CONTENTS · Md. Mustafizur Rahman Executive Editor Md. Toufiq-ur-Rahman Editorial Team A.K.M. Azam...

1 Message from Honʼble President

2 Message from Honʼble Prime Minister

3 Message from Honʼble Foreign Minister

4 Message from Honʼble State Minister for Foreign Affairs

5 A Few Words from the High Commissioner

8 Bangabandhu in Timeline

12 Bangabandhu: The Making of a Great Leader

15 Bangabandhu: A Poet of Politics

18 The Greatest Speech of the Greatest Bangali

21 The Political Philosophy of Bangabandhu

25 Bangabandhu's Thoughts on Economic Development

28 Foreign Policy in Bangabandhu's Time

31 People-centric Education Policy of Bangabandhu

34 Bangabandhu, Who Set the Tone of Agricultural Revolution

37 Bangabandhu and his Policy of Health for All

41 Bangabandhu: What the World Needs to Know

45 Learnings from Bangabandhu's Writings

47 What Lessons We Can Learn from Sheikh Mujibur Rahman

50 Bangabandhu and Nelson Mandela: Drawing a Parallel

53 Lee Kuan Yew and Sheikh Mujib: Titans of Tumultuous Times

55 Bangabandhu in the Eyes of World Leaders

57 Tributes to Bangabandhu in Pictures

58 Bangabandhu Corner in Pictures

CONTENTS

This publication has been prepared by the High Commission of the People's Republic of Bangladesh in Singapore commemorating birth centenary of the Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman. The information contained herein have been made available by the Bangladesh High Commission in Singapore. The opinions, pronouncements or views expressed or implied in this publication are those of contributors or authors. While every effort has been made to ensure the accuracy of the information contained in this publication, the publisher cannot be liable for loss incurred in any way whatsoever by any company or person relying on the information contained herein.

Mujib Year's Diplomacy || Friendship & Prosperity

Property of the High Commission of the People’s Republic of Bangladesh#04-00/ #10-00, Jit Poh Building, 19 Keppel Road, Singapore 089058, Tel. 65 6255 0075 Web. www.bdhc.sg

Chief Editor

His Excellency

Md. Mustafizur Rahman

Executive Editor

Md. Toufiq-ur-Rahman

Editorial Team

A.K.M. Azam Chowdhury

Mohammad Ataur Rahman

Sabbir Ahmed

Md. Rafiqul Islam

Morioum Begum Shorna

Cover Photo

Painting of Ahmed Samsuddoha

Courtesy of Hamid Group

Article Sources

Collections from Public Domain

Write ups by the High Commission

Photos

External Publicity Wing, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, DhakaOfficial website of Mujib Borsho Celebration Committee (https://mujib100.gov.bd/)

Collections from Public Domain

Portraits

Shahabuddin Ahmed

Ahmed Shamsuddoha

Moniruzzaman Monir

Shahjahan Ahmed Bikash

Kamaluddin

Samiran Chowdhury

Design and Printing

Kaleido Pte Ltd63 Ubi Avenue 1, #06-08B 63@Ubi, Singapore 408937

M: 9025 7929 T: 6741 2966 www.kaleidomarketing.com

BANGLADESH BECKONS 1

Today is 26th March, the Independence Day of

Bangladesh. On the occasion of our great Independence and

National Day, I extend my heartfelt greetings and warm

felicitations to my fellow countrymen living at home and

abroad.

On this historic day, I remember with profound respect

the architect of our independent Bangladesh, Father of the

Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman. I pay my deep

homage to the millions of martyrs who made supreme

sacrifice in the war of liberation. I also recall with deep

reverence our four National Leaders, valiant freedom-fighters,

organizers, supporters, our foreign friends and people from all

walks of life who made immense contributions to attain our

right to self-determination and the war of liberation. Their

contributions to the history of our independence would be

written in golden letters forever.

We have achieved our hard-earned independence

through huge sacrifices. Bangabandhu always cherished a

dream of building a happy and prosperous country along with

attaining political emancipation. Keeping that in mind, the

present Government has been rendering untiring efforts in

materializing the dream of Bangabandhu. Today, Bangladesh

is moving towards the highway of development at a

tremendous pace. We have achieved enormous success in

various areas of socio-economic development including

poverty alleviation, education, health, human resources

development, women empowerment, reduction of child and

maternal mortality rates, elimination of gender discrimination

and increase in average life expectancy. Rate of poverty has

been dropped. High growth of GDP is continuing. Per capita

income has tripled over the past decade. The construction of

the Padma Bridge is also going on in full swing by our own

resources. The Ruppur Nuclear Power Plant is underway.

Bangladesh has been able to surpass herself not only the

neighbouring countries of South Asia but also many

developed countries in terms of various indicators of

socio-economic development. We are dreaming of a

developed Bangladesh by the year 2041. Initiative has been

taken up to frame the ‘Second Perspective Plan’ spanning

from 2021 to 2041 in this regard. The Delta Plan 2100 has

been formulated in order to achieve the status of a

prosperous and developed country combating the long-term

challenges for sustainable water, climate, environment and

land system. With the continuation of development process,

Bangladesh will raise its position high in the world as a

prosperous country by 2041, insha Allah.

In pursuing our diplomatic objectives, the government

has been consistent in upholding the principle of “Friendship

to all, malice towards none” as enunciated by Father of the

Nation. Our achievement in the international arena, including

the establishment of world peace, is also commendable. Our

expatriate Bangladeshis have also been making significant

contributions to our national economy by sending their

hard-earned remittances. Nevertheless, we have to go a long

way towards achieving the desired goal of independence. We

must be ensured good governance, social justice,

transparency and accountability to make the development

people-oriented and sustainable. Forbearance, human rights

and rule of law have to be consolidated for institutionalizing

democracy. National Parliament will have to make as the

centre of hopes and aspirations of the people. For this, the

ruling party as well as the opposition would have to play a

constructive role in the parliament.

Bangabandhu is the source of eternal inspiration for

the Bangali nation. This year, the government has declared

'Mujib Year' to celebrate the birth centenary of Bangabandhu

in a befitting manner. Being imbued with the spirit of the

liberation war let it be the pledge in ‘Mujib Year’ to turn our

country into ‘Sonar Bangla’ by completing the unfinished

tasks of Bangabandhu. The golden jubilee of our

independence will be observed in 2021 with great

enthusiasm. Bangladesh will enter into a new chapter-a new

horizon. With the concerted efforts of all, let our beloved

motherland be a poverty-free developed one; it is my

expectation on Independence Day.

Khoda Hafez, May Bangladesh Live Forever.

MD ABDUL HAMIDPresident

The People’s Republic

Of Bangladesh

Message from

Hon’ble President

Message from

Hon’ble Prime Minister

2 BANGLADESH BECKONS

I extend my heartiest greetings to the countrymen and

expatriate Bangladeshis on the occasion of the great

Independence and National Day of Bangladesh.

The 26 March is the day of establishing self-identity of

our nation. It's the day of breaking the shackles of subjugation.

On this Independence Day, I recall with deep gratitude the

Greatest Bangalee of all times, Father of the Nation

Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, under whose

undisputed leadership we have earned our coveted

independence. I pay my tributes to four national leaders who

steered the War of Liberation in the absence of Bangabandhu. I

also pay my deep homage to the three million martyrs and two

lakhs dishonoured women of the War of Liberation. My homage

goes to all the valiant freedom fighters including the wounded

ones. I extend my sympathies to those who had lost their near

and dear ones, and were subjected to brutal torture during the

Liberation War. I recall with gratitude our foreign friends who had

extended their whole-hearted support and cooperation for the

cause of our liberation.

Marking the birth centenary of the Father of the Nation

'Mujib Year' is being celebrated from March 2020 to March

2021. Bangabandhu's birth centenary celebration has been

started on 17 March. Along with Bangladesh, Mujib Year is

being celebrated globally with the initiative of the UNESCO.

The Bangalee nation had fought against oppression and

deprivation of Pakistani rulers' for long 23 years under the

leadership of Bangabandhu. They were compelled to hold

General Elections in 1970. Bangladesh Awami League led by

Bangabandhu won absolute majority in the elections. But the

Pakistani rulers adopted repressive measures instead of

handing over power to the majority party in a democratic way.

Calling for independence at the then Racecourse Ground on 7

March 1971 Bangabandhu declared, "The struggle this time is

the struggle for our emancipation; the struggle this time is the

struggle for independence, Joi Bangla." He instructed the

Bangalee Nation to resist the enemies.

The Pakistani occupation forces unleashed a sudden

attack and started killing innocent and unarmed Bangalees on

the fateful night of 25 March 1971. They killed thousands of

people in cities and towns including Dhaka. Father of the Nation

Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman formally proclaimed the

Independence of Bangladesh at the first hour of 26 March

1971. Bangabandhu's proclamation was spread all over the

country through telegrams, tele-printers and EPR wireless. The

international media also had circulated Bangabandhu's

proclamation of Independence. Under the brave and dauntless

leadership of Bangabandhu, the ultimate victory was attained on

16 December 1971 after a 9-month of bloody war.

The independence earned through supreme sacrifices of

millions of people is the greatest achievement of Bangalee

Nation. To ensure that this achievement remains meaningful, all

have to know the true history of our great Liberation War and

retain the spirit of independence. The spirit of the Liberation War

has to be passed on from generation to generations.

Being imbued with the spirit of the freedom struggle, the Awami

League government has relentlessly been working to develop

the country since 2009. We have been accomplishing the

unfinished tasks of the Father of the Nation. Bangladesh has

achieved outstanding socio-economic progress in the last 11

years. It has fulfilled the requirements for graduating from least

developed country to developing one. Our government is

maintaining 'zero tolerance policy to tackle militancy, terrorism

and drug-menaces. For the first time in the world, we have

formulated a 100-year plan named 'Delta Plan 2100'.

Bangladesh is one of the five top countries in the world in

economic development. Ninety percent of development works

are financed from our own resources. By establishing the rule of

law, we have executed the verdicts of the trial of the killers of

Bangabandhu. As per our pledges to the people the trials of war

criminals are going on and verdicts of are being executed.

People are now getting benefits of development as Awami

League has continuously been in power for third consecutive

time. Bangladesh is moving forward and it will go on. Today we

have become a self-respecting country in the world holding our

heads high.

By implementing our Vision-2021', 'Vision-2041' and

'Delta Plan-2100', we have been working relentlessly to build a

hunger-poverty-free developed-prosperous Bangladesh as

envisioned by the Father of the Nation. Let us unite in the spirit

of the Great War of Liberation and maintain the continuation of

development and democracy by facing any sort of conspiracy.

Let us transform Bangladesh into a safe and peaceful home for

our next generation-this should be our firm commitment on the

Independence Day.

Joi Bangla, Joi Bangabandhu.

May Bangladesh Live Forever.

SHEIKH HASINAPrime Minister

Government of the People’s Republic

Of Bangladesh

Message from

Hon’ble Foreign Minister


On the occasion of 26 March- the Great Independence

and National day of Bangladesh, I extend my heartfelt

greetings and warm felicitations to all Bangladeshis living both

home and abroad. The golden jubilee of our Glorious

Independence will be celebrated next year and ‘Mujib Barsho’

is being celebrated this year in commemoration of the Birth

Centenary of the Father of the Nation, which are rare

occasions in our history.

