to Kolkata Islamia College, where he was influenced by the political and social situation around him. From his early life he was always outspoken and raised his voice against oppression. He met with many renowned leaders of Bengal. Above all he had a very close relationship with the Chief Minister of Bengal, the Oxford-educated lawyer H. S. Shahrawardy. He travelled to many parts of Bengal with him in the hope of Independence and to resolve the Hindu Muslim sectarian conflict.

 

After the Independence of Pakistan the ruling Muslim League Government changed the political ethos completely. They were prevailing to adopt Muslim law in the country instead of secularism. The Governor General of Pakistan, Mr Jinnah, said in a meeting at Dhaka that Urdu and Urdu alone would be the state language of Pakistan, even though 55% of the population spoke Bengali. Sheikh Mujibur Rahman and his colleagues opposed this and protested with the student movement across the whole country. He was arrested with many others. The police killed many students on 21st February 1952 in Dhaka when the students went to break the 144 government rules.

In 1953 he was elected first joint secretary of the Awami League and took a very active role in the decision-making politics against undemocratic activities. He was elected as a provincial MP in 1954 and became a Minister at the age of only 34. However due to conspiracy and central government mishandling continuously interrupting fundamental democracy, when his political mentor H.S. Shahrawardy became the Prime Minister of Pakistan, he joined the central ministry which lasted for only a year.

 

Military ruler General Ayub Khan arrested him. In 1966 he and his party presented a 6-point programme for the establishment of the rights of East Pakistan but the Government arrested him and all his committee members for conspiracy against Pakistan. They claimed that Sheikh Mujib wanted to separate the country from Pakistan with the collaboration of India. However the students' 11 point movement against the government released him. President Ayub had to resign, handing over power to Army Chief General Yeahia Khan in 1969.  After his release from custody, he was given the title "Bangabandhu" (friend of Bengal) by the All Parties Student Alliance at a big meeting at Palton.

 

Gen Yeahia Khan declared Martial Law and vowed to hold a general election the following year.

 

Our great leader Mujibur travelled the whole country to gain support and unite against West Pakistani exploitation. In the general election the Awami League gained all the seats excepts two in the National Assembly and the Pakistan People's Party led by Zulfiqar Ali Buttu gained the highest number of seats in West Pakistan. General Yeahia declared Bangabandu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman the future Prime Minister of Pakistan and called upon the National Assembly on 3rd March 1971. However, PPP rejected the call and said that those members who joined the Assembly would be punished.

The two-week negotiations between Bangabandhu and other Awami League leaders and West Pakistani leaders and Army Generals in Dhaka failed. There was an army crackdown at midnight on 25th March 1971. The sleeping Bengali people were attacked with machine guns, tanks and combatregiments. They killed thousands of people in Dhaka and other parts of Bangladesh on 25th March 1971. Bangabandu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman declared the Independence of Bangladesh by a telegraphic message to party leader Mr Abdul Hannan before his arrest by the Pakistani Army. Later Mr Hannan read his message at the Kalurhut radio station. On 27th March the then Major Ziaur Rahman also read the Declaration of Independence from the same radio station on behalf of Bangabandu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman.

 

This was the start of our freedom fighting, with minimal resources, against the barbaric occupying Pakistani Army. The freedom fighters were sent to the front with just two to four weeks' training. They fought against the most trained and capable army of the world with their hands on their rifles and the Bangabandu pledge in their souls. This was on 16th December 1971. We were able to force the Pakistani Army to surrender at Dhaka Race Course to the Allied forces and Mukti Bahini's joint commanders.

 

This was how our leader pledged to encourage every Bengali to fight against the Pakistani Army. We were so united that we became successful and gained Independence in a very short period of time. It was only possible thanks to the Bangabandu's Bengali patriotism and strong leadership. Last year when we learned that the results of a BBC World Service survey had shown him to be the greatest among all Bengali scholars, leaders and social scientists, I was far from astonished. According to me and to many others, such a survey should have been carried out long ago.

 

The Founder of the Nation Bangabandu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman was named the 'Greatest Bengali personality among all Bengali Scholars, Political leaders, Scientists, Philosophers and Writers' on the basis of his phenomenal contribution to awaken a nation to rise up against Pakistani colonialism. It is the most prestigious nomination for Bangladeshi people across the world whose leader sacrificed his life for his country. It is a great source of pride for us that he has been respected and acknowledged by the world media.

