Sheikh Mujibur Rahman(17 March 1920 – 15 August 1975) was a preeminent Bengali nationalist leader of Bangladesh. He headed the Awami League and was the first President of Bangladesh during the Bangladesh Liberation War, and later became Prime Minister in independent Bangladesh. He is popularly referred to as Sheikh Mujib (shortened as Mujib or Mujibur, not Rahman), with the honorary title of Bangabandhu. His eldest daughter, Sheikh Hasina, is the present leader of the Awami League and the current Prime Minister of Bangladesh.
On 26 March 1971, he was arrested by the Pakistan
Army in the early hours of Operation Searchlight.
During his nine-month detention, guerrilla war erupted between Pakistan Army and Bengali nationalists. An all-out war between the Pakistan Army and Bangladesh-India Allied Forces led to the liberation of Bangladesh and its founding as an
independent nation in 1971.
During his nine-month detention, guerrilla war erupted between Pakistan Army and Bengali nationalists. An all-out war between the Pakistan Army and Bangladesh-India Allied Forces led to the liberation of Bangladesh and its founding as an
independent nation in 1971.
After his release, Mujib assumed office as a provisional president, and
later prime minister. Even as a constitution was adopted that proclaimed
a secular democracy,
Mujib struggled to address the challenges of intense poverty and
unemployment in the country, coupled with rampant corruption. In the
aftermath of the 1974 famine and amidst rising political agitation, he banned other political parties and most of the newspapers, except for four that were owned by the state. He established a one-party state. Seven months later, Mujib was assassinated
by a group of junior army officers on 15 August 1975, along with most
of his family. After the coup, a military government was established.
Unrest over continuing denial of democracy spread across Pakistan and
Mujib intensified his opposition to the disbandment of provinces. In
1966, Mujib proclaimed a 6-point plan titled Our Charter of Survival at a national conference of opposition political parties at Lahore
in which he demanded self-government and considerable political,
economic and defence autonomy for East Pakistan in a Pakistani
federation with a weak central government. According to his plan:
- The constitution should provide for a Federation of Pakistan in its true sense on the Lahore Resolution and the parliamentary form of government with supremacy of a legislature directly elected on the basis of universal adult franchise.
- The federal government should deal with only two subjects: defence and foreign affairs, and all other residuary subjects shall be vested in the federating states.
- Two separate, but freely convertible currencies for two wings should be introduced; or if this is not feasible, there should be one currency for the whole country, but effective constitutional provisions should be introduced to stop the flight of capital from East to West Pakistan. Furthermore, a separate banking reserve should be established and separate fiscal and monetary policy be adopted for East Pakistan.
- The power of taxation and revenue collection shall be vested in the federating units and the federal centre will have no such power. The federation will be entitled to a share in the state taxes to meet its expenditures.
- There should be two separate accounts for the foreign exchange earnings of the two wings; the foreign exchange requirements of the federal government should be met by the two wings equally or in a ratio to be fixed; indigenous products should move free of duty between the two wings, and the constitution should empower the units to establish trade links with foreign countries.
- East Pakistan should have a separate militia or paramilitary forces.
1970 Elections and Independence:
A major coastal cyclone
struck East Pakistan in 12 November 1970, leaving hundreds of thousands
dead and millions displaced. Bengalis were outraged and unrest began
because of what was considered the weak and ineffective response of the
central government to the disaster.
Public opinion and political parties in East Pakistan blamed the
governing authorities as intentionally negligent. The West Pakistani
politicians attacked the Awami League for allegedly using the crisis for
political gain. The dissatisfaction led to divisions within the civil
services, police and Pakistani Armed Forces.
In the Pakistani general elections held
in 7 December 1970, the Awami League under Mujib's leadership won a
massive majority in the provincial legislature, and all but two of East
Pakistan's quota of seats in the new National Assembly, thus forming a clear majority.