On this auspicious day, I recall with profound reverence

the greatest Bengali of all time, the Father of the Nation

Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman. Under his dynamic,

courageous and charismatic leadership, the people of this

territory brought the red sun of independence breaking the

shackles of subjugation of thousands of years. With deep

respect, I recall the supreme sacrifices made by our war

heroes, the 3 million martyrs and all the freedom fighters. I also

pay my profound gratitude to the diplomatic front who, during

and after our Liberation War, played a vital role in gaining

international recognition. I also acknowledge with deep

gratitude the enormous contributions of our foreign friends in

the emergence of independent Bangladesh.

The charismatic leadership of the Father of the Nation

united the whole nation like a solid rock under one umbrella.

Bangabandhu was not only the leader of the Bangalee but

also a forerunner in realizing the rights of the oppressed and

deprived people of the world. The seeds of development of the

country were sown under the leadership of the Father of the

Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman. He took over

the leadership of a war-ravaged and economically backward

country and accomplished the formidable tasks of

rehabilitation and rebuilding the nation just in three and a half

years. Conspirators and enemies committed the heinous crime

on 15 August 1975 to thwart our advancement.

The progress was stalled, albeit, for a while.

Nevertheless, Bangabandhu’s daughter and Prime Minister

Sheikh Hasina is determined to build a prosperous, knowledge

based and happy country. As a result of pragmatic initiatives

taken by the Awami League government, now Bangladesh has

been transformed into a vibrant economy. The present

government continues to make significant progress in rapid

economic and social development which has helped to

increase living standard of the general people. Poverty

alleviation, sustainable growth, protection of the environment,

women empowerment and human-resources development are

some of the key features of Bangladesh’s development

strategy. Today the country is often cited by the international

community as a ‘Role Model for Development’. I hope that the

Bangladeshi expatriate will participate and support the ongoing

advancement of the government. I thank all the members of the

Ministry of Foreign Affairs and our Missions abroad who have

been working with deep commitment to uphold our national

interest across the world.

On this historic day of Independence, let us all vow to

transform Bangladesh into a prosperous, technology based,

developed Sonar Bangla (Golden Bengal).



DR. A.K. ABDUL MOMEN, MPForeign Minister


Of Bangladesh

Message from

Hon’ble State Minister for Foreign Affairs


Today is 26 March, Our Great Independence and

National Day. On this very day in 1971, the Bengali nation

started the War of Liberation against the misrule, exploitation

and repression of the Pakistani brutal ruler with the clarion call

of our Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur

Rahman. Bangladesh is now well poised to celebrate the

golden jubilee of our Glorious Independence and is celebrating

the Birth Centenary of the Father of the Nation Bangabandhu

Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, which are rare occasions in our

history.

Pakistani Occupation Forces committed one of the

worst genocide indiscriminately on 25 March, 1971 to silence

the Bengali Nation forever. Diabolical mass killing during

Liberation War is a black chapter not only in the history of

Bangladesh, but also in the history of world humanity. In 2017,

the National Parliament of Bangladesh declared March 25 as

National Genocide Day to commemorate the genocide carried

out by the atrocious Pakistani Forces on the black night of

March, 1971. Bangabandhu, the Architect of Bangladesh,

declared the independence of Bangladesh at the wee hour of

26 March in 1971. Bangladesh made its place in the world

map as an independent and sovereign state with self-esteem

through the nine-month long Liberation War.

On this very day, I pay profound reverence to the great

leader of the War of Independence, the architect of Great

Independence, Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman who led

his people from the front in various movements and struggles

from 1952 Language Movement to the 1971 Liberation War

which resulted in the greatest achievement of Bengali

Nationalism-independent Bangladesh. With profound love and

respect, I recall the supreme sacrifices made by our war

heroes, the 3 million martyrs and all the freedom fighters.

Bangabandhu is the name of a legend who dreamt of a

hunger and poverty-free, secular and prosperous country.

Under the visionary leadership of his capable daughter Hon’ble

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, the government has been

working relentlessly to transform Bangladesh into a middle

income country by 2021 and a developed country by 2041.

Along with economic growth, Bangladesh has become a role

model in poverty alleviation, women empowerment, combating

climate change and curbing child mortality rate. All these

achievements have been made possible with the policy

guidelines promulgated by the Father of the Nation

Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman within the fastest period

of time and through successful implementation of those laws

and policy framework under the dynamic leadership of the

Hon’ble Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina during the last decade.

On this Day, I congratulate Bangladeshi Diaspora in

every corner of the world which has been immensely

contributing to our economic development and in brightening

the image of Bangladesh. I also thank all the members of our

Missions abroad who have been working with sustained

dedication and commitment in achieving our foreign policy

objectives and promote national interest of Bangladesh on the

world stage.

On this auspicious day, let us make a renewed pledge

to devote ourselves to work from our respective positions

imbued with the spirit of Liberation War to build a ‘Sonar

Bangla’ and also a better world for our future generations.



MD. SHAHRIAR ALAM, MPState Minister for Foreign Affairs


Of Bangladesh

A Few Words from the

High Commissioner


It is with great honour and humility that

we present this publication to the local

readers on the colourful political career of

our Father of the Nation, Bangabandhu

Sheikh Mujibur Rahman. We are

launching this publication on the eve of

our independence day, as we celebrate

the birth centenary of Bangabandhu, who

is widely regarded as the greatest Bengali

of all time. We intend to reintroduce this

leadership prodigy to the contemporary

readers, who might have missed,

forgotten, or overlooked the turbulent time

of our national history and the genesis of

our country through a long struggle and

supreme sacrifice of millions under the

great leadership of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman. Bangabandhu fought for justice, human rights,

freedom and dignity of people throughout his life. We believe that his philosophy, principles

and policies are very relevant even today.

Bangabandhu won the heart of millions by his courage, charisma, powerful oratory and

uncanny ability to communicate with the people. He also made inordinate personal

sacrifices as he spent some eleven years in prison, where twice he came very close to the

gallows. Bangabandhu believed in constitutional politics, though during his time, many

nationalist leaders resorted to violent means seeking to realize their goal of

self-determination. By any standard, he had a remarkable political career, which deserves

wider appreciation.

Md Mustafizur Rahman

Bangabandhu not only led our independence movement but also ran the administration

of the newborn country in an exemplary fashion. As the Head of Government, he guided the

build-up of national institutions as well as directed the formulation of national policies on

important areas. Much of today’s success story of Bangladesh owes to the founding

principles and policies designed by Bangabandhu during his short stint in office. He steered

the country steadfastly during that eventful and challenging journey. Sheikh Mujib wanted to

achieve 'Sonar Bangla'- the ‘Golden Bengal’ so that his people could live in peace and

prosperity with dignity and equality. This was not mere political rhetoric for him.

Bangabandhu was aware of the glorious past of this land and strongly believed that the

past glory could be revived through an appropriate policy strategy and determination.

Like Bangabandhu, Singapore was also blessed with an iconic leader in Lee Kuan Yew,

who made remarkable contributions towards building his nation and leading his country to

an enviable level of development. Lee Kuan Yew got a full life to shape his country.

Unfortunately, we did not have Bangabandhu for long enough to lead our nation to

prosperity. Bangladesh would probably have been in a far better position than it is today if

he had survived for a long period.

This book attempts to familiarise our Father of the Nation, reflecting on his life, his

struggles, his policies and his perspectives in building our nation. It is a compilation of

articles written by eminent scholars, researchers and journalists. We have selected these

articles based on availability and relevance.

Bangabandhu was acclaimed as “a poet of politics” by the News Week magazine even

before the country achieved its liberation. After independence, he pursued a non-aligned

foreign policy and vowed to support the self-determination of nations across the world.

Domestically, his government worked seriously to achieve economic development,

education and healthcare for all, industrialization, as well as modernization of agricultural

sector. These are covered briefly in several articles in the booklet.

We have also included two analytical writings; one on Bangabandhu and Nelson

Mendala, the other on Bangabandhu and Lee Kuan Yew. All of them were the great leaders

of their times, who shared many commonalities as they fought for liberty, dignity and justice

and later on dedicated themselves for their nationbuilding. The writers have drawn

interesting parallels between them, which may attract the readers of Singapore and beyond.

The views expressed in this book are of the writers. Due to space constraints, we have

taken the liberty of shortening and editing the articles without deviating from the core

concepts and views. The distinguished writers have kindly consented to make these

adjustments, for which we are really grateful to them. If this book generates some curiosity

among the readers about Bangabandhu, we would consider our efforts to have borne fruit.


Bangabandhuin Timeline

1920 Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman was born in a village named Tungipara under Gopalganj District of greater Faridpur area on 17 March 1920. He was the third among 6 children of his parents. Sheikh Mujib began his schooling at the age of seven. Before becoming active in student movements and politics, he had an affinity toward sports like any other teenager.

1938 Bangabandhu married Sheikh Fazilatunnesa. Together, they had two daughters, Sheikh Hasina and Sheikh Rehana, and three sons, Sheikh Kamal, Sheikh Jamal and Sheikh Russel.

1942 Sheikh Mujib passed Matriculation examination from Gopalganj Mission School. The same year, he got himself admitted into the Islamia College (currently Maulana Azad College), Kolkata. From there he completed his graduation in the year 1947. He was elected uncontested as the General Secretary of Islamia College Students Union. During the infamous communal riots on August 16, 1946, Bangabandhu engaged himself in maintaining peace and harmony, and saved many lives of Hindus and Muslims risking his own life.

1948 Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib took admission in the Department of Law at the University of Dhaka. He founded the East Pakistan Muslim Students’ League, the first opposition student organization in Pakistan. He built a strong movement against the initiative to make Urdu the only state language of Pakistan. He was subsequently arrested along with some colleagues while they had gathered in observance of the `State Language Bangla Day.’

1952 Bangabandhu stayed in constant touch with those waging the movement to realize Bangla as one of the state languages. He started a hunger strike unto death that lasted for 11 days for this cause.

1953 Sheikh Mujibur Rahman was elected General Secretary of the Awami Muslim League and continued to gain prominence as a Bengali leader. The first general elections in East Bengal were held in March 1954. The United Front won 223 seats out of 237. The Awami Muslim League was victorious in 143 seats. Bangabandhu won the election for the Gopalganj constituency and took oath as the Minister for Agriculture and Forest in the new provincial government.


1955 The Awami Muslim League was renamed as the Awami League by dropping the word ‘Muslim’ to open the doors of the party to all, regardless of religion. This was done under the leadership of Sheikh Mujib. He was once again elected as the General Secretary of the party.

1956 Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman joined the provincial Awami League government headed by Khan Ataur Rahman as a minister. He remained in this position for 9 months only. Sheikh Mujib Voluntarily resigned in May 1957 in order to continue as the General Secretary of the party to build the organization.

1964 At its council meeting in March, the Awami League decided to strengthen their movement for upholding the right of the general people to vote and elect their own parliamentary government. As a communal riot broke out in East Pakistan, a strong Riot Resistance Committee was formed under the initiative of Bangabandhu. After the riots, he took the initiative to prepare for a united movement against the then Pakistan’s military dictator.

1965 The Pakistani government charged Bangabandhu with sedition and for making ‘so called’ objectionable statements. He was sentenced to one-year imprisonment and was released by an order of the high court.

1966 In February 1966, Sheikh Mujib presented his historic six-point demand known as the ‘charter of freedom of the Bengali nation’. It drew the roadmap for the independence of Bangladesh under the garb of greater autonomy. In March, he was elected as the President of Awami League. Bangabandhu travelled far and wide in order to gain support for the demand. He was imprisoned for nearly 3 years during this time.

1968 The Pakistani government filed a case, known as the ‘Agartala Conspiracy Case’ against a number of Bengalis on the charge of treason. Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman was made number 1 accused. Along with him, 34 others were implicated in the case, bringing the charge of forced secession of East Bengal with the assistance of India.

