Photo : Messenger
Just from the beginning of Pakistan’s journey, the West Pakistanis made a start to rule this country. It is needless to say that East Pakistanis, as well as Bangalees, had no command of this country. Rather they were persecuted, sucked, ignored and victimized of discrimination by the rulers of Pakistan. Despite remaining active against these inhuman and cruel conducts of West Pakistan, two veteran political leaders of the Awami League Hossain Shahid Suhrawardy and Moulana Bhasani could not give a trace of freedom, from these injustices. In fact, after passing away of Hossain Shahid Suhrawardy, Sheikh Mujibur Rahman became main strength of the party. He gave 6 points for the Bangalee’s freedom and organised them in his own charisma on the basis of 6 points. The 6-point was the grant of Bangalee’s freedom from sucking, ignoring and discrimination. The Awami League got absolute majority of Pakistan in the national election of 1970.
It was natural that Sheikh Mujibur Rahman would be the Prime Minister of Pakistan and the responsibility for policy-making would mainly remain in East Pakistan. But President Yahiya Khan and Zulfikar Ali Bhutta could not allow this burning reality. They began various conspiracies against Bangabandhu not to transfer the power to Sheikh Mujib. President Yahiya Khan, even called the Assembly to suspend it for an uncertain time. As a result, the people were awakened with anger. Bangabandhu mentioned the issue of Bangladesh’s independence indirectly in his speech on March 7, 1971. He also said to take for fighting. Before being arrested, Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, soon after getting news of the massacre from Pilkhana EPR camp and Rajarbagh police camp by the Pak army in the dead of night on March 25 in 1971 wrote an independence proclamation and sent it to Chittagong through wireless. Bangabandhu said in his independence proclamation, “My prayer to the Bangalee brothers-sisters and to the world that the Pakistani armies had attacked in the Razarbagh police camp and Pilkhana EPR camp at night and killed thousands of people.
We are fighting against the raider Pakistani army. We need assistance and it may be from any place of the world. In such situation I am giving proclamation of Bangladesh as an independence and sovereign state. You save your motherland with all strengths. Allah Help you”. That proclamation reached the people of the country through Betar and other media very soon.
They, blocking the Highways, Railways and River ways, made obstructions against the regular Pak-armies so that they could not enter the towns and villages. It is learnt that the Jashore cantonment was blocked for some days by the roaring people. As a result, the Pak-army could not enter the Jashore town and other places. Our East Bengal Regiment and police abreast attacked the Pak-bahini but they with their native arms could not stand for long duration against heavy arms’ attack by the occupational Pak-army. The army occupied almost all the districts and subdivisions within 15 to 20 days. They, coming outside of the cantonments killed thousands of armless and innocent people indiscriminately within some days entering in the towns and villages and spoiled prestige thousands of mothers and sisters. The Pak-army also burnt thousands of houses. In fear of their cruel persecution and massacre about one crore people took shelter in India. Meanwhile, the front-line leaders of the Awami league took shelter in India. According to the direction of Bangabandhu they, meeting with Mrs Indra Gandhi the then prime minister of India, took decision to form a government which would organize and direct different operations against Pakistan and above all run the country to show the world that Bangladesh was going right way to establish democracy.
Shadhin Bangladesh government was formed as follows mentioning Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman- the President, Sayeed Nazru Islam-Vice-president, Tajuddin Ahmmad-Prime Minister, Khandakar Mustaque Ahmad-Foreign Minister, Captain Munsoor Ali-Finance Minister, AHM Kamruzzaman-Home Minister, MAG Osmani-Chief of the Mukhi bahani. Sayeed Nazrul Islam brought up the responsibility of President in absence of Bangabandhu.
The government which was elected by 75 million people appeared in the world on April 17 in 1971. The formation of Bangladesh government was an important incident in the history of Bangladesh. A legal government of Bangladesh was immediately needed to fight a well-organized army like Pakistan. And foreign aids would not be available without a legal government.
The struggle of 1971 was a mass-war and was directed by the parliament which was elected by the people in 1970. This was the first time in the history of the world that a parliament through an armed-war direction brought independence to a nation.
