Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman
Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman
He is the founder of Bangladesh. In 1971 he united the Bangalees and called for the war of liberation. This is why, he is called the father of the nation in Bangladesh.
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My brother's,
I stand before you today with a heart overflowing with grief. You are fully aware of the events that are going on and understand their import. We have been trying to do our best to cope with the situation. And yet, unfortunately, the streets of Dhaka, Chittagong, Khulna, Rajshahi and Rangpur are awash with the blood of our brothers. The people of Bengal now want to be free, the people of Bengal now want to live, and the people of Bengal now want their rights.
What have we done that was wrong? After the elections, the people of Bangladesh voted as one for me, for the Awami League. We were to sit in the National Assembly, draft a constitution for ourselves there, and build our country; the people of this land would thereby get economic, political, and cultural freedom. But it is with regret that I have to report to you today that we have passed through twenty-three tragic years; Bengal's history of those years is full of stories of torture inflicted on our people, of blood shed by them repeatedly. Twenty-three years of a history of men and women in agony!
the history of Bengal is the history of a people who have repeatedly made their highways crimson with their blood. we shed blood in 1952; even though we ware the victors in the elections of 1954 we could not form a government then. In 1958 Ayub khan declared Martial Law to enslave us for the next ten years. In 1966 when we launched the six point movement our boys were shot dead on 7 June. When after the movement of 1969 Ayub khan fell from power and Yahya khan assumed the reins of the government he declared that he would give us a constitution and restore democracy; we listened to him then. A lot has happened since and elections have taken place.
I have met president Yahya Khan. I have made a request to him not only on behalf of Bengal but also as the leader of the party which has the majority in Pakistan; I said to him : "You must hold the session of the National Assembly on 15 January." But he did not listen to me. He listened to Mr. Bhutto instead. At first he said that the meeting would take place in the first week of March. We said, "Fine, we will be taking our seats in the assembly then." I Said we will carry our discussions in the Assembly. I went so far as to say that if anyone came up with an offer that was just, even though we were in the majority we would agree to that offer.
Mr. Bhutto came hare; he carried out discussions with us; he had said that the doors of negotiations had not been shut and that there would be further negotiations. I then had talks with other leaders; I said to them, "Come and sit down with us; let's create a constitution for ourselves through discussions." But Mr. Bhutto declared that if West Pakistan members came here the Assembly would end up as a slaughterhouse. He claimed that whoever came hare would be slaughtered. He said that if anyone showed up here all shops from Peshawar to Karachi would be shut down.
I declared that the assembly would continue to meet. But suddenly on the 1st of March the Assembly was shut down. Mr. Yahya Khan called the Session of the Assembly in his capacity as the president and I declared I would be attending it. Mr. Bhutto said he wouldn't be part of it. Thirty-five members of the assembly came from West Pakistan to take part in its proceedings. But it was dissolved all of sudden. The blame was put on the people of Bengal, the finger was pointed at me!
After the Assembly's session was prorogued, the people of this country protested. I told them, "Observe the General Strike we have called peacefully." I told them, "Shut down all mills and factories." Our people responded to my call. They came to the Streets Spontaneously. They expressed their firm determination to carry out the struggle peacefully.
What have we got in return? Those who brought arms with our money to defend us from external enemies are now using those arms on the poor, -the wretched, -the downtrodden people of the land. Bullets are being aimed at their hearts. We constitute the majority in Pakistan; but whenever we Bengalis have tied to assume power they have used force on us.
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My brother's,
I stand before you today with a heart overflowing with grief. You are fully aware of the events that are going on and understand their import. We have been trying to do our best to cope with the situation. And yet, unfortunately, the streets of Dhaka, Chittagong, Khulna, Rajshahi and Rangpur are awash with the blood of our brothers. The people of Bengal now want to be free, the people of Bengal now want to live, and the people of Bengal now want their rights.
What have we done that was wrong? After the elections, the people of Bangladesh voted as one for me, for the Awami League. We were to sit in the National Assembly, draft a constitution for ourselves there, and build our country; the people of this land would thereby get economic, political, and cultural freedom. But it is with regret that I have to report to you today that we have passed through twenty-three tragic years; Bengal's history of those years is full of stories of torture inflicted on our people, of blood shed by them repeatedly. Twenty-three years of a history of men and women in agony!
the history of Bengal is the history of a people who have repeatedly made their highways crimson with their blood. we shed blood in 1952; even though we ware the victors in the elections of 1954 we could not form a government then. In 1958 Ayub khan declared Martial Law to enslave us for the next ten years. In 1966 when we launched the six point movement our boys were shot dead on 7 June. When after the movement of 1969 Ayub khan fell from power and Yahya khan assumed the reins of the government he declared that he would give us a constitution and restore democracy; we listened to him then. A lot has happened since and elections have taken place.
I have met president Yahya Khan. I have made a request to him not only on behalf of Bengal but also as the leader of the party which has the majority in Pakistan; I said to him : "You must hold the session of the National Assembly on 15 January." But he did not listen to me. He listened to Mr. Bhutto instead. At first he said that the meeting would take place in the first week of March. We said, "Fine, we will be taking our seats in the assembly then." I Said we will carry our discussions in the Assembly. I went so far as to say that if anyone came up with an offer that was just, even though we were in the majority we would agree to that offer.
Mr. Bhutto came hare; he carried out discussions with us; he had said that the doors of negotiations had not been shut and that there would be further negotiations. I then had talks with other leaders; I said to them, "Come and sit down with us; let's create a constitution for ourselves through discussions." But Mr. Bhutto declared that if West Pakistan members came here the Assembly would end up as a slaughterhouse. He claimed that whoever came hare would be slaughtered. He said that if anyone showed up here all shops from Peshawar to Karachi would be shut down.
I declared that the assembly would continue to meet. But suddenly on the 1st of March the Assembly was shut down. Mr. Yahya Khan called the Session of the Assembly in his capacity as the president and I declared I would be attending it. Mr. Bhutto said he wouldn't be part of it. Thirty-five members of the assembly came from West Pakistan to take part in its proceedings. But it was dissolved all of sudden. The blame was put on the people of Bengal, the finger was pointed at me!
After the Assembly's session was prorogued, the people of this country protested. I told them, "Observe the General Strike we have called peacefully." I told them, "Shut down all mills and factories." Our people responded to my call. They came to the Streets Spontaneously. They expressed their firm determination to carry out the struggle peacefully.
What have we got in return? Those who brought arms with our money to defend us from external enemies are now using those arms on the poor, -the wretched, -the downtrodden people of the land. Bullets are being aimed at their hearts. We constitute the majority in Pakistan; but whenever we Bengalis have tied to assume power they have used force on us.
NEXT PAGE >>
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