 

He worked to build his newborn country from scratch until he was brutally killed by the ousted army on 15th August 1975. It was disgraceful that traitors and foreign agents killed the leader who dedicated his whole life to his people and his country. We are very concerned and worried for the future of our country because these neo- fascist collaborators are trying to rewrite the history of our liberation movement and in so doing besmirch our national pride. They are trying to mislead the country by providing false messages about the history of the struggle against Pakistani imperialism.

 

Today we are still struggling against those supported by the Rajakar and Al Badar who have killed so many of our freedom fighters. This present Alliance Government of Bangladesh has even issued a passport to a self-confessed killer of Bangabandu. So, how can people expect justice in society? There are many political assassinations in Bangladesh but unfortunately there is never any real investigation or charge sheet. A few days ago a renowned scholar and former under-secretary of UNO and the ex-finance minister, ASM S Kibria MP, and Ahsan Ullah Master MP were killed and a grenade attack at an Awami League meeting on 21st August 2004 shockingly killed 22 people. There has been no real progress in the investigation. The real killers were never convicted. The whole country is now under the hand of miscreants and fundamentalist terrorists and political muscleman. The public wants peace and prosperity but the opportunistic and power hungry jeopardise all hope and efforts. The country is daily moving towards a civil war due to the visionless so-called politicians, who want a family empire ruling the country. People are feeling insecure and businessmen have to pay ransoms to the touts, so-called party cadres and armed terrorists. Lawlessness is one of the country's prime problems, which hampers the development and prosperity of Bangladesh. Today the country needs strict and honest politicians and a fully accountable political practice to establish a genuine democratic society. I think this was the vision of Bangabandu when he dreamed about a Bengali Nation.

 

The whole nation astonishingly experienced a big political catastrophe after the departure of the last Four Party Alliance, Khaleda Zia's government. This caused great turmoil. All the political parties demanded an impartial Election Commission and a Caretaker Government but the alliance government did not respond to the voice of the people. This created anarchy in the country. The whole country was heading for a civil war. In the circumstances the patriotic armed forces made a historic intervention on 1st November 2007. They took action against all corrupt politicians, bureaucrats and businesspersons. They established an independent Judiciary, Election Commission, Anti-Corruption Commission and Public Service Commission, which all the political Governments ignored. They used these institutions for their own purposes. They made the country a corrupt and failed nation. Now the people of Bangladesh can expect a free and fair election and accountability. Our beloved great leader Bangabandu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman dreamed of this when he aimed to make the country a 'Shonar Bangla' (Golden Bengal). It seemed in vain after his assassination in 1975. He had fought his whole life long against autocracy, corruption and nepotism. Nevertheless, it had been denied by all sectors, even by his own followers, who used his name and fame for their own personal benefits.

 

Our Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina pledged in her election manifesto to develop a digital Bangladesh for 2021 when the country will celebrate the Golden Jubilee of Bangladesh. She is trying to realise her father's dream of building Bangladesh as a Middle Income country by changing the governmental infrastructure and introducing a corruption-free administration. However, this has been very difficult for her within a short period of time, especially as her present administration was inherited from the previous government, many of whose members are treacherous and unreliable. For the last two years the caretaker government has made it difficult as well. She now needs to make a lot of changes in her administration in order to build on her achievements so far. Despite the threat of terrorism, crime, unrest, conspiracy, sabotage and repeated attempts to derail her commitment, she is admirable for her tenacity and her unwavering commitment. She is determined to make Bangladesh a middle income country in the digital age, with a strong educational infrastructure for everyone, financial stability and fully enfranchised citizens. We have faith that her strong leadership and long experience will make these ambitions a reality in the not too distant future. This will realise the dreams of her father, Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, of Shonar Bangla (Golden Bangladesh)

 

She is also to be praised for the fact that it was her government that started the Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman's murder trial. On 19th November 2009 the Supreme Court upheld the historic verdict of death by hanging for all the assassins. Now the whole nation is waiting to see the implementation of the verdict.