1969 The Agartala Conspiracy Case resulted in a nationwide student movement and mass upsurge demanding the withdrawal of the case and the release of Sheikh Mujib. The Ayub Khan government was forced to withdraw the Case and release him and others. Sheikh Mujibur Rahman was awarded with the title 'Bangabandhu' at a reception of a million in a rally organized by Central Student Action Committee. At a later meeting to observe the death anniversary of Shaheed Suhrawardy, Bangabandhu declared that henceforth East Pakistan would be called Bangladesh.

1970 A general election was called. Bangabandhu urged the countrymen to elect Awami League in light of the 6-point demand. A catastrophic cyclone ensued, and a million people died in that in the coastal areas. The people were angry due to negligence of the then goverment to provide timely relief and rehabilitation. Sheikh Mujib suspended the election campaign and rushed to the affected areas. In the elections, Awami League achieved absolute majority, winning 167 out of the 169 seats of the National Assembly in East Pakistan and 298 seats of the 310 seats of the Provincial Assembly of East Pakistan.


1971 General Yahya Khan postponed the National Assembly session, only two days before the session was due. The Bengalis instantaneously came out onto the streets in massive demonstrations. From March 1 onward Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman was virtually running East Pakistan as its de-facto head of government. On March 7, in his historic speech before the millions at the Racecourse Maidan, Bangabandhu called on the countrymen to take all out preparations for the liberation of Bangladesh. President General Yahya Khan came to Dhaka and held a series of meetings with Sheikh Mujib, none of which brought about any resolution. On the midnight of March 25, the Pakistan army launched military attack against the unarmed Bengalis. Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman proclaimed the Independence of Bangladesh in the early hours of March 26. Right after the proclamation, he was arrested and taken to a Pakistani prison. On April 10, 1971, the first government of Bangladesh was formed, and Sheikh Mujibur Rahman was elected President. The government took oath of office on April 17 at a famous mango garden of Baidyanathtala in Meherpur, which is now known as Mujibnagar. After nine months of bloody war Bangladesh was liberated with the surrender of the Pakistan army on December 16, 1971. During August & September of 1971, the Pakistan Junta held a secret trial and sentenced Bangabandhu to death. On December 27, the Bangladesh government sought Sheikh Mujib's immediate and unconditional release.

1972 The Government of Pakistan was forced to release Sheikh Mujibur Rahman under immense international pressure on January 8. On that very day, he travelled to London on his way to Dhaka. Prior to returning to Dhaka, Sheikh Mujib stopped over at Delhi, where the Indian President V. V. Giri and Prime Minister Indira Gandhi welcomed him with grace. When the Father of the Nation reached Dhaka on January 10, millions of citizens of the new country welcomed him. On January 12,

Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman took charge as the Prime Minister of Bangladesh and embarked on the reconstruction of a war-ravaged country. Within a period of three and a half years, Bangabandhu laid the foundations of the new Republic by putting into effect several measures, including rehabilitation of 10 million Bengali refugees, withdrawal of all allied forces within 3 months of victory, formation of the constituent assembly & a constitution for the new state within 10 months, recognition of Bangladesh by more than a hundred states, Bangladesh’s membership of important international bodies including Commonwealth of Nations, the United Nations, NAM, OIC, enactment of International (Crimes) Tribunal Laws, etc.

1973 Awami League secured 293 seats out of the 300 Parliament seats in the first general election held in March in an independent Bangladesh and subsequently formed a new Government based on the newly framed constitution. The World Peace Council awarded “Julio Curie” Peace Prize to Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman for his contribution to world peace. Sheikh Mujib went to Algeria to participate in the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) Summit Conference. On the side-line, he had bilateral talks with the world leaders.

1974 Bangladesh received official world recognition by becoming the 136th member of the United Nations on September 17. On September 25, at the 29th General Assembly of the United Nations, Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman addressed the world in Bangla, the first ever Bangla speech delivered at the UN.

1975 Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, the architect of Bangladesh, was assassinated by a handful of army renegades as part of a larger national and international political conspiracy hatched by anti-liberation forces in the pre-dawn hours of August 15. They murdered in cold blood every member of his family except his daughters Sheikh Hasina and Sheikh Rehana, who by fortune alone were abroad at that time. Bangladesh observes August 15 as the National Mourning Day and remembers the noblest and the greatest Bengali who ever lived, through his spirit, ideology, courage and love for the people of his nation.

Collected from the official website of the Mujib Borsho Celebration Committee www.mujib100.gov.bd

Bangabandhu with his family.Bangabandhu with his family.Bangabandhu with his family.Bangabandhu with his family.


12 BANGLADESH BECKONS BANGLADESH BECKONS 9

Bangabandhu: The Making of a Great Leader

Bangladesh's independence struggle was in the making for roughly 25 years, starting with the partition of the Indian subcontinent into India and Pakistan in 1947. For all these years, the people of the east wing of Pakistan had been suffering, without much hope, until they stood up and fought for

their independence in 1971 under the leadership of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman.

The history of the sufferings of the Bengalis goes back even before creation of the state of Pakistan. They endured suppression and subjugation since the British colonial era. According to one estimate, up to three million Bengalis died of malnutrition and related diseases by the end of the Second World War, which was considered a result of unscrupulous extraction of resources from the Bengal. Pakistan also did not do any different. The rulers of the West wing treated the East wing, now Bangladesh, as a de facto ‘colony’. Pakistani historian Ayaz Gull argued, “Pakistan did not make serious efforts for the economic uplift of East Pakistan and thus disparities existed.” Hamid Yusaf said, “Exclusion of East Pakistan from a share in political

authority contributed to the rise of the movement for regional autonomy.”

Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, the architect of Bangladesh, showed the first sign of being a people's leader in 1943 when he distributed rice to the famine-stricken people from his father's stockpile, without any knowledge of the latter. In the coming years, he grew up to be the leader he was meant to be and steered his nation to their most glorious moment in history, making of an independent state for the Bengalisees. He was -from that first sign of leadership till the day he died - a people's leader. Gary J. Bass, while referring to a cable from the US Consulate in Dhaka, mentioned, “Mujib's very

appearance suggested raw power, a power drawn from the masses and from his own strong personality. He was tall and sturdy, with rugged features and intense eyes.”

Bangabandhu spearheading the

six point movement for greater

autonomy of East Pakistan (1966).


In 1948, a revolution against this disparity and discrimination began, through the language movement, in which Sheikh Mujib was thoroughly involved. Bangabandhu was arrested as a result and he was sent to jail for the fourth time. Sheikh Mujib was no stranger to prison. His thirteen prison experiences came in different periods starting in 1938, followed by 1940, 1948, 1949, 1951, 1954, 1958, 1961, 1962, 1964, 1966, 1968, and lastly in 1971. An analysis of his prison history indicates that during the 25 years of Pakistani rule, Mujib had to spend 12 years in prison and faced death sentences twice. Gary J Bass argued, “Mujib's lifelong activism

had cast him into jail, making him a hero to the people.”

In 1956, Sheikh Mujib was appointed as a minister when the Awami League formed the Provincial Cabinet. But he left the Cabinet to devote himself to the task of reorganising the party. He decided to be with the people with a view to strengthening the party for an effective movement. This strategy paid dividends. It may be mentioned here that the first government of Bangladesh, which was a government in exile, was formed in his absence in April 1971. Such an impromptu formation of the government by his followers might was a rare occurrence in world history.

With the “six-point” demand and mass uprising in 1969, Mujib turned into an invincible leader. The 1970 election, in which Awami League won a landslide victory, was a clear indication that the people of West and East Pakistan mandated Mujib to implement the “six-point” programme. Gary Bass termed the election as “Pakistan's first truly free and fair democratic.” However, the political establishment in West Pakistan did not accept the results. This caused great discontent in East Pakistan resulting in the beginning of a “non-cooperation” movement against the Pakistani authority under the leadership of Sheikh Mujib.

Bangabandhu's historic March 7 speech deserves a special mention here. It was

extempore, took only 19 minutes to deliver, but each word conveyed the strategic

guidance for the final phase of the liberation movement. In fact, that epoch making

speech instilled patriotic feelings in the mind of common people of East Pakistan.

David Ludden argued, “This speech inspired a popular revolution.” The speech was

rated as one of the world's best speeches. In his 2013 book, ‘We Shall Fight on the

Beaches: The Speeches That Inspired History’, Jacob F Field

underlined the rationale for the rating through a collection of extracts

from the most inspirational speeches of the last 2,500 years. The list

includes speeches of leaders like Churchill, Lincoln, Mao, and

Sheikh Mujibur Rahman.


On the infamous night of 25 March 1971, Pakistan launched brutal crackdown on unarmed civilians in the east wing. On that very night, Sheikh Mujib had dispatched his aides to East Pakistan Radio with a handwritten message declaring independence. Bangabandhu wrote the message in English to draw international attention quickly. Earlier, he had already conveyed his instructions to the people in Bangla during his public address on March 7. A prudent leader, Bangabandhu had made preparations in advance realizing that he might be arrested and might not get the time to convey his last message to the people.

As mentioned earlier, the first government of Bangladesh was formed in exile on April 10, 1971, declaring Sheikh Mujib as the President in his absence. This speaks of the trust bestowed on a leader by his followers who believed in him and in his ability to steer way forward. His strategic guidance not only triggered the formation of the provincial government of Bangladesh but also helped run the businesses of a defiant nation fighting for the liberation in his absence.

After the war, Bangabandhu returned to Bangladesh from a Pakistan prison on January 10, 1972. It was painful for him to witness what had unfolded in his absence, which he described as the "biggest humanitarian disaster in the world." Unfortunately, this atrocity has not yet been recognized by the international community as genocide although it fits very well in this category. According to Gary J Bass, “In the dark annals of modern cruelty, it [the genocide] ranks as bloodier than Bosnia. But the Pakistan's slaughter of its Bengalis in 1971 is starkly different. Pakistan's crackdown was a colossal and systematic onslaught.”

Four years later, in 15 August 1975, a black chapter in the nation's history was

opened. The great leader was brutally killed along with most of his family members

by a group of misguided miscreant army officers. After thirty-four years, a verdict

on the murders was given, pursuing a detailed procedure of the law of the land. It is

unfortunate that justice could not be ensured even after so many years, as some of

the convicted killers, living in different parts of the world, continue to remain

outside the reach of law.

Written by Brigadier General Saleem Ahmad Khan. Published in the Daily Star on 15 August 2018. This is an abridged version.

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Bangabandhu:A Poet of Politics

Sheikh Mujibur Rahman is popularly known as ‘Bangabandhu’, the Friend of Bengal. He was the founding leader of Bangladesh and widely revered in the country as the Father of the Nation. Without his charisma, vision and willpower, Bangladesh would probably not have been liberated. Many around the world loved him for his ability to thumb his nose at the mighty rulers of Pakistan. Indeed, Bangabandhu was one of the most remarkable politicians of the last century.

Bangabandhu was a large, tall man and he looked very impressive with his long back-brushed hair and spectacles. He was intelligent and stubborn but had very high political charisma. Bangabandhu’s political stature was legendary. His great charisma combined with political acumen made him the greatest among the leaders of the Bangladesh independence movement. The fiery revolutionary turned statesman Sheikh Mujib had a profound effect on politics and his people during his time. Considered a thorn among the Bengali leaders by the Pakistani regime, Bangabandhu had been a beacon of resistance for their anti-Bengali standpoint.

