1/19/2014

HistoryofBengalandBangladesh

PAKISTANERA(1947
PAKISTANERA(1947 1971)

Md Rabiul Haque
University of Dhaka

TimelineofEvents

1948JinnahsDhakaDeclaration
194923June:formationofAwamiMuslimLeague 12PointProgramme
1952 L
1952LanguageMovement
M t
19534December:formationofJuktoFront 21PointProgramme
1954TheGeneralElection:FormationofJuktofrontGovernment
1956FramingoftheFirstConstitutionofPakistan
195727July:formationofNationalAwamiParty
195827October:AyubKhanbecomesPresident
1965SecondIndoPakWar
19662February:6PointProgramme
1968 6 January: announcement of Agartala Conspiracy Case
19686January:announcementofAgartalaConspiracyCase
1969MassUprising;AyubResigns,Yahyaassumespower
1970Generalelection
1971March:EastPakistanattemptstosecede;beginningofLiberationWar;Mujibarrested
197117April:FormalDeclarationofIndependenceofBangladesh;MujibnamedPresident
197134December:PakistanandIndiaatwar
1971 16 December: Pakistan Military Forces in East Pakistan surrender to Indian Armed
Forces, marking Bangladeshi Independence

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JinnahsDhakaDeclaration

OnJanuary4,1948GovernorGeneralof PakistanMohammadAli
Ji
Jinnahdeclaredinaspeechat
hd l di h Dh k h U d
DhakathatUrduwouldbethe
ld b h
only
StateLanguageofPakistan

Thestudentsofthe UniversityofDhaka andother politicalactivists

instantlyprotestedthedecision

Theincidentmarksthebeginningofthelanguage movement,
whichlaterinspiredallothermovementsagainstthePaikstanis

TheLanguageMovement

y The UrduBengali controversy was reignited when Jinnah's successor,

governorgeneral Khawaja Nazimuddin, staunchly defended the "Urdu
only" policy in a speech on 27 January 1952
only
y On 31 January, the Shorbodolio Kendrio Rashtrobhasha Kormi
Porishod (AllParty Central Language Action Committee) was formed in
a meeting at the Bar Library Hall of the University of Dhaka, chaired
by Maulana Bhashani
y The action committee called for an all out protest on 21 February,
including strikes and rallies.
y As the preparation for demonstrations was going on, government
imposed Section 144 in the city of Dhaka, thereby banning any
gatherings of more than four people.
people
y By a quarter past eleven, students gathered at the university gate and
attempted to break the police line. Police fired tear gas shells towards
the gate to warn the students.
y The police arrested several students for violating section 144
y Police opened fire and killed a number of students, including Abdus
Salam, Rafiq Uddin Ahmed, Abul Barkat and Abdul Jabbar.
y Themovementwascontinuednextfewmonths.

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FormationoftheAwami MuslimLeague

In June 1949, the Awami Muslim

League was formed in Dhaka.
It was formed partly to support the
Language Movement but also in protest
against the undemocratic and seemingly
biased attitude of the Pakistan
Government.
Moulana Abdul Hamid Khan Bhashani was
the first President and Shamsul Haq was
appointed
pp the General Secretaryy of the
Awami Muslim League.
In 1955, this party dropped the word
Muslim from its name and came to be
known as the Awami League. It
adopted the path of secularism and non
communalism.

FormationoftheUnitedFront

y Four opposition political parties of East Pakistan formed the Jukto

Front ((United Front)) on 4 December 1953
The Parties Were :

{ Awami League
{ Krishak Praja Party

{ NezameIslam

{ Leftist Ganatantri Dal (Democratic Party)

y The election manifesto of the Front was formulated on the basis

of its 21 point demands.

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The21PointDemand

y Full regional Autonomy for East Pakistan

y The central government should delegate to the eastern province all
subjects
bj except defence,
d f f i affairs
foreign ff i and
d currency.
y Recognition of Bangla as a state language;
y Release of political prisoners;
y Transformation of the then official residence (Burdwan House) of East
Bengal's chief minister into Bangla Academy;
y Construction of Shaheed Minar at the site of the police firing in 1952;
y Declaration of 21 February as a public holiday;
y M
More autonomy for
f Dhaka
Dh k and d Rajshahi
R j h hi universities;
i ii
y Introduction of economic and social rights for industrial workers in
keeping with the principles of ILO;
y Nationalisation of jute production;
y Guarantee of fair prices for commodities and
y Public support for cooperatives and cottage industries.

