Liberation came riding on six-point demand: PM
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina yesterday said the country's independence was achieved on the basis of the six-point formula, the "Charter of Freedom" for Bangalees, and reiterated her pledge to build Bangladesh as a developed and prosperous country.
"... He [Bangabandhu] would always tell us that six points were basically one point that means independence. Now, we are an independent nation," she said.
The prime minister said this in a prerecorded special discussion titled "Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman and the Charter of Freedom for Bangalees" held virtually, marking the historic Six-Point Demand Day, as the nation celebrates it every year on June 7.
Organised by Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman Birth Centenary Celebration National Implementation Committee, the meeting was broadcast on Bangladesh Television, private television channels, online and social networking sites.
Hasina, also president of the ruling Awami League, said June 7 (1966) is very significant for the Bangalee nation and the day was inscribed as a red letter one as 11 people including labour leader Monu Mia sacrificed their lives in the hands of Pakistani forces while enforcing a nationwide hartal for the six-point formula and release of Bangabandhu.
Referring to several speeches by him to drum up support for the six-point demand, she said he knew well before that Bangladesh would be an independent country.
She quoted Bangabandhu as saying, "In this country, the Awami League first bears the message of every struggle. It is true that they [AL leaders and activists] were going through torture. But the movement didn't go in vain. The six-point demand will also not fail. We will make the struggle successful through sacrifices. InshaAllah, the victory will be ours."
The prime minister said the six-point demand was the outcome of Bangabandhu's thoughts over establishing the rights of the East Pakistani people as there were huge discriminations among the East and West Pakistani people in every sector, particularly in civil and military jobs.
She also recalled the contribution of her mother in making the nationwide 7th June hartal a success to press home the six-point demand by organising the party activists in the absence of Bangabandhu as he was in jail at that time.
The prime minister said the Father of the Nation placed the six-point formula (on February 5, 1966) before a meeting of all the opposition parties in Lahore, adding that the meeting did not endorse it and even ignored listing it in the agenda; some Bangladeshi politicians too did not support it.
She added Bangabandhu, who announced the six-point demand as AL's general secretary, later briefed the media about it at a press conference in Dhaka.
Seasoned politicians and AL Advisory Council Members, Amir Hossain Amu and Tofail Ahmed, and Prof Nazma Shaheen also spoke at the virtual discussion moderated by Dr Nuzhat Chowdhury.
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