Since 1947, the Pakistani rulers had kept an iron grip on power in this part of the country, which is now Bangladesh. However, Bangabandhu stuck to his idealism throughout the struggle of independence of Bangladesh, breaking ties with other puppet politicians. He fought against the Pakistani rulers and their local accomplices without compromise. Bangabandhu truly believed that he knew what was best for his people and the country. He was a high-ranking planner and organizer, who succeeded through bold politicking. He was considered to be a symbol of rebellion, patriotism and idealism.

Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur

Rahman made a historic speech on 7 March 1971 at a gigantic public gathering at Suhrawardy Udyan. It is considered as a turning point of the history of this land. He made a clarion call to his people in a thunderous voice: "Build forts in each homestead. You must resist the Pakistani enemy with whatever you have in hand. Remember, we have given a lot of blood, a lot more blood we shall give if need be, but we shall liberate the people of this country, Inshaallah. The struggle this time is the struggle for our emancipation; the struggle this time is the struggle for independence."

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The eyes of the world focused on Dhaka's the then-Racecourse Maidan that day as international media descended upon the East Pakistan amidst speculation that Sheikh Mujib would declare independence from Pakistan. The speculation gained credibility as there were open calls by the people to make this call. The speech was immensely successful in giving the Bengalees a clear goal of their struggle, the independence. It inspired millions across Bangladesh to get involved in the freedom struggle. This historic address was a de facto declaration of Bangladesh's independence.

The speech on 7th March that Bangabandhu delivered was so powerful that it had united the whole Bengali nation to come into a united platform against the military junta of Pakistan. The glorious Liberation War then started to gain momentum. With that clarion call of Bangabandhu, the Bengalees accomplished an armed rebellion, which was rare in the annals of history. The international Newsweek magazine termed Bangabandhu as a 'Poet of Politics' in the cover story of its 5 April 1971 issue, after that epoch-making speech.

Lieutenant General A. A. K. Niazi, Commander of Pakistani troops said: "Mujib virtually became the ruler... His residence at 32 Dhanmondi became the presidency [from March 7]...the command of the central government began to be defied." "Bangladesh had virtually come into being on 7 March 1971" as said by Pakistani Lieutenant General Kamal Matinuddin. Bangabandhu's 7 March 1971 speech has been recognized as one of the world famous speeches in the book entitled: "We Shall Fight on the Beaches: The Speeches That Inspired History", by Jacob F Field, a noted historian. It was truly one of few very powerful speeches in world history.

Sheikh Mujib was the most charismatic political personality the Bengali nation has ever produced. Poet and journalist Muhammad Nurul Huda wrote "Bangabandhu is incomparable because he was courageous, and it was his moral and physical courage combined that was unprecedented in the history of political struggle. Embracing Bangabandhu at the Algiers Non-Aligned Summit in 1973, Fidel Castro, the Cuban revolutionary leader commented, "I have not seen the Himalayas. But I have seen Sheikh Mujib. In personality and in courage, this man is the Himalayas. I have thus had the experience of witnessing the Himalayas."

A gifted fiery speaker and tireless political worker, Bangabandhu dedicated his life to making Bangladesh a better place and people responded by creating a cult of personality to him that exists to this day. The words of Herodotus "It is better by noble boldness to run the risk of being subject to half the evils we anticipate than to remain in cowardly listlessness for fear of what might happen" is very relevant in reference to Bangabandhu. He is remembered as a visionary who fought for his countrymen throughout his life. Bangabandhu has remained a great leader and will remain so in the years to come.

Today, Bangabandhu is resting in peace at Tungipara where he was born. From the rising to the setting sun, may his presence come to our life every day, to inspire us to build a golden Bangladesh in line with his beliefs. "Better to die fighting for freedom than to live your whole life a prisoner" was the principal motto of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman throughout his life. Malcolm X said: "Sometimes you have to pick the gun up to put the gun down". May be, Sheikh Mujib had correctly assessed the situation as such and gave the clarion call to his people, whom he loved so much, to fight for their freedom.

Written by Mr. Anwar A. Khan. Collected from the official website of Bangladesh Awami League. This is an edited version.

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The speech that our Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman delivered 49 years ago was amazing in the context of communication science. Bangabandhu completed this timeless speech in 19 minutes by uttering between 58 and 60 words per minute. In broadcasting theory, 60 words per minute is considered to be an ideal. There were no annoying repetitions in the speech of 1,107 words. There were no unnecessary articulations – only the gist or core points.

Bangabandhu had started his address like this: “My dear brothers, I have come before you today with a heavy heart. All of you know and understand how hard we have tried. But it is a matter of sorrow that the streets of Dhaka, Chittagong, Khulna, Rangpur and Rajshahi have today become coloured with the blood of my brothers. Today, the people of Bangla want freedom, they want to live, the people of Bangla want their rights.” It was a highly effective introduction to the speech, which laid the foundation for the main address and provided indications to the audience regarding what was to follow. If the contents of the speech are analyzed, it is seen that it was basically a message about the emergence of a new state on the global map as a natural progression.

The 7th March speech was the main mantra and theory for an independent Bangladesh. Whether children or juvenile, young or old, everybody became excited after listening to this speech during the nine months of the liberation war. This address was a de-facto declaration of Bangladesh’s independence. This fluent and extempore speech delivered in a lucid language and style was the principal document of our liberty. Bangabandhu quite adeptly adopted a conversational style while delivering this speech in order to attract the audience. He raised questions at different stages. ‘What wrong have we done? What did we get? With whom shall we sit? Shall we sit with those who had taken the blood of my people?” Proper application of the ‘ask question, then answer’ prescription had taken place for connecting with the audience.

The Greatest Speechof the Greatest Bangali


An essential characteristic of a statesmanlike speech is not only to familiarize the audience with future initiatives and work-plan, but also to motivate and inspire them to participate actively. Bangabandhu’s words were inspirational: “I call upon you to turn every home into fortresses, confront the enemy with whatever you have and close all roads for life even if I am not around to give orders.” The seven and a half crores people of Bangladesh had accepted these orders as more important than mere directives. Sentences naturally became shorter in those parts of the address where Bangabandhu gave orders, directives or warnings. For example, “the employees will fetch their salaries on the 28th. Turn all your homes into fortresses. I say to the government employees: what I say has to be obeyed. As long as this country does not become free, no revenues-taxes will be paid. Nobody will pay.”

The 7 March speech had demonstrated that his liberal humanism did not diminish even while issuing stern warnings. While standing on the crossroads of life and death of a nation, he cautioned, “We will starve them of food, we will deprive them of water.” But this was immediately followed by words of reassurance: “You are my brothers – you stay in the barracks; nobody will tell you anything. But do not attempt to shoot at my heart.” This coexistence of hard and soft attributes could always be observed in the big heart of Bangabandhu.

The audience were tremendously inspired because of the sharpness of its logic. In Bangabandhu’s words:

“The arms which were purchased with my money for protecting the country from attacks by external enemies are now being used against the poor, sad and suffering people of my country. Bullets are being fired on their chests. We are the majority in Pakistan, whenever we Bangalis tried to go to power, they pounced upon us.”

This kind of powerful argument in such simple words was a natural attribute of Bangabandhu’s address.


Towards the middle of the address, he said, “I told him, Mr. Yahya Khan, you are the President of Pakistan, come to Dhaka and see how our poor, our Bangali people have been mowed down by your bullets, how the laps of our mothers have been emptied, how my people have been slaughtered! You come, see for yourself and then judge.” Bangabandhu followed properly the rules of ‘put the attributes first’ while making references to quotations. For example, “Mr. Bhutto said, he would not go;” or, “Yahya Khan took over the government. He said, he would give constitution, democracy to the country, we accepted.” The following part of his address shows that there was no change in his humanitarian approach even while announcing tough programmes: “I want to pronounce clearly that the courts, offices, criminal courts and educational institutions will remain closed from today indefinitely. Other items will remain outside the purview of the strike, so that the poor don’t suffer, and my people do not endure hardship. Rickshaws, horse-drawn carriages, trains and launches will run.”

The last sentence of Bangabandhu’s 7 March speech, “The struggle this time is for emancipation! The struggle this time is for independence!” was effectively a declaration of independence expressed with a firm resolve, which had in fact defined the speech. Bangabandhu directly entered the ‘speech definition’ in his historic address – through an appropriate application of communication theory. In his address delivered in 1940, British

Prime Minister Winston Churchill had said: “We shall fight on the beaches, we shall fight on the landing grounds, we shall fight in the fields and in the streets, we shall fight in the hills, we shall never surrender.” Here, ‘we shall fight’ was the definition of that speech. Similarly, when Martin Luther King delivered his historic address in 1963, the definition part of his speech was “I have a dream.” A portion of that address was as follows: “I have a dream that one day this nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed ; I have a dream that my four children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the colour of their skin, but by the content of their character.”

A speech that could inspire an entire nation to join the liberation war was a rare event in history. Analysis of the importance, significance and timeliness of this speech, which contained the directives and declaration of the liberation war in Bangabandhu’s

own voice, has remained a gold-mine for researchers. The manner in which this address had invigorated and indoctrinated the Bangalis with the mantra of liberty added a new chapter in the annals of speeches. This historic address is considered to be a compulsory text at home and abroad by the experts of public speeches, researchers and communication theorists.

Although the historic 7 March speech was an extempore one, what was noticeable about it was that annoying repetitions and hesitations in framing words as observed in such speeches were totally absent. It was possible for Bangabandhu alone to deliver such an unostentatious, direction giving, poetic speech without any break and without taking any help from notes while standing in the middle of a sea of people. A lucid and detailed explanation about the events unfolding at the time made this speech withstand the test of logic for all times to come.

Written by Professor AAMS Arefin Siddique, former Vice-Chancellor of Dhaka University. Translated by Mr. Helal Uddin Ahmed. The article was received from the External Publicity Wing of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. A slightly edited version.

This 7 March address of 1971 was not only the greatest speech in Bengali language, it is one of the best in the entire world. This speech was simultaneously

the declaration of our independence and the inspiration of our liberation war. This speech will continue to rekindle the Bangali nation with a spark of fire,

show the path of realizing the mundane truths and provide political direction to emancipation of the Bangali people.

BANGLADESH BECKONS 10 BANGLADESH BECKONS 21

The Political Philosophyof Bangabandhu

A leader who was always one with the people For the generation who witnessed the birth of Bangladesh, it is a daunting task to express in words the unique role played by the Father of the Nation, Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman in the creation of the new state. It is even more challenging to analyze the political ideas underpinning his life’s work. There have been leaders in other countries who led their nations. But few could create history. Bangabandhu was one such rare grand actor of history.

To understand his political philosophy, we should always keep in mind that Bangabandhu spent most of his life as a political player outside state power. He struggled against colonial and undemocratic state power, first against the British and later against the Pakistan state to establish the economic, political, and cultural rights of the Bengalees. He exercised state power only for a limited period of time — barely three and a half years after independence. His political discourse is that of a leader fighting authoritarian state power, not that of a leader who was using state power to govern a country.

One of the remarkable features of his political life was his transformation from an ordinary rank and file worker of a political party to an unparalleled leader of millions of people. Bangabandhu possessed outstanding organizational capacity; at the same time, he was a great orator. Generally, it is very difficult to find such a combination of qualities in one leader.

Bangabandhu was not a political theoretician, but he had a few specific political ideals and goals and he worked consistently to achieve them. Bangabandhu identified himself both as a human being and as a Bengalee. This self-identification helps us explore the main features of his political philosophy, such as nationalism, secularism, socialism, and people-orientation.

