Chronicling Bangladesh’s Birth: The final push

Bangladesh's birth was a long and bloody affair. Although an independent Bangladesh was born through the declaration of independence by Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman in the early hours of March 26, 1971, the first seeds of independence were sown decades earlier. Today we run the last installment of a three-part special series that looks back at some of the events in late 1960s leading up to the declaration of independence.

After president Ayub Khan was forced to resign in the face of the 1969 mass uprising, General Yahya Khan assumed office on March 25. He immediately moved to consolidate his power by dissolving both national and provincial assemblies, effectively scrapping the constitution, and declaring martial law across Pakistan.

Within days, Yahya declared his intention to hand over power to elected representatives. At the same time, he announced the governing principles and a legal framework that essentially retained power in his own hands.

Awami League vowed to press on with six-point movement, and demanded abolition of certain provisions of the framework that were in conflict with democratic principles.

Yahya paid no heed, and after forming a new cabinet in early August 1969, he declared that Pakistan would go to polls by the end of 1970.

The following month, Sarbadaliya Chhatra Sangram Parishad held a three-day programme at Dhaka University to commemorate the 1962 education movement. It was there that Chhatra League leaders Aftab Uddin Ahmed and Chisti Shah Helalur Rahman first chanted the now-famous slogan "Joy Bangla" at Madhur Canteen on September 15, according to the book titled "Slogane Slogane Rajniti" by Abu Sayed Khan.

As the six-point movement gradually gained momentum, Chhatra League formed a group called "Joy Bangla Bahini," which organised a rally at historic Race Course Maidan (now Suhrawardy Udyan) on June 7, 1970, to garner further support for the movement.

At the rally, Ducsu vice-president ASM Abdur Rob presented Bangabandhu with a red and green flag emblazoned with a map of an independent Bangladesh. The map was designedby Chhatra League leader Shib Narayan Das.

1970 BHOLA CYCLONE

On November 12, 1970, a catastrophic cyclone slammed the coastal region of East Pakistan, causing extensive damage to life and property.

According to some estimates, 3-5 lakh people perished in coastal areas, including Hatia, Sandwip and Bhola.

The cyclone and the government's inadequate response significantly impacted the 1970 election, as public discontent swung voters towards Awami League, Liberation War researcher Dr Mahfuzur Rahman told The Daily Star last week.

Soon after the cyclone, Sheikh Mujib visited the affected areas, and called on the government to mobilise resources and expedite relief efforts. Maulana Bhasani also visited the flood-ravaged island of Hatia.

At a public rally in Paltan on November 23, Bhasani heavily criticised the government's poor response to the crisis, saying "No leader from West Pakistan has come to see the people of East Pakistan in this difficult time."

The next day, Bhasani announced his decision to boycott the election, citing the catastrophic impacts of the cyclone, according to Dr Mahfuzur Rahman's book titled "Bangalee Jatiyotabadi Andolon O Muktijuddho".

"He [Bhasani] was under the impression that even if his party won, West Pakistan would not hand over power, as was the case in the 1956 elections," Mahfuzur told The Daily Star last week.

THE 1970 ELECTION

Awami League won a landslide in the December 7, 1970, election, bagging 160 of the 300 seats in national assembly, prompting Mujib to embark on a provincial tour to rally support for the six-point movement, according to "Jatiya Rajniti 1945-1975" by Oli Ahad.  

"The struggle will continue until our goals are achieved," he told a press conference just two days after the election.

In February, Yahya scheduled a National Assembly session in Dhaka for March 3. Two days after this announcement, Mujib warned that no force could deter him from his commitment to the six points.

Meanwhile, Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto, chairman of Pakistan People's Party (PPP), announced that his party would not attend the session, citing the lack of consensus on six points.

Bhutto further warned that the assembly would descend into chaos and "turn into a slaughterhouse" if Sheikh Mujib's proposal was not accepted.

Just two days before the scheduled assembly session, Yahya abruptly postponed it on March 1, and that very night he appointed Lieutenant General Sahabzada Yaqub Khan as governor of East Pakistan.

NON-COOPERATION MOVEMENT

The suspension of the assembly session sparked an immediate outrage, turning Dhaka into a city of protests, joined also by government officials.

Protesters roared, "Sever ties with Pakistan! Free Bangladesh!"

Mujib declared an all-out shutdown for March 2 in Dhaka and a half-day (till 2:00pm) shutdown in the entire East Pakistan for March 3.

He also called a mass gathering on March 7 at Race Course Maidan, where he would deliver his historic speech essentially calling on the people to prepare for resistance with whatever they have.

Earlier that month, at a rally organised by Kendriya Chhatra Sangram Parishad on March 2 in front of Dhaka University's arts faculty, Ducsu VP ASM Abdur Rob hoisted the first flag of Bangladesh.

The following day, Chhatra League general secretary Shahjahan Siraj read out the manifesto for independence in presence of Bangabandhu at a mass gathering at Paltan Maidan. The gathering, also organised by Kendriya Chhatra Sangram Parishad, was chaired by another Chhatra League president Nur-e-Alam Siddique, according to "Jatiya Rajniti 1945-1975" by Oli Ahad.  

At a mammoth rally on March 7 at Race Course Maidan, Mujib called upon the people to prepare for the liberation struggle. Two days later, Bhasani announced his support for the all-out movement.

As the non-cooperation movement continued to paralyse East Pakistan, Yahya made a surprise visit to Dhaka on March 15, and held a closed-door meeting with Bangabandhu at the President's House over two days.

Tensions further escalated in the third week of March.

The Pakistan military ordered Bangalee soldiers of the East Bengal Regiment to surrender their firearms, but the Bangalee troops stationed at Joydevpur, led by the 2nd East Bengal Regiment, strategically delayed the surrender.

When this news broke, thousands of Bangalee civilians, led by Awami League leader Shamsul Haque, took to the streets of Joydevpur in a show of solidarity with the Bangalee troops.

They put up barricades to block the arrival of Brigadier General Jahanzeb Abrar Khan, who was tasked with overseeing the surrender of arms.

A skirmish erupted between the Bangalee crowd and Pakistani forces. This clash on March 19 marked the first act of armed resistance in East Pakistan's fight for liberation with tragic consequences -- at least 13 were killed and 40 injured, according to Dr Mahfuzur Rahman's book titled "Bangalee Jatiyotabadi Andolon O Muktijuddho.

The same day, Bangabandhu held a meeting with Yahya, and two days after that he met both Yahya and Bhutto again.

Pakistan's National Day on March 23 turned into a day of defiance in East Pakistan on Bangabandhu's call. That day, the flag of an independent Bangladesh was raised at Bangabandhu's residence in Dhanmondi.

Meanwhile, president Yahya's scheduled radio address for the National Day was cancelled.

On March 25, following a meeting with Yahya, Bhutto declared that a solution to the crisis seemed impossible. That evening, Yahya secretly left Dhaka.

Later that night, Pakistani forces launched a brutal crackdown, codenamed "Operation Searchlight", unleashing violence upon the Bangalee people.

Bangabandhu declared independence in the early hours of March 26, and Bangladesh was born.