TheElectionof1954

y In the election, held in March 1954, the ruling Muslim League was
comprehensively
p y defeated byy the JuktoFront
y The United Front won 223 seats out of 309 Muslim seats in the
Assembly, whereas the ruling Muslim League managed to capture
only 9 seats
y The new government was formed with Fazlul Huq as Chief Minister
on 15 May.
y However, the cabinet lasted for only a few weeks
y On 29 May 1954, it was dismissed by the Central Government
y The reason was that a riot in Adamjee Jute Mills and Chandragona
Paper Mills showed that the government could not maintain law
and order.

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TheSixPointsMovement:1966

On 13 February 1966, at the Lahore conference, Sheikh Mujibur Rahman

announced his sixpoint political and economic programme for East Pakistan
provincial autonomy.
p y The Six Points Programme,
g in brief, is as follows:
1. A truer federal type of constitution should be framed for Pakistan on the basis of
the Lahore Resolution. The constitution will be Parliamentary, with elections held
on the basis of universal adult franchise.
2. Central Government shall only deal with Defense and Foreign Affairs; all other
power will rest with the provinces.
3. There will be two separate freely convertible currencies in the two regions of the
country; or one single currency for the whole country with the provision of two
reserve banks in two provinces under a Federal Reserve banks.
4 Control of taxation and revenue collection shall have to be invested in the
4.
federal units. The Federal Government would receive a share from the collection
of the provincial units to meet financial obligations.
5. There should be separate accounts for the foreign exchange of the two regions. If
necessary, the requirement of the Central will be met by the two regions on the
basis of equal rate or as specified in the constitution.
6. The federal states should have the authority to form regional armed forces or
militia or para militia forces to protect the territories.

TheAgartalaConspiracyCase1968

y Government arrested Mujib in January 1968, along with other

civil and military officials.
y They were accused of conspiring at Agartala in India to separate
East Pakistan from Pakistan through an armed revolution with
Indias help.
y A special tribunal was constituted to try the case. But before the
case could be heard, the people of East Pakistan rose in a mass
uprising against Ayub Khan.
y The movement was led by the All Party Student Action
Committee and such was the strength of opposition that the
government was forced to back down and withdraw the case.

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TheMassUprisingof1969

y All Party Struggle council, later came to be known as the Students

Action Committee (SAC) was the pioneer of the movement
y The SAC was formed against the repressive policy of the Pakistan
Government
y They started movements based on an ElevenPoints Plan which
called, among other things, regional autonomy, freedom of speech
and the nationalisation of big mills and factories including banks
and insurances companies.
companies
y Maulana Bhashani was the first among the political leaders to lend
his support to the 11 point demand of the students.
y His call for a Demand Day on December 17 1968 was a
tremendous success.

TheMassUprisingof1969

y In January 1969, there were numerous clashes between police and students.
y The unfortunate deaths of Sergeant Zahurul Haq, and of Dr. Shamsuzzoha,
intensified the movement
y Rioting became so intense that a curfew was imposed in Dhaka
With almost all sections of society students, labourers, peasants, educationists,
thinkers and artists opposing his rule, Ayub Khan was forced to make
concessions:
{ Sheikh Mujibur Rahman was released on 22 February

{ On the same day y the Agartala

g Conspiracy
p y Case was dropped.
pp
{ On 10th March 1969 Ayub Khan invited all political leaders to a round table
conference at Rawalpindi to discuss the constitutional and political problems.
y After the failure of the talks, Ayub Khan was forced to resign and hand over
power to General Agha Mohammed Yahya Khan, Commanderinchief of the
Pakistan Army on 25 March 1969

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The 1970 General Elections

y Yahya was committed to bringing democracy to Pakistan based on one

man, one vote
y From January 1970, various parties began
b campaigning to elect
l a Nationall
Assembly of 307 members. There were 138 seats in West Pakistan and
169 in East Pakistan, reflecting the number of population
y That assembly was to be given 120 days to draw up a new constitution.
y Three days after elections to the assembly, there would be provincial
elections.
y The elections were finally held in December 1970 and January 1971.
y PPP, led by Bhutto, won 88 of the 138 seats in West Pakistan.
y Awami League won 167 of 169 in East Pakistan.
y It also secured 298 out of 310 seats in the East Pakistan Provincial
Assembly.

The1970GeneralElections

y There were two major problems created by the results of the

election;
{ The Awami League had won so many seats that it now had a
majority not only in East Pakistan, but in the National Assembly
as a whole. Although the PPP had won an overwhelming victory
in West Pakistan, it was quite possible for it to have no role in the
government unless the Awami League invited it to share power.
{ Awami League
g had won the election on a p program
g limitingg the
power of central government over the provinces. The call for the
provinces to have control of their foreign exchange earned from
trade would greatly reduce the funds available to the central
government in West Pakistan.