We were around 30 years old and completed about a decade of service after passed out of Dhaka University in 1961 enabling us to participate and contribute to the historical process towards achieving the victory on December 16, 1971. In essence, it was the outcome of total war of people in the eastern wing of Pakistan, created by partition of Bengal into India and Pakistan by British in 1947, who rightfully demanded Bengali as a state language of Pakistan that led to the mother language movement 1952, demand for regional autonomy in 1957, 1966 and finally won electoral mandate on December 7, 1970 to defeat Pakistan government and Army thru liberation war 1971 under the leadership of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman.
The fact was people in all walks of life were united to struggle and suffer but won an independent state, which was propelled by movements for independence and socio-economic emancipation in phases over 24 years of Pakistan rule. It was possible for serene academic environment and democratic pursuits in all those years, which should not be minimized, for which electoral victory could be attained in 1970. Bhashani and Sheikh Mujib led political movements under Pakistan period against the Muslim League and other parties in a perfectly multi-party democratic vein vindicated respective ideology.
It was turned turtle by then ruling President General Yahiya and newly formed PPP chief Bhutto getting second majority seats in a clique to snatch power from the majority Party Awami League leader Bangabandhu in National Assembly in 1971.
It was resisted spontaneously by the people of erstwhile East Pakistan as we were expecting after the free and fair election that gave landslide victory verdict of the majority to Awami League in National and Provincial Assemblies led by Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman for assuming power.
General Yahiya termed Sheikh Mujib as the future Prime Minster in Dhaka on March 16, 1971. Talks commenced and ended without any tangible result. At that time elected leaders of other provinces of West Pakistan were also present who expressed solidarity with majority leader Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib. Khan Abdul Wali Khan of National Awami Party from NWFP expressed his apprehension he knew Bhutto from his student life who could go to any length to satisfy his lust for power. It came true.
Bhutto-Yahiya bought time in the name of talks, prepared and attacked unarmed Bengalis, Police and EPR in Dhaka and in cantonments at Chittagong, Comilla and Jessore on March 25, 1971. Bangabandhu was arrested that night.
This resulted in rebellion of Bengali armed forces against Pakistan. In the evening of March27, Major Ziaur Rahman urged the people over Radio to join the freedom struggle under the leadership of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman.
Indian Parliament passed a resolution to help the peoples struggle in East Bengal on March27. Akash Bani Kolkata instantly covered the news of massacre on March 25 which initiated mobilization of world opinion. The general secretary of Awami League and the Prime Minister during the freedom movement Tajuddin Ahmed met the Indian premier Indira Gandhi on April 4. The swearing ceremony of exile government took place on April 17.
Simultaneously people’s war ensued against Pakistani forces throughout the country and after a 9-month long blood struggle the eastern command of Pakistan Army surrendered to Indian Army on December 16, which is the Victory Day led to emergence of sovereign Bangladesh comprising the territory of erstwhile East Pakistan. True a large number of people took shelter in Indian relief camps; there were opportunists too which were manifested as the exile government returned from India and sat in Dhaka. There were run to
seize sovereign opportunities, posts and positions and abandoned property etc.
The ground reality was people from different strata of society within the country or those from camps were in close cooperation including students, political activists, farmers and workers etc. who waged struggle from respective position. As such, bifurcate the people into freedom fighters came from camps and those were within the country were not at all desirable. Patriotic journalists wrote pointedly which was not heeded but has not lost relevance.
People fought selflessly should not be forgotten. Even now allowances and benefits are awarded to the enlisted freedom fighters by the government, made them a privileged class as compared to the multitude, which discrimination belittling the dignity of people. Of course, those acted as agents in the mischief of Pakistan Army should have been brought to book and tried, instead of making such discrimination polluting the politics and democracy to create vote bank.
There is no point in dividing the national politics between pro- liberation and anti- liberation except selfish aggrandizement or forming alliance/ fronts for election and government unlike our neighboring countries. Look at Kolkata, West Bengal our next door neighbor, where Bangladeshis go in large number on tour and treatment but do not take cognizance of democratic atmosphere prevailing there and follow here as unity of Bengal in geographic and cultural terms cannot be ignored to stop interference of Delhi.
When India did not stand by us in Rohingya crisis for its geo- political interests, the Chief Minister of West Bengal extended warm hands to them in her state. It is to be delved why we cannot revive multi-party democracy we had in 1947 to 1971 in real terms, which West Bengal has with ruling Trinamul Congress, Congress Rahul Gandhi, BJP, Left front with each enjoying electoral base and not subsist on geo-political links.
The root cause of it is corruption, confrontation politics, the absence of democratic culture in campus fuelled ‘Degree inflation’ educated unemployed, which run opposite to the cherished goals of Victory Day for which people sacrificed lives. Let us respond to the call of martyrs to eliminate those and’ stand up for equality, justice and human dignity’.
The writer is a lawyer
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