Victory Day, an outcome of ordinary Bengalis’ growing consciousness

In 1947, the British left India by creating two countries, India and Pakistan, based on the two-nation theory. This division of the country did not give peace and comfort to the Bengalis of East Pakistan. Although the Bengalis were the majority in number and their language was Bangla but the Pakistani ruler desperately declared Urdu as the state language in 1948. As a result, the Bengalis revolted.

 

To protect the dignity of their mother tongue Bangla, they shed fresh blood on the streets. The language movement of February 21, 1952, is one of the phases in the development of Bengali consciousness. The language movement created a new national consciousness among the common people of East Pakistan. For the first time, the Bengalis of East Pakistan became aware of the establishment of independent rights. They even feel the need to fight to establish their political, economic, social and cultural rights.

 

The intellectual and the student community of the country played a leading role in the language movement. They united the common people and inspired the entire Bengali nation to fight for the right of their mother tongue. Despite being victorious in the state language movement, the unconcernand neglect of the Pakistani government towards the people of East Pakistan created intense dissatisfaction among the Bengalis. Besides education and cultural inequality, political repression, oppression and economic exploitation-deprivation caused extreme anger among the Bengalis. So they are again active in establishing their autonomy.

 

It is pertinent to mention here that besides the political leaders, different occupation groups, the teachers, students and the intellectual community of the country have played a leading role in instilling this consciousness in the common people. It is worth mentioning that Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, the Father of the Nation and the best Bengali for thousands of years, took an active part in this movement from the very beginning and provided leadership. In 1966, in Lahore, Pakistan, in protest of the continuing discrimination, exploitation and deprivation of East Pakistan, Bangabandhu proposed six points for the autonomy of East Pakistan.

 

The 6 points were the Bengalis Certificate of Liberation. Bangabandhu had to be imprisoned again and again while campaigning for 6 points. The Pakistani government identified Bangabandhu's 6 points movement as an independence movement of Bangalis against Pakistan. Bangabandhus 6-point movement got the highest popularity among ordinary people. They see their autonomy among these six points. This led the Pakistan government to file a sedition case against Bangabandhu in 1968 under the name Agartala Conspiracy and arrest him. As a result, the people of East Pakistan erupted in protest of it. In 1969, the Dhaka University Central Student Union (DUCSU) and the general students formed the Sorbodolio Chatra Sangram Parishad' and formed a mass movement with an 11-point programme demanding the release of Bangabandhu. At that time Bangabandhu has become one of the undisputed leaders of the people of East Bengal because he was able to instill consciousness in them. The government of Pakistan was forced to release Bangabandhu in the face of intense public agitation.

 

The national consciousness of the Bengalis in East Pakistan increased so much that they completely rejected the Pakistan Peoples Party, the most powerful party in the 1970 election. The West Pakistanis were terrified of the huge victory of the Awami League-led by Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman and the collapse of the Pakistan Peoples Party. Therefore, the transfer of power takes refuge in various deceptions. Concerned about the future of the Bengali nation, the Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman called for a non-cooperation movement against the central government.

 

After the mass uprising of 1969, the Awami League won a majority of seats in the 1970 elections, but the Pakistani government began to delay the transfer of power. The indomitable Bengali nation stood up against the genocide when the invading forces of Pakistan indiscriminately carried out genocide on the night of March 25 in the name of dialogue and the undisputed leader of the Bengali nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman declared the independence of Bangladesh in the early hours of March 26. As a result, Bengalis movement for independence started. Earlier, on March 7, 1971, Bangabandhu gave a historic speech at the Race Course Ground instructing the people to be fully prepared for war, which historians refer to as the Declaration of Independence.

 

The role of the war of liberation in the elimination of political, economic, social and cultural inequalities in the life of the Bengali nation and also in the rise of independent Bangladesh is immense and undeniable. The people of East Pakistan saw the war of liberation of 1971 as a great means of liberation from their long history of humiliation, deprivation and oppression. Not only that, the symbol of their hopes and aspirations, the strong voice for the realization of demands, appeared on the battlefield for an independent motherland in response to the call of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, the father of the Bengali nation and the greatest Bengali for thousands of years. In exchange for the blood of millions of martyrs and the veneration of thousands of mothers and sisters, after 9 months of bloody war, on December 16, 1971, the much-desired independence was achieved. Bangladesh appeared on the map of the world as an independent sovereign country. Victory Day is the unique outcome of the growing consciousness of ordinary Bengalis. Source: theindependentbd.com

 

The writer is a Research Consultant, Human Development Research Centre (HDRC), Dhaka.