NationalismIndependence, liberation, and democracy From the beginning of his political life, Bangabandhu was proud of his Bengali national identity. He was involved in the Pakistan movement, but he believed that Pakistan should be established on the basis of the Lahore Resolution which envisaged two Muslim majority independent sovereign states. He perceived the nationalist movement not simply as a struggle to gain

independence but also as a struggle for the economic and political emancipation of the down-trodden masses. He had always viewed the Bengali nationalist movement as a movement for the achievement of democracy as well as liberation of the oppressed people.

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Bangabandhu amid his followers after being released from prison.

Bangabandhu delivering his historic speech (07 March 1971).


Bengalis. Following the launch of the six points, Bangabandhu was again imprisoned and he was charged with treason by the Pakistan government in the Agartala conspiracy case.

In 1969, Ayub fell from power in the face of massive students’ movement. Bangabandhu was released from prison and the students conferred on him the title of Bangabandhu (friend of Bengal). During the 1970 election campaign Bangabandhu started using nationalist slogans such as “Bangladesh” and “Joy Bangla.”

Thus, within a relatively short span of four years, between 1966 to 1970, Bangabandhu was able to unite the whole Bengali nation behind his demand for liberation and independence. No other nationalist leader had been so successful in mobilizing such a huge number of people within such a short period of time.

It is noteworthy that throughout his life Bangabandhu was involved in movement politics and talked about people’s emancipation from exploitation and oppression, he believed in peaceful non-violent political movements. From 1947 till 1970 the Bengali nationalist movement became stronger day-by-day under his leadership, but he stayed within the bounds of democratic politics.

Whenever Pakistani rulers gave opportunities for election, he participated in them, though the elections were often not free and fair, and attempts were made to foil the election results.

SecularismNon-communalism and equal rights for all citizens Though he was a Bengali nationalist, Bangabandhu never tried to create division and hatred between different identity groups. These days we are witnessing the rise of such nationalist leaders even in Western democratic countries who are trying to instigate intolerance and violence towards minority groups. But Bangabandhu’s nationalist politics was different. He believed in co-existence and mutual tolerance of different identity groups and talked about equal rights of all citizens.

Though he was involved in the Pakistan movement he believed that in India, Muslims and in Pakistan, Hindus

should enjoy equal rights as citizens and live together in peace and harmony. He talked about equal rights of all groups to practice their respective religions. He witnessed the communal riots in Kolkata on August 16, 1947. Bangabandhu saved both Muslims and Hindus from acts of communal violence in Kolkata. Later when Suhrawardy joined Mahatma Gandhi in efforts to bring back communal harmony, Bangabandhu joined them.

After returning to Dhaka he joined Gonotantrik Jubo League and took up the cause of building communal harmony as his main mission. He was against all forms of communal violence, not simply between Hindus and Muslims but also between different Muslim sects and between Bengalis and non-Bengalis. In 1964 when Hindu-Muslim riots spread in India he started a civic campaign to prevent communal riots in East Bengal.

After the creation of Pakistan, Bangabandhu returned to Dhaka and became involved in various progressive movements and organizations which championed the linguistic, cultural, and economic rights of the Bengalis. In 1948 he was imprisoned for participating in the movement demanding recognition of Bengali as one of the state languages of Pakistan. He was also involved in other social and political protest movements. He supported the movement of the fourth-class employees of Dhaka university.

Within a relatively short period after the establishment of Pakistan he became convinced about the need for establishing an opposition political party not only for championing the rights of the Bengalis but also to challenge the authoritarian rule of the Muslim League. In his speeches we find a strong articulation of various demands of the Bengali nationalists and his strong sense of Bengali identity. In the council session of the party in 1955 the Awami League (AL) dropped the word “Muslim” from its name. In February 1966, Bangabandhu presented his historic six points demand which put forward a very radical notion of provincial autonomy leaving only limited powers in the hands of the central government.

In March of that year he became the president of the AL and began a country-wide campaign to popularize the six points which soon became the sole agenda of the party. Six points captured the aspirations of the nation and it was billed as the charter for the liberation of the


In his personal life he followed the preaching of Islam. But Bangabandhu was against the political use of religion. He condemned the Muslim League’s practice of using the slogan of Islam and not paying attention to the economic well-being of the people which he argued was the goal for which “the working class, the peasants, and the labourers had made sacrifice during the movement for independence.”

SocialismEquality, freedom from exploitation, and oppression Bangabandhu believed in socialism, which would free people from exploitation and oppression and remove inequality. He visited China in 1952 which left a deep imprint in his mind. He found great differences in the living conditions of people in Pakistan and China which he attributed to the differences in the two political systems. He admired the priorities set by the Chinese government in improving the socio-economic conditions of the people. Bangabandhu believed that the government has a role to play in removing inequality and freeing people from exploitation. In the council session of the AL held during April 7-8, 1972, he reiterated his commitment to promote an exploitation-free socio-economic system and

socialism was formally adopted as one of the ideals of the party.

People OrientationPeople’s issues, people’s politics Often, we find leaders who lead people towards great goals, but they do not become emotionally involved with the people. Bangabandhu was an exception. He often talked about his love for people and people’s love for him in return. His politics was people’s politics. During the campaign for Pakistan when famine struck, he worked in feeding centres for the famine victims. He worked to rescue the victims of communal riots in Kolkata. He participated in street rallies demanding food security for the poor in East Bengal. He developed his political ideas by being involved with the concerns of the ordinary masses. His political philosophy was not centred only on the goal of getting state power.

At one level, Bangabandhu was a man of the masses. He learned about people’s aspirations from them. At another level he was the leader of the people. He carried forward ordinary people’s aspirations. He had faith in people. That is why he could call upon people on March 7, 1971 to join the liberation struggle with “whatever little they have.”

Written by Dr. Rounaq Jahan, former Professor of the Columbia University, USA and currently a distinguished fellow at the Center for Policy Dialogue (CPD), Dhaka. This article was published in the Dhaka Tribune on Monday, 10 June 2019. This is a shortened version.

Four guiding principles of state We see the reflections of Banganabdhu’s political philosophy in the four guiding principles of state adopted by our constitution: Nationalism, democracy, secularism, and socialism. He defended these four principles in various speeches delivered in the parliament, in the party forums, and in addresses to the nation.

Bangabandhu used to articulate the goals of his life’s work in two simple words. He would either say he wants to build again “Shonar Bangla” or he would say he wants to bring “a smile on the faces of the poor and unhappy people.” He knew very well how precious a smile was and his goal was to achieve that priceless objective.

Bangabandhu in a meeting with his close compatriots.

BANGLADESH BECKONS 10 BANGLADESH BECKONS 25

These were words from the heart of our Father of the Nation. He knew the country was in a dire situation after the liberation war, but he also realized the potential of the people to overcome all the hurdles and turn the tide. He rightly believed in uniting the people and leading them towards the desired direction of inclusive development as the only way to true prosperity. He intended to lead the country in this direction and was well on his way. Within only a few years after independence, he succeeded in materializing the growth potential of Bangladesh to a significant extent.

He inherited an economy of only eight billion US dollars. There was not even a dollar in our foreign exchange reserve. But thanks to his committed leadership the economy started moving forward despite many seemingly insurmountable challenges including war-ravaged physical and social infrastructures and virtually no regulatory institutions. There was acute shortage of food grains following national and international natural shocks. But Bangabandhu led from the front in rebuilding this devastated economy with meagre domestic resources and international humanitarian support. The people of the country started believing in their own power as well.

The phrase ‘Sonar Bangla’ (meaning Golden Bengal) was very common in speeches and writings of Bangabandhu well before the independence of Bangladesh. He was always thinking about re-establishing ‘Sonar Bangla’. But this was not a mere political rhetoric for him. This aspiration was based on his consciousness about the past glory of this land. He knew that only a few centuries back Bangladesh was really a land of prosperity, a golden country. This country was famous for its agricultural production (fueled by favourable climate conditions, fertile land, riverine geography etc.). It was famous for its exports like muslin, silk, cotton, spices and even ship building. Bengal was a real trade hub during that era. Bangabandhu was aware of this glorious past, and strongly believed that the past glory could be revived through a proper overhaul to develop economic emancipation of the people.

Since the beginning of Pakistan, the government never treated Bangladesh (then East Bengal/Pakistan) equally. Bangabandhu was aware of this. He realized that along with social and political dimensions this inequality had

economic dimensions as well. He strongly condemned the ‘Federal Control of Industries Act’ which virtually gave full control of the industrial sector to the central government, bypassing provincial authorities. While East Pakistan had better agricultural growth potential, the then central government was spending more on agricultural development in West Pakistan.

Bangabandhu was determined to bring about positive change in favour of the people of East Pakistan (i.e. today’s Bangladesh). Hence, when he oversaw the Provincial Ministry of Industry he focused on industrial growth of East Pakistan. He bargained with the central government for a fair share of the economic benefits to the entrepreneurs and people of the then East Pakistan.

“To build a Golden Bengal, we need Golden People. Bangladesh is plagued by exploitation, oppression, and looting. To solve these problems and to build a happy and

prosperous Bangladesh, the people needs to work hard to increase production."

- Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman (December 15,1974).

Bangabandhu’s Thoughts on Economic Development

years to come. A vibrant agriculture can also ensure supply of raw materials for a burgeoning industrial sector.

Immediately after the independence of the country, Bangabandhu took some prudent initiatives to ensure agricultural growth. Some of these initiatives are: rebuilding the war-ravaged agricultural infrastructure, ensuring supply of agricultural equipment on emergency basis free of cost or at concessional rates, ensuring adequate supply of seed, cancelling 1 million certificate cases for loan default against farmers filed during the Pakistan period, fixing minimum fair prices for agro-products, ration facilities for poor and marginal farmers, etc. The Bangabandhu government took these steps during the early days of his rule. He took these


According to Bangabandhu’s proposals, East Pakistan was to gain full control of its industry and trade from January 1957. He even asked for constituting an Economic Commission to identify the sources of disparity. The central government responded positively to his proposal and an Economic Commission was constituted where economists from East Pakistan echoed his views. The Commission Report was soon sent to cold storage and never saw the light of the day.

After the liberation, as already indicated, Bangabandhu got a war-ravaged country with its infrastructural backbone broken, economy in a shambles, millions of hungry people, and challenges arising from very difficult geo-politics, as the US opposed directly our struggle for freedom. Yet he did not lose hope. On the first anniversary of independence he uttered: “We will turn this war-ravaged country into a golden one. In the Bengal of future, mothers will smile, and children will play. It will be a society free of exploitation. Start the movement of development in the fields and farms and in the factories. We can surely rebuild the country through hard work. Let us work together so that the Golden Bengal shines again.”

Bangabandhu rightly realized the importance of agriculture on economic development. He understood that agriculture will not only provide food to feed the people, but also will remain as the main source of income for majority of the people for many

steps as he believed that agricultural development was then the most important prerequisite for sustainable and inclusive development of the country.

Bangabandhu was also conscious about the complementarity between agricultural and industrial sectors. For example, fertilizers are critically important agricultural inputs and so he prioritized establishment and operationalizing fertilizer factories across the country. Bangabandhu knew there was no alternative to industrialization. Industrial expansion was needed, for producing goods to consume internally and to export, and would ensure employment for a growing population. However, just after the independence, with no foreign reserve, no foreign investment, very little backward and forward linkages, and above all, very

few people with entrepreneurial experience, industrialization perhaps was the biggest challenge that Bangabandhu had to face.

