Bangladesh
In The Name Of The People
PRELUDE TO INDEPENDENCE |
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Under construction
NOVO July 8th 2000 The East and West Pakistan were not equal partners in the new Islamic nation. Even though Bengal had intellectual leadership, and the greater population, power rested in the hands of West Pakistan. The capital of Pakistan was at Karachi (later moved to Islamabad) in West Pakistan. The government, economy and military and the whole infrastructure of Pakistan was under the control of the West Pakistanis. From the very begining, there was discrimination. The leaders in West Pakistan started a colonial attitude with the East. The East was made into a subordinate state. The capital (factories, raw materials, food) of the East was to serve the west. There was taxation in Bangla but little development or social programs in Bangla. Only one fourth of the government funds were spent in East Pakistan. The Bengalis were also kept from better jobs. What was left of Bangla economy after the ravaging British left was wiped out during this time by the West Pakistanis. Gradually a racist notion emerged in West Pakistan. Since Bangalees (Bangladeshis) retained their older customs and traditions, the West thought them as Hindu-inclined or Hindu. They thought of Bengalees as inferior. The distance between the East and West far outgrew their geographical distance. From the formation of Pakistan, the history of Bangla is pockmarked with harsh and brutal treatment from the army and police. Pakistan saught to change Bangla by force, declaring most of its customs as Hindu. Within 5 years of the division, the imperial attitude of Pakistan (West Pakistan) became very apparent, when West Pakistanis tried to supplant their culture in Bangla. Girls were asked not to wear tip (vindiya or red dot) on their foreheads. Many Bangla words were declared Hindu and Urdu words were supplanted (as in the case of water). Tagore festivals (Nobel laurette Robindronath Thakur's litterature) were banned because he was a Hindu (of course defied). In 1952, General Yahia Khan, the Chief Marshal (from West Pakistan) declared Urdu (spoken by 4% of Pakistan and all in West Pakistan) as the state language of all Pakistan, ignoring the Bangalees (East Pakistan), whose language, Bangla, was the largest in Pakistan (spoken by 75 million). The people of Bangla did not stand for it and a language movement started. This was most intense in the Universities. On 8th Falgun (21st February) 1952, West Pakistani police and paramilitary forces openned fire on demonstrating students in the University of Dhaka (called the Oxford of the East). They were demanding Bangla also be made as the national language. Several were shot dead. The Pakistanis had hoped that tough action would force Bangalees to accept the inevitable (Urdu). But the movement only intensified into the biggest priority of the nation forcing the Pakistani government to accept Bangla as the second state language of Pakistan in 1954. This bloody event is seen by many as the defining moment for Bangladeshi nationalism. The students and intellectuals of the nation had become fed up with the Pakistani imperialism. (NOTE: Since 1999, 21st of February is now the World Mother Language Day, declared by the UNESCO) There was a lot of communal violence in Bangla especially by Muslim extremists against the tribal peoples of Bangla. The Shaontals, the Chakmas all were brutalized and massacred by the regime and fanatic Muslims. The system of terror continued and intensifiend. The Shaontals defended themselves with just bow and arrow. At times severe attrocities were commited. At one point, as Kazi Abdur Rahim (Mufti) wrote, a whole building of Hindus were burned with the people inside by fanatic P. A. Nazir. In 1958, led by Bengals, Shere Bangla A. K. Fazlul Huq and... formed the Jukto Front. The Jukto Front won the elections that year and was sworn into power. However, they were removed from power by the military after one day. General Ayub Khan declared Martial Law. The struggles continued, the miltary continued to tighten its grip and the Bengals became more and more revolutionary. As time passed Awami League became more and more popular. Their basic principles were Secularism, Socialism, Nationalism and Democracy. It was a moderate left wing group. The other hardcore socialist/communist parties had gone underground at many places. In the Universities the communists dominated. Teachers were mostly communists and most of the students followed Chhatra Union (communist) mainly while some followed Chhatra League (moderate socialists and communists) Then a new name entered Bengal politics that was to have both good and bad results. Sheikh Mujobur Rahman, a gangster made his home in Dhaka College (next to Dhaka University). He started his carreer in extortion and gangsterism. But soon became a big political leader, owing to much to his oratory skills. Some, like Neyemal Bashir had even wondered if Mujib was a CIA spy. Sheikh Mujib gradually rose to power in Awami League and in a way back stabbed Maulana Bhashani, whi was the original leader. Maulana Bhashani was a socialist who had called for separation of Bangla from Pakistan long before most others. Sheikh Mujib gradually became more accepted as a national leader as most did not know of his hoodlum days. In 1970, Sheikh Mujib became a national leader when he became leader of the Awami League. The people were frustrated with Pakistan and saw Mujib as their leader. All other parties became secondary and Sheikh Mujib became the national leader. He was especially made into a national hero when the Awami League won the election of 1970 in a landslide victory. Many credit Sheikh Mujib for the victory and so had made him a national hero but that was not the case. If John Doe from a one horse town had been the leader of Awami League, it would have made no difference. All the country was behind one national front, which happened to be Awami League. Of this election, Rajuddin Ahmed Raju said that even a morone would have won and instead a gangster won. Finally the people of Bangla was united under a leader of socialist Awami League even thougg the leader was himself a questionable character. Was this a blessing or a tragedy in the disguise of a blessing? (NOTE: According to Boshir Al Helal, the Awami League leadership were going to brothels (eg. Quamruzzaman), while the people were fighting and dying. Were these the leaders of the revolution? I think not. The revolution was a people’s revolution. The new Awami League leaders under Mujib would love to take the credit but I would not give them the credit. Helal also says that Johir Raihan, a celebrated personality in Bangla, had footage of Awami League leader’s activities during the war and was killed by the Awami League. Also Mujib Bahini was created against the Maoist fighters.) Today history of Bangla has been re-written over and over again. Different political parties try to claim to be the heroes of the 1971 war of independence. However, it appears the first revolutionary guerilla movements were started by the communists as a unified national movement. Then however, Mujib Bahini (Mujib forces) were created. Today, many are told that the communists did not even fight in the revolution. Sorbohara Party (communist) also took part in the guerilla war but the Mujib Bahini fought against them killing many of their members and thus Sorbohara fought a two front war with the Pakistanis and the Mujib Bahinis. They saw both as enemies of the people. It is interesting to note that the Awami Leaguers created division within the war. What was their motivation? Liberation or power? Also interesting is the fact that Sheikh Mujib did not want to call for separation or war in the early times and took part in the elections under the Pakistani regime. He only called for war when he saw no hope of gaining power. Awami League today claims to be the heroes as does some other parties with even lesser right. The Awami League betrayed the dreams of the revolution and many freedom fighters like Motiur Rahman Montu, Colonel Taher feel that the revolution was incomplete and feel the need to take arms again. Dr. Ahmed also sees the liberation war incomplete. TO BE CONTINUED |
Bangladesh, the name of the most chilling holocaust! Bring the perpetrators to justice! |
| In 1971 Bangladesh fought a war of independence. But today the Chakmas
suffer under Bangladesh. In the names of the Shaheeds who gave their lives for the mother
language and tghe revolution, Check out the following links.
Chittagong
Hill Tracts: Peace In Our Time?
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