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Published on Wednesday, 20 March 2013 18:25
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Early Life: Born on March 17, 1920 at Tungipara
in Gopalgonj district, Sheikh Mujibur Rahman was the third child of
Sheikh Lutfur Rahman and Saira Begum. He studied at the Islamia College
and graduated from Dhaka University. At 18, Mujib married Fazilatunnesa.
They became happy parents of two daughters and three sons.
Beginning of an Epic Journey: Mujib joined All
India Muslim Students Federation in 1940 and in 1943, switched to Bengal
Muslim League where he came close to Huseyn Shaheed Suhrawardy. While
at Dhaka University, he founded the East Pakistan Muslim Students’
League.
Language Movement Mujib led students’ strikes
and protests when the language discourse of Pakistan first emerged in
1948 and remained active to organize the movements which culminated on
February 21, 1952.
Climbing Steps of Politics He left Muslim League to join Suhrawardy and
Maulana Bhashani to form the
Awami Muslim League.
He became the first Joint Secretary of the party and then the General
Secretary in 1953. In the elections of 1954, Mujib was elected at the
East Pakistan Legislative Assembly and became the Agricultural Minister.
In 1956, he joined a second coalition government as the Commerce and
Industries Minister.
Six Point Demand: In 1963, Sheikh Mujib became
the President of Awami Muslim League after the death of Suhrawardy. He
strongly opposed Ayub Khan’s basic democracy. He proclaimed a 6-point
demand seeking autonomy of East Pakistan at the national conference of
opposition political parties in Lahore in 1966.
Agartala Conspiracy Case Afraid of public
support for Mujib’s 6-point demand, the then Pakistani government
arrested him in the Agartala conspiracy case but was forced to release
him amidst massive public unrest. On December 5, 1969, he declared that
East Pakistan would henceforth be called Bangladesh.
Elections of 1970 In the general elections of
Pakistan in 1970, Awami League won a massive majority under Mujib’s
Leadership. His party swooped in all but two of East Pakistan's quota of
seats in the National Assembly. The West Pakistani rulers however were
completely against Mujib’s demand for greater autonomy.
March 07 Speech The then Pak President Yahya
Khan delayed the national assembly to bar Awami League from forming the
provincial government. In a historic speech at the Racecourse Ground in
Dhaka on March 7, 1971, Mujib called for the independence of Bangladesh.
Yahya Khan declared martial law, banned Awami League and ordered arrest
of Sheikh Mujib.
Genocide and Independence of Bangladesh On the
night of March 25, 1971, Pak army launched operation searchlight and
started large scale genocide of the innocent Bengalis. Sheikh Mujib was
arrested and taken to Pakistan. Before that, Mujib declared the
independence of Bangladesh and asked the people to create resistance
against the occupying Pak army.
New Country Gets First Govt. On March 17, 1971,
the first government of the People’s Republic of Bangladesh was formed
and Mujib was made the President of the country in his absence. Soon
after that, Muktibahini, the freedom fighters’ force was formed and it
started putting up strong resistance against the Pak army.
Victory at Last After nine months of bloody war
which killed over 3 millions of Bengalis, the Pak army surrendered to
the allied forces of Muktibahini and Indian army. A new nation is born-
Bangladesh. Sheikh Mujibur Rahman returned home on January 10, 1972 and
took the charge of reconstructing the war-torn country.
Reconstruction Begins Mujib focused on
humanitarian and development assistance from the international community
to reconstruct the country. In a bid to bring political stability which
was prerequisite to its economic improvement, he introduced one-party
rule. All political parties came under one umbrella of identity known as
BAKSAL.
Assassination: On the night of August 15, 1975, a
group of wayward army officers assassinated Mujib and all of his family
members except the two daughters. This brutal assassination not only
put an indelible smudge in the newborn nation’s history, but led the
country into a political vacuum. Democracy started fading away and the
reconstruction process suffered a major setback.