Entrepreneur-friendly Bangabandhu was always for facilitating business growth. Even when he was the Provincial Minister for Industry, he proposed initiatives that would reduce the cost of doing business (by saving time and overcoming red tape). During that time, he encouraged entrepreneurs from home and abroad to invest in East Pakistan and committed full support to them from the provincial government. But in the post-liberation era, the situation was entirely different. Due to reasons mentioned above, there was little to no scope for private sector to grow. In the newly liberated country, Bangabandhu rightly chose to go

for state-led industrial growth. He nationalized major banks and insurance companies, all jute mills, sugar mills and textile mills. The early results were rewarding. In the first year since independence, the jute mills were producing at 56 per cent of their capacities. The same ratio for textile mills, paper mills and fertilizer factories were 60 per cent, 69 per cent, and 62 per cent respectively. All these factories were doing better than they were during the Pakistan period.

While Bangabandhu chose to expand industrial sector through nationalization at the beginning (due to obvious conditions), his

medium to long-term plan was to create an enabling environment for the private sector. These are visible in the first five-year plan and budget proposals of the government of the newly independent country. For example, in the budget for FY 1974-75, the upper limit for private investment was shifted from 250 thousand (25 lakh) taka to 30 million (3.0 crore) taka, and there were provisions for developing new industries by the private sector. Apart from these, 133 abandoned industrial units were handed over to private sector during this government. So, it is evident that the process of deregulation began during Bangabandhu’s time.


FATHER OF THE NATIONBANGABNDHUSHEIKH MUJIBUR RAHMANBROUGHT INDEPENDENCE FOR US. WE’RE WORKING TOWARDS THE DIRECTIONHE WANTED TO DEVELOP THE COUNTRY.

- Sheikh Hasina

Bangabandhu was leading the country along the path of inclusive development based on prudent agricultural and industrial policies. But evil forces took him away and left us off track. After a long time and after a lot of sacrifice, we are again back on that prudent

growth path under the leadership of his daughter, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina. We must do our very best to ensure this journey continues. If we can do so, we will indeed

have a country with golden future – the true ‘Sonar Bangla’.

Written by Dr. Atiur Rahman, Economist and former Governor of Bangladesh Bank, published in the Daily Sun on 26 March 2019. This is an edited version.


In the years in which Bangabandhu was in office, till his assassination in August 1975, a sense of dynamism coupled with a huge dose of idealism was what constituted Bengali diplomacy soon after liberation in December 1971. The foreign policy adopted by Bangabandhu's administration necessarily took into account the support, in moral as well as material terms, provided by those nations which clearly looked upon the genocide committed by the Pakistan occupation army in the country with dismay and derision.

The new government in Dhaka, conscious of the decisive Soviet role at the United Nations Security Council, where Moscow vetoed all resolutions that looked about to prevent the fall of Pakistan in Bangladesh, certainly understood the need for close ties with the Soviet Union. It was against such a background of Soviet support to the Bangladesh cause in 1971 that Bangabandhu paid an official visit to Moscow in March 1972. This was one occasion where the Bengali political leadership, for the very first time, came in touch with the leaders of the communist state, a move which led to a strengthening

of economic as well as educational ties.

A constructive result of such close Dhaka-Moscow links was the facilitating of higher academic programmes for Bengali students at Soviet universities, a reality that was to add enormously to the promotion of excellence in education. And, of course, Soviet assistance in clearing Chittagong port of the remnants of the 1971 war and helping to rebuild it were hugely to the advantage of a country which had its economy battered and its infrastructure absolutely destroyed by the conflict.

Equally important in the Bangladesh foreign policy scheme of things were relations with India. The generosity of spirit with which Prime Minister Indira Gandhi and her government came to the support of Bangladesh's people in 1971, especially in accommodating ten million Bengali refugees, providing space for the Mujibnagar government to operate in and waging a diplomatic campaign in Bangladesh's support, were naturally acknowledged with gratitude by the people and government of Bangladesh.

More importantly, the entry of Indian forces in the war in December 1971, following the attack on Indian territory by Pakistan, and the eventual surrender of the Pakistani forces before the joint command of the Indian army and the Mukti Bahini were a strong reassertion of the growing links between the two countries. Obviously, therefore, a strong, constructive bonding with India was in order.

Signing of historic Indira-Mujib Treaty.

Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman was unequivocal about the foreign policy Bangladesh would pursue under his leadership. He defined it in simple terms. The new country would base its ties with the world outside its frontiers on the principle of friendship for all and malice towards none.

Foreign Policy in Bangabandhu's Time


Bangabandhu believed that in order for the two countries to reinforce the links forged during the war, it was important that Indian troops go back home and let the new country get on with its work. A singular contribution of Bangabandhu's government was thus the return home of India's soldiers from Bangladesh. Indian soldiers trooped back to their country a few days before Mrs. Gandhi paid an official visit to Dhaka in March 1972. And then came a defining moment in relations between the two neighbours when Bangladesh and India initialled a 25-year treaty of friendship that would have the two countries coming to mutual support and friendship in the event of hostilities imposed by other nations on either of them.

The times between 1972 and 1974 can justifiably be regarded as a bright era in Bangladesh's diplomacy. Bangabandhu's government earned, in these critical two years, the rare honour of seeing most nations in Asia, Africa, Europe and the Americas accord it diplomatic recognition.

That Bangladesh was committed to pursuing a secular democratic structure was a powerful factor in persuading other nations of the need to give the new nation its rightful place in the councils of the world. It was a policy which led to the Bangladesh cause in the times after liberation being looked upon with a huge degree of support and empathy. It can be argued, therefore, that Bengali secular democracy, having been acknowledged by the world as Bangladesh's defining diplomatic principle, led to a swift opening of doors everywhere.

The country made its entry into various global organisations, particularly those linked to the United Nations. Again, though Bangladesh had little political reason to be part of the Commonwealth, it nevertheless made it known that it was ready and willing to play its full part in the organization.

Bangladesh's efforts to obtain a place in the United Nations were decisively blocked through an exercise of the veto by China in 1972. Indeed, through 1972 and 1973, the Chinese leadership refused to have Dhaka take its place in the world body, clearly out of an unwillingness to let Pakistan down. The Chinese action surely dismayed Bangabandhu. Yet he was unwilling to go critical or condemnatory, of Beijing's position on Bangladesh.

It was political pragmatism which came into play, for Bangabandhu was in little doubt that until Bangladesh and Pakistan reached a deal on the issues that put up roadblocks to a normalization of ties between Dhaka and Islamabad, Beijing would go on playing the veto

card and so keep Pakistan in good humour. Such an assessment entailed, of course, a powerful requirement for a change of perceptions where links with Pakistan were concerned.

The change came in February 1974, when Bangladesh's entry into the Organisation of Islamic Countries (OIC) threw up a new dimension to its diplomacy. Indeed, the OIC summit, held in the Pakistani city of Lahore, was instrumental in burnishing Bangladesh's image on the global scene. The second was Bangladesh's diplomatic opening out, at virtually one go, to the Islamic world. The perception at the time was that through joining the OIC, Bangladesh had filled a major

gap in its diplomacy and was therefore now equipped to forge ahead with exploring trade and other possibilities with the Islamic world.

Bangladesh's foreign policy regarding the United States, in the initial stages, was informed by a couple of positions. First, Bangabandhu and his government were grateful to the American people for their unqualified support to the Bangladesh cause in 1971. Second, it was critical of the Nixon-Kissinger tilt toward Pakistan during the war, a position which clearly militated against the Bengali war of liberation.

Bangabandhu delivering his maiden speech at the United Nations (1974).

30 BANGLADESH BECKONS BECKONS 11

With Yogoslavian President Josip Broz Tito (1973). Bangabandhu at NAM Summit.

With Leonid Breznev of former

USSR (1972).

With British Prime Minister Edward Heath (1972).

It was not easily forgotten that where American politicians like Senator Edward Kennedy were loudly rooting for Bangladesh in 1971, the Nixon administration consistently explored the chances of a negotiated settlement between the Yahya Khan regime and the Bengali political leadership even when the opportunity for such a settlement did not exist after 25 March 1971.

The Bangabandhu government's diplomatic successes were surely capped by Washington's

recognition of Bangladesh in April 1972. Though ties between the two countries were somewhat soured by the American position regarding Bangladesh's trade deals with Cuba, the government in Dhaka was careful not to let slip the opportunity of building on its new-found links with Washington.

Bangladesh made a significant move through making contact with the World Bank, a step that demonstrated the government's determination to pursue an independent foreign policy through an exercise of pragmatism in its dealings with foreign nations in an era yet constricted by the Cold War.

In much the same manner, Bangabandhu and his government were convinced that nothing short of non-alignment would enable the global community to steer away from the hard choices it would have to make between leaning toward the Soviet bloc and aligning itself with

American policy.

Bangabandhu was keenly aware of the damage done to Pakistan through its membership of such anti-communist blocs as SEATO and CENTO; and because he was, it was his observation that the path traversed by Jawaharlal Nehru, Gamal Abdel Nasser, Ahmed Sukarno and Josip Broz Tito in the 1950s was one his country needed to take if its goal was to carve a distinctive niche for itself in the world.

Forty-nine years after 1971, the principles on which Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman shaped Bangladesh's foreign policy are in absolute need of reassertion. The Father of the Nation believed, out of conviction and moral belief, that Bangladesh could be the Switzerland of the East. Given the trauma the Bengali nation has faced in the years since his assassination, the relevance of that belief rises out of the mists of time. The message is patent and unmistakable: Bangladesh is in sore need of reclaiming the goodwill and respect of the international community, sentiments which once came its way through the nobility of its cause and the sagacity of its leadership. Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman personified that cause and that sagacity.

Written by Syed Badrul Ahsan, Editor-in-Charge of the Asian Age. The article was published in the same newspaper on 16 November 2019. This is a slightly edited version.


People-centric Education Policy of Bangabandhu

Bangabandhu inherited a very fragile education system in the war-ravaged Bangladesh. Historically, this part of Bengal was lagging behind in education during the British as well as the Pakistan eras. Low enrollment rate at primary level and dropout rate were concerning, so was the status of female literacy. As a visionary leader, Bangabandhu realized the value of education for a developing society like ours. He, therefore, decided to improve the existing outmoded education system and made it one of his top priorities. Bangabandhu considered education as an essential social investment. He emphasized on an education policy that would help meet the demand of a young nation so that it can achieve rapid development by providing skilled manpower.

After the liberation, when a new constitution of the country was adopted, Bangabandhu’s philosophy on education was well articulated in its section-17, which dictates that the State should adopt effective measures for:

(a) establishing a uniform, mass oriented and universal system of education and extending free and compulsory education to all children to such stage as may be determined by law;

(b) relating education to the needs of society and producing properly trained and motivated citizens to serve those needs;

(c) removing illiteracy within such time as may be determined by law.

Despite severe resource constraints of a devastated economy, Bangabandhu’s Government took some major

initiatives to realize its education objectives taking strength from the above provisions of the Constitution, which also guarantees education as a right for all.

Bangabandhu’s vision for a pro-people, inclusive and need-based education policy was well captured in the first five-year development plan of the government. It may well be considered as the blueprint to transform the out modeled, elite centric, discriminatory education system. The plan started from a high moral ground saying “ …education must be responsive to country’s social and economic needs. Bangladesh cannot allow creation of an elite class as in past. Simultaneous attempts must, therefore, be made to change the values which a boy or a girl imbibes along with his or her training and education. In this context, the content of education assumes greater importance than the methods of education.”