The largest and most successful party in the western wing of the nation was the Pakistan Peoples Party headed by Zulfikar Ali Bhutto. He was completely opposed to Mujib's demand for greater autonomy.Bhutto threatened to boycott the assembly and oppose the government if Mujib was invited by Yahya Khan
(then president of Pakistan) to form the next government and demanded
inclusion of the PPP. Much of the Pakistani military and the Islamic
political parties opposed Mujib's becoming Pakistan's prime minister. At
the time neither Mujib nor the Awami League had explicitly advocated
political independence for East Pakistan, but smaller nationalist groups
were demanding independence for Bangladesh.
Bhutto feared civil war, and sent a secret message to Mujib and his inner circle to arrange a meeting with them.Hassan met with Mujib and persuaded him to form a coalition government
with Bhutto. They decided that Bhutto would served as President, with
Mujib as Prime minister. These developments took place secretly and none
of the Pakistan Armed Forces personnel were kept informed. Meanwhile,
Bhutto increased the pressure on Yahya Khan to take a stand on
dissolving the government.
Liberation War, 1971:
Following political deadlock, Yahya Khan delayed the convening of the
assembly – a move seen by Bengalis as a plan to deny Mujib's party,
which formed a majority, from taking charge. It was on 7 March 1971 that
Mujib called for independence and asked the people to launch a major
campaign of civil disobedience and organised armed resistance at a mass gathering of people held at the Race Course Ground in Dhaka.
"The struggle now is the struggle for our emancipation; the struggle now is the struggle for our independence. Joy Bangla!..Since we have given blood, we will give more blood. God-willing, the people of this country will be liberated...Turn every house into a fort. Face (the enemy) with whatever you have."
Following a last-ditch attempt to foster agreement, Yahya Khan
declared martial law, banned the Awami League and ordered the army to
arrest Mujib and other Bengali leaders and activists. The army launched Operation Searchlight
to curb the political and civil unrest, fighting the nationalist
militias that were believed to have received training in India. Speaking
on radio even as the army began its crackdown, Mujib asked his fellows
to create resistance against Pakiskani Army of occupation by a telegraph
at midnight on 26 March 1971:
"[The] Pakistan Army have suddenly attacked the Pilkhana EPR Headquarter and tha Rajarbag Police Line as well as killed many innocents in Dhaka. The battle has started in various places of Dhaka and Chittagong. I am asking help to all the nations of this world. Our freedom fighters are valiantly fighting against the foes to save their motherland. In the name of Almighty Allah my last request and order to you all is to fight for independence till death. Ask your brothers of Police, EPR, Bengal Regiment and Ansar to fight with you. No compromise, the victory is ours. Execute the last foe from our holy motherland. Carry my message to all the leaders, activists and the other patriots from the every corner of the country. May Allah bless you all. Joy Bangla." – from Shadhinota Shongrame Bangali by Aftab Ahmad
Assassination:
Main article: Assassination of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman
On 15 August 1975, a group of junior army officers invaded the presidential residence with tanks and killed Mujib, his family and personal staff. Only his daughters Sheikh Hasina Wajed and Sheikh Rehana, who were visiting West Germany, escaped. They were banned from returning to Bangladesh.
The coup was planned by disgruntled Awami League colleagues and
military officers, which included Mujib's colleague and former
confidanté Khondaker Mostaq Ahmad, who became his immediate successor. There was intense speculation in the media accusing the US Central Intelligence Agency of having instigated the plot.
Lawrence Lifschultz has alleged that the CIA was involved in the coup
and assassination, basing his assumption on the then US ambassador in
Dhaka Eugene Booster.
Mujib's death plunged the nation into many years of political
turmoil. The coup leaders were soon overthrown and a series of
counter-coups and political assassinations paralysed the country. Order was largely restored after a coup in 1977 gave control to the army chief Ziaur Rahman. Declaring himself President in 1978, Ziaur Rahman signed the Indemnity Ordinance, giving immunity from prosecution to the men who plotted Mujib's assassination and overthrow.