If the parliament members of the Awami League would not dare to create the government, the dream of Shadhin Bangla could be destroyed in the very beginning. In fact, then Bangladesh government acquired recognition legally and internationally on 17 April. The responsibility of all managements of liberation war was handed over to the cabinet of the government and Tajuddin Ahmmed was the defense minister in-charge. Bangladesh was divided into 11 sectors for the war management. One sector commander was appointed in every sector. They were—Major Ziaur Rahman and Major Rafiqul Islam-sector1, Chittagong, Hill Tract and Feni; Major Khaled Mosarraf and ATM Haider-sector-2, Comilla, Dhaka and some parts of Faridpur; Major Kazi Safiullah-sector-3, Comilla and some parts of Sylhet; Major Chittaranjan Dutta-sector-4, Sylhet sadar and Hobiganj; Major Mir Shawkat-sector-5, north Sylhet; Wing commander M.K Basher-sector-6, dinajpur and Rangpur; Colonel Nuruzzaman-7, Rajshahi, Pabna and Bagura; Major Osman Choudhury and M.A Manzur-sector-8, Jashore,Kushtia and some parts of Faridpur; Major M.A Jalil-sector-9, Khulna, Barisal and Patuakhali; Major Abu Taher and Squadron leader Hamidullah-sector-10 and 11, Maymanshing and Tangail. The chairman of every sector was a parliament member.
The secretariat was established for management of administration. The secretaries were: Ruhul Kuddus-principal secretary, Abdus Samad-defence secretary, Khandakar Asaduzzaman-finance secretary, Nurul Kader Khan-establishment secretary, Anuarul Haque Khan-information secretary, Toufique Imam-cabinet secretary, Mahabubul Alam Chachi-foreign secretary etc. In that way a full-fledged government which was formed on 17 April started its journey through driving out enemies from the country as well as social-work. Babgladesh government, being united with the government of India kept an outstanding contribution to manage about one crore people’s maintenance who took shelter in India. The government started monthly allowance for Bangalee’s beloved poet Kazi Nazrul Islam.
Most Bangalee diplomats those who were employed in different countries took to Bangladesh side breaking relation with Pakistan. The government of Bangladesh appointed them as the representatives or ambassadors of Bangladesh. They kept an unprecedented role to create world-mass-opinion in favour of Bangladesh. As a result, different countries of the world came forward to assist the liberation war of Bangladesh.
The Bangladesh government in association with the government of India gave military training to students, farmers, labours and many other professional people. The government in the end of the training used to send them inside Bangladesh for fighting. The freedom fighters fought against Pak-bahani under different sectors. They repelled the Pak-armies in different places. On the other hand, the people of the world accepted the government and different countries stood beside Bangalees supporting their logical demand. In the end of November the fight got more intensity due to joining the Indian army in the war with the freedom fighters. The Pak-armies, not to stand in front of the combined army ran away from different war-fields and cantonments. Jashore was the first district that became enemy-free on December 6 in 1971. The Mujibnagare government’s first meeting was held in the town hall maiden of enemy-free Jashore on December 11. The ministers of the cabinet including Tajuddin Ahmmad, Sayeed Nazrul Islam were present in this meeting. The freedom-fighters those came with arms from the war-field and the general people who came from different villages were present in this delightful and painful meeting. This writer was also present in this meeting that was held in the afternoon. The whole country became enemy-free on December 16 in 1971. The contribution of India and the then Soviet Union in our liberation war is memorable. They made it easier for the Mujibnagar government to direct with sagacity. Prime Minister Tajuddin Ahmmad holding Bangabandhu’s infallible message and strength in heart kept the mark of sagacity in every action in absence of Bangabandhu. The role of the Mujibnagar government will be written in golden letters of our liberation war.
So, the way of achieving our independence was not smooth and thorn-free. About 30 lakh people of Bangladesh sacrificed their lives, 2 lakh mothers and sisters lost their honors and innumerous intellectuals gave their lives for this hard-earned independence. We always have to keep in mind those, who sacrificed their lives and lost their honors to save our existence and to bring this glittering and delightful day.
The writer is retired Deputy Director of Shilpakala Academy
Messenger/Disha