The plan was designed in such a way so that the education system responds to the specific requirements of the nation and it produces skilled manpower as per the development aspiration of the country. It emphasized that all citizens should have an inherent right to a minimal level of education and be able to receive it at any age convenient to them. It promised to make education facilities of a basic minimal standard available to all seats of learning regardless their location. The plan however, reminded that the education system must be viewed as a totality and the goals of all different layers must be one. It did not also ignore the point that education should equally enrich cultural attainments of the people apart from pedagogic attainments.

Bangabandhu realized that bringing quick structural changes to the existing system would take time. So, his government adopted a few first track strategies and programs. Those included: larger enrollment of students through introduction of double shifts; provision for well-equipped laboratories and practical sessions for science education; vocational and technical training to support the dropped-out students unable to pursue higher studies; steps towards attaining effective adult literacy; and special attention to female education with the objective of turning them into teachers for the primary and secondary schools.

Following are a few steps taken by the Mujib Government immediately after assuming the power of the country:

(a) All the primary schools of the country were nationalized,

(b) 11 thousand new primary schools were established

(c) Highest allocation of national budget was made to revitalize education sector,

(d) Qudrat-i-Khuda Education Commission was formed on July 26, of 1972 to bring significant reform to education section.

(e) Clear guidelines were laid down in the first five years plan to strengthen all strata of education system

The government took initiatives to make the curriculum for the primary level more relevant to real life. Textbooks, writings and instructional materials were supplied to all children free of cost or at a subsidized rate. Introduction of innovative systems and incentives were given thoughts to reduce drop out at primary and secondary levels. For Secondary level, there was a plan to integrate vocational education with mainstream academic education and to maintain a healthy supply chain for efficient work force as well as to enroll 40% students of Class IX & X to vocational education.

Bangabandhu’s first five-year plan also emphasized on the education of the teachers. In post-liberation period, schools were facing great difficulties in recruiting teachers for science and technical subjects because of their high demand in other job sectors. The plan introduced the idea of non-conventional teaching within the formal system to bridge the shortfall by allowing technicians and skilled workers to offer practical instructions in schools, central laboratories and community workshops. It also aimed

towards adequate utilization of home-grown talent by taking advantage of the expertise of retired civil servants, guardians and senior students who have expertise in certain vocational or technical fields. Bangabandhu realized that teaching was a low-paid profession and it needed proper incentives to retain teachers into their job. So, his government took some initiatives for the teachers including the opportunities

to improve their qualification and promotion to higher positions.


Dr. Qudrat-i-Khuda

discussing his report

with Bangabandhu.

The Commission made recommendations for making primary education compulsory and available for the disadvantaged children. It suggested non-formal education as complementary to formal education. Bangabandhu’s contribution was duly acknowledged in this historic report in the following manner:

‘This gigantic work was not possible to complete without the desire, interest and assistance of the Prime Minister Sheikh Mujibur Rahman. We are grateful to him’.

(Introduction: Qudrat-i-Khuda Education Commission Report 1974).

It was a great tragedy for the nation that the Father of the Nation was brutally assassinated by the reactionary forces on August 15, 1975. The Qudrat-i-Khuda Commission Education Report was shelved for a long time. It is encouraging for us that the present government lead by Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, daughter of the Father of the Nation, has taken up the task for removing illiteracy from the country. A national committee on education policy was formed to pencil a people-oriented education policy based on the Report of the Qudrat-i-Khuda Education Commission. We have already lost considerable period of our national life. It is an imperative for us to make resolute effort so that we can make speedy progress in realizing the objective set by the present government in the area of education and in line with the vision of our Father of the Nation.

The much awaited Qudrat-i-Khuda Education Commission’s Report came out in May 1974. The report took into account the socio-economic and political condition as well as the cultural heritage of the country. The perspectives of the education system of the contemporary world were also taken into consideration. As expected, The report prescribed major reforms to the existing education system. Special emphasis had been given on working experiences and practical application of knowledge. As for the primary education, the report outlined the following key objectives:

• To develop and nurture the child’s moral, mental and

social personality.

• To bring up the child as a patriotic, responsible, inquiring and law-abiding citizen, and develop in him a love for justice, dignity, labor, proper conduct and uprightness; and

• To learn to read and write in the mother tongue, and to be able to count and calculate. To be able to acquire the fundamental knowledge and techniques needed for a citizen.

Written by the Bangladesh High Commission, Singapore based on the first Five-year Development Plan of Bangladesh.

3633636363 BANBANBANBANANBANBANANBANBAAAANAANGLAGLGLAGLAGLAGLAGLALAGLAGLAGLADESDESESESESESDESESHHH BEEECECCBEEE KOKOKONKOONKOKO SSS BANGLADESH BECKONS 35

After liberation, all sectors of the economy, including agriculture, suffered huge setbacks in a war-ravaged country. Bangladesh experienced a post war famine-like situation, government storage - empty, agricultural production - totally disrupted, and distribution systems - broken. Farmers did not have enough seeds and other essential means of production like fertilizers, pesticides, pumps, tillers, and livestock to start a new season. Amid such a grim scenario, Bangabandhu dreamt of a ‘Green Revolution’ for attaining his bigger dream of a ‘Golden Bengal’. Guided by his own

mantra, Bangabandhu made a decisive move for the rejuvenation of the agricultural sector. Many initiatives were taken, programmes and schemes were adopted. He visualized such efforts as the most important prerequisite for rebuilding the country’s economy.

Bangabandhu urged the farmers to dedicate themselves to an agricultural revolution by not sparing a single piece of arable land without agricultural production. From his side, the first move was to rehabilitate more than 22 lakh peasant families. On top of that, farmers were provided with

agro-inputs such as machineries, seeds, fertilizers and pesticides, as well as tools like lift pumps, deep tube-wells and shallow tube-wells at a nominal price or sometimes totally free of cost. The government also distributed bullocks, cows and agricultural loans among the farmers. His government adopted a two-tier cooperative system under the Coordinated Rural Development Project in 1972. The first-ever microcredit program for the rural poor was introduced in the country under that scheme. One fifth of the development budget of the government went to agricultural sector.

Bangabandhu introduced some forward-looking agriculture and farmer friendly policies, including in the area of land reform; for example, waivers of

land tax up to 25 bighas of land, deferment of tax payments on lands, fixation of land ownership ceiling up to 100 bighas per family, and debt relief for indebted

farmers. One million certificate cases filed against the farmers before liberation were waived. The famous Ganges-Kapotakhkha Irrigation Project was initiated during his time. Alongside enhancing irrigation facilities, high-yielding varieties

of paddy, jute and wheat seeds were also distributed among the farmers. To ensure fair price, his government fixed the minimum selling rate of important

agriculture products and constructed a number of silos to enhance country’s capacity in food storage. Bangabandhu’s government incentivized

agriculture-based industries and SMEs, introduced cooperative farming, created alternative employments for the farmers.

36 BANGLADESH BECKONS BBANNBB GLAGLAGLAGLAGLGLADESDESDESDESSSHHH BECBEECECECECE KONKONKONKONKONNSSSSS 3737737737373

Bangabandhu established a few institutions for supporting farmers and farming during his time, which eventually proved crucial for the agriculture sector. The most important of them was the establishment of the Bangladesh Agriculture Bank to provide the farmers and agro based industries with soft loans. Cotton imports understandably dried up because of the soured relationship with Pakistan. He formed Cotton Development Board in 1972 to revive local cotton production which is the lifeline of the garments sector. There was a crisis of milk and milk products especially for the children. To meet the demand of liquid milk,

the cooperative-based “Milk Vita” corporation was established in 1974. Among others, his government reconstructed the Horticulture Board, Seed Certification Agency and the Rubber Development Project to diversify agricultural production. His government also reorganized the Bangladesh Agricultural Development Corporation (BADC) to ensure uninterrupted country-wide supply of seeds and fertilizers. The former Jute Agriculture Research Laboratory was transformed into the Jute Research Institute through the ‘Jute Act”.

From a futuristic perspective and

to ensure sustainable agricultural production, Bangabandhu took a special initiative for reorganizing the higher educational and research institutions related to agriculture. The Agriculture Research Council was established in 1973. The Bangladesh Rice Research Institute (BRRI) was further strengthened and its scopes expanded in 1972. In the pursuit of achieving excellence in agricultural production, Bangabandhu founded the Bangladesh Institute of Nuclear Agriculture (BINA), Bangladesh Agricultural Research Institute (BARI) and Bangladesh Rice Research Institute (BRRI).

In recent times, Bangladesh is considered as a role model of agricultural development for many. Bangladesh has been able to attain food security as a result of such miraculous advancement. The bedrock of these success was

laid by the visionary thinking of our Father of the Nation. The pledge that Bangabandhu made with the farmers for their welfare and reviving the

agricultural sector, his daughter Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina continues that in the same spirit. Her flagship initiative “One House One Firm” resembles the philosophy of her father on agriculture. Under the current leadership of Sheikh

Hasina, we are hopeful that Bangladesh will be one of the front-runners in attaining the SDG-2 (zero hunger goal).

Written by the Bangladesh High Commission, Singapore based on the first Five-year Development Plan of Bangladesh.

Bangabandhu and hisPolicy of Health for All

Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman had taken some landmark steps for the improvement of the health sector of the country during the post-independence era. The health facilities of the newly born country were precarious both in terms of quality and quantity. The lack of manpower was a formidable challenge. Moreover, a great majority of those doctors were working in urban areas causing almost a complete vacuum in the rural areas, which was the policy thrust of Bangabandhu. The situation of the specialist doctors was the worst. There were only about 259 specialists available in all discipline in the whole country. On top of that, there was insufficiency of drugs, medicine and other essential supplies. The industry was not able to meet even the minimum internal demand for drugs and medicines.

This situation was unacceptable to Bangabandhu who fought throughout his life for fairness and social justice. He decided that the health facilities and services in Bangladesh should be provided in such a way that the benefits of such reach the common man. So, at the very outset, Bangabandhu set the objectives of creating a health infrastructure in the country with special attention to rural areas

through an integrated and comprehensive health services. Since the vast majority of the population of our country lives in rural areas, his government emphasised on building and expanding health facilities in these areas, so that a reasonable level of health care was available for all.

It was not supposed to be easy. As the country was just recovering from the wounds of war, the government felt the pinch of shortage of resources and manpower to bring in necessary change in the health sector. Bangabandhu adopted a pragmatic strategy, which was to focus on preventive health care. His point was, since most of the morbidity and mortality in our country was caused due to preventable diseases the health system of the country should be prevention oriented. Moreover, he realized that the prevention of morbidity had a definite economic gain, because it enhances quality of lives and quality of the work of the labour force.

In the first Five Year development plan, the government designed its health policies along the above philosophy of Bangabandhu. The basic strategy was to shift the emphasis from curative to preventive health care and to develop a delivery system that would provide integrated and comprehensive health care to the rural population. The plan envisaged a comprehensive health care system for the country, by integrating the full range of preventive and curative services, so that the specialists, doctors, nurses, medical auxiliaries, and para-medical personnel can work in a co-ordinated manner.

Maternal and child mortality and morbidity were

acute health issues in newly born Bangladesh.

Bangabandhu decided to strengthen healthcare

programmes targeting infants, children, and

mothers in order to reducing infant mortality and

maternal mortality rates by integrating family

planning in health policy.


In drawing up the five-year plan, priority was given to build rural thana health complexes. At the same time, provision was made for raising the number of hospital beds and improvement of hospital facilities in urban areas. Greater attention was given to the improvement of manpower by proving training and teaching facilities for doctors, nurses, medical assistants and para-medical personnel. Many programs were undertaken for the strengthening of maternal and child health both in rural and urban areas. Ongoing projects for the eradication/control of infectious diseases including tuberculosis and improvement of production of immunizing agents were revamped. Quality of drugs was a major issue, so the measures were taken to improve drug control.

Rural Health Complex has been visualised as the unit organisation for providing integrated and comprehensive health and family planning services to the rural population. The government underscored the need to improve the quality of the existing hospital facilities and to create new hospital beds, which it did through the Five-Year plan. The government mindful of the shortage of manpower, so it planned to create adequate under-graduate and post graduate teaching and training facilities for the medical, para medical and nursing personnel. Special attention was given to ensure availability of the life savings drugs for treatment of the sick and immunizing agents for prevention or control of communicable diseases. There was not a single orthopedic physician in the then Bangladesh. Bangabandhu took a prompt decision about sending our doctors abroad for advanced medical course on fields and sent five doctors to the then East Germany for doing the advanced course on orthopaedic line.

During the plan period, the pioneer medical institute of the country, ‘Post-Graduate Institute of Medicine’ and one new medical college was established, and existing medical colleges were strengthened. Existing teaching institutions were not adequate to produce enough medical graduates and medical specialists to cope even with present requirements. The new medical colleges and post-graduate institutions were created tocope with the demand. Bangabandhu made ground-breaking change within a short period of time in the country’s medical education by opening Bangladesh College of Physicians and Surgery (BCPS) for post-graduation degree through 1972 ordinance.

Majority of the district and sub-divisional hospitals were lacking in sufficient number of beds to cope with the pressing requirement of the treatment. Moreover, lack of adequate staff and equipment and irregular supply of drugs and medicines had increasingly become a problem. The Government took initiatives to improve the situation with the upgrading of these hospitals to the status of referral hospitals and the increase in the number of technical staff to uplift the standard of treatment. The number of beds was raised in these hospitals to help improve the situation. Bangabandhu nationalized all chartable dispensaries across the country, including all hospitals in 17 districts, to increase access of common people for receiving the medical treatments.

The need for greater emphasis on maternity and child health (MCH) programme in Bangladesh was obvious from the fact that the maternal mortality rate was very high in the country. It was vital, therefore, that the status of MCH services should be revamped in the health plan. In addition to reducing maternal and infant mortality rates, MCH centres could provide very effective support to the Family Planning Programme. The plan, therefore, provided for MCH services in rural areas to be expanded through MCH unit of the rural health complexes and the sub-centres. By the end of the second Five Year Plan period, it was expected that all the rural thanas and unions would be covered with health complexes and sub-centres respectively and thus a network of MCH units will be available throughout the rural areas of the country.

Diarrhoeal disease including cholera were the most common communicable diseases, which killed thousands every year in Bangladesh. The supply of infusion fluid of proper type was a chronic challenge. The purchase of infusion fluids from abroad was costly. A full-fledged programme was introduced in the first Five-Year Plan to establish a unit for production of infusion fluids of different types in adequate quantity to meet the demand of the entire country.

One of the major impediments of effective implementation of Health Programmes at that time was inadequate medical and para-medical personnel. It takes time to produce doctors with minimum training and still many more years to produce teachers and specialists. Nonetheless, Bangabandhu took some remarkable steps, beginning with improvement of curricula of medical education focusing more on common communicable, nutritional and other diseases as well as preventive and community medicines giving due emphasis on the special health problems of Bangladesh.

STEADY PROGRESS IN HEALTH SECTOR

Average life expectancy in 2018

73.8 YEAR

Swomen

70.8 YEAR

Smen

5.1 YEARS

2009-2018

increase in average lifeexpectancy from

171fewer maternal mortality cases

(PER 100,000)from 2008-2017

WHO has declaredBangladesh free frompolio and tetanus

41.9%

2008 and 2017

decrease intuberculosis cases from

42.89%

2009 - 2019

fewer deaths from

malaria in 2018compared to 2008

94.45%point reductionin non-communicabledisease fatalities

from 2011-2018

15 percentagepoint increase inindividual medicalexpenditure

from 2012-2019

8 percentage

fall in child mortalityrate between


Written by the Bangladesh High Commission, Singapore based on the first Five-year Development

Plan of Bangladesh.

The nursing services of the country was extremely weak. At that time, there were acute shortage of trained nurses in the country. The existing nurses’ training centres suffered from inadequate residential facilities, training equipment, and even teaching staff. Upon his instruction, Permanent Nurses’ Training Centres (NTC) were established with sufficient residential accommodation, adequate staff and teaching facilities in all the medical colleges. The shortage of all categories of para-medical personnel was also acute. During the planned period a priority program was, therefore, adopted to produce a large pool of para-medical personnel. A crash program was introduced to tackle the shortage problem of different categories of para-medical personnel. Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman took a landmark step in constituting directorate of Family Planning in 1973 to control the population.

The government made it compulsory for all doctors, medical assistants, nurses and para-medical personnel to serve for, at least, two years in the national health programs, of which at least one year must be in rural areas after qualifying from the respective national institutes. Posting of personnel in rural areas was made, as far as practicable, early in the career.

There was a huge shortage of medicine in war-torn Bangladesh and it was a major obstacle in treating common people and giving them free medicines. Then, Bangabandhu directed the Trading Corporation of Bangladesh (TCB) to

import medicines from abroad to meet the domestic demand. He handed over the imported medicines to the then Medical Association to distribute medicines properly as per the real demand of healthcare centres.

Bangabandhu made some ground-breaking changes in the production of medicines in the country. The maximum medicines were being produced then by some multinational companies, which were expensive and were not affordable for the people to consume on physicians’ advice. The Father of the Nation directed the local pharmaceutical companies to produce all kinds of medicines of multinational companies so that the people can get medicines at the lowest price and the government can give patients free medicines from hospitals during their treatments.

The pharmaceutical industry had grown in unplanned way without proper attention to make the country self-sufficient in essential drugs. The government of Sheikh Mujib adopted some measures to change the situation for the better. The first thing the Government did was to provide licenses and financial incentives to only qualified manufacturer who could produce basic and essential pharmaceuticals. The aim was to achieve self-sufficiency in the basic and essential pharmaceuticals on priority basis. The government looked into the quality control issue of pharmaceuticals through regular collection of random samples for testing at the drug control laboratory of the government.

E-SERVICES FOR HEALTHCARE IN BANGLADESH

UNDER SHEIKH HASINA GOVT

HospitalAutomation

OnlinePopulation

HealthRegistry

DigitalTrainingFacility

Tele-medicine

Service

HealthService Via

MobilePhone

PregnancyCare Advice

ThroughTexts

These are a few highlights that Bangabandhu accomplished in the health

sector within his short three and a half years stay in office. The results of all

these endeavours were not immediately observable. However, it is not

difficult to trace back our phenomenal successes in the health sector today

to his forward-looking plans and programs, as well as measures taken to

strengthen the health infrastructure in the country. Bangabandhu envisioned

health for all, and his daughter Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina made it a

reality by bringing the healthcare services at the doorsteps of our common

people.


A determined campaigner from a young age Sheikh Mujib selflessly devoted himself in politics from a very early age and raised his voice for common good of his countrymen. While he was a student, he founded the Muslim Students League which sought the creation of Pakistan.

Unlike some other fathers of new nations, he consistently stressed social justice. He truly believed in people’s empowerment. After leaving prison in 1949, he led a strike by menial employees of Dhaka University. That triggered another arrest and jail term for him. While he was in jail, a new political party was formed to seek justice for the Bangali majority, the East Pakistan Awami Muslim League. Sheikh Mujib was made a party secretary while he was still behind bars.

After his release from jail, he led a movement protesting the food crisis in East Pakistan. The authorities arrested him again. In fact, they jailed him five times in 1949 alone. Throughout his political career, Sheikh Mujibur Rahman was willing to make great personal sacrifices. He was arrested at least 22 times in his life. He was also prepared to risk death. That became clear when he was released in 1952, after a hunger strike endangered his health.

In 1953, he was elected general secretary of his party which, with its allies, won almost every seat in a provincial election. It then sought autonomy for east Bengal. He became a provincial minister – aged only 34.

We now know Sheikh Mujib was the man who led Bangladesh to independence.

But long before that, he was a leader worth talking about. Outside of Bangladesh,

enough people have not yet heard of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman. He was the Father

of his nation, and he stood out among fathers of several other nations.


Bangabandhu leading a mourning

rally in memory of the Language

Martyrs.

Bangabandhu:What the World Needs to Know

Three more of his commitments soon became apparent First, in 1955, to stress its commitment to secularism, his party dropped the word “Muslim” from its name – becoming the Awami League.

Then he resigned as minister to build the party’s organisation. Unlike the fathers of some other new nations, he knew the importance of a strong organisation which went beyond one-man rule. Thus, the Awami League – then and after his death – has had a solid organisation.

Third, while he was a defiant firebrand, he was also a flexible, subtle leader. When opportunities emerged to make progress by negotiation, he responded. As early as 1957, he moderated his tone, to see if progress was possible. He had a fine, flexible sense of timing – which is important in politics.

It soon became obvious that the West Pakistani elite would not compromise with the Bangali majority by reducing their dominance of the armed forces, the higher civil service and the main business houses in East Pakistan. So, Sheikh Mujib turned to defiance.

In 1958, a new martial law regime jailed him on phoney charges. In 1961, he was released, began building an underground party organisation, and in January 1962, he was imprisoned again.

In 1968, in the Agartala Conspiracy case, Sheikh Mujib and others were falsely accused of plotting with India to split Pakistan. The charges carried the death penalty and he was the main accused. The Pakistanis caused him great suffering, but they also, unintentionally, did him a favour. By making him their leading target, they confirmed him as East Bengal’s top leader.

March 7 - a political masterstroke At Pakistan’s first national election In December 1970, his Awami League party won all but two of the 169 seats in East Pakistan - a majority in the new National Assembly. He should have become prime minister, but the West Pakistanis put off meetings of the Assembly. He launched a non-violent and non-cooperation movement and became de facto head of government in East Pakistan. Civil servants, the police, businesses, banks and the labour force followed his lead.

The army remained in their barracks – preparing to seize power by force. In response, Sheikh Mujib made a historic speech on March 7, 1971 before a vast crowd.

He carefully spoke ambiguously. He said “…the struggle this time is for our independence” and ended the speech by repeating that line twice. However, flexible as ever, he did not declare independence, for two reasons. First, he knew that if he did that, the Pakistani air force had orders to bomb the meeting – where hundreds of thousands had gathered – and the Pakistani army would intervene militarily. Second, he wanted to pursue talks about a compromise, to avoid violence.

The speech was a master stroke precisely because it was ambiguous – to prevent massive bloodshed. Over the next 17 days, he negotiated with West Pakistani leaders, but they acted in bad faith. On March 24, they even announced an agreement. They were lying. The next day, they launched a military crackdown.

After that inept military regime collapsed

amid protests from East and West Pakistan,

he was released in 1969. He immediately

made a defiant speech at a mass rally,

where he was named “Bangabadhu”

– “friend of the Bangalis”.


Bangabandhu with his daughter Sheikh Hasina.

Bangabandhu holding a press briefing.

The bloody birth of a nation Sheikh Mujib knew it was coming. He urged senior colleagues to go underground. But when the army attacked, he offered himself for arrest. He calculated that the military would not subdue the Bangalis. If that happened, West Pakistani leaders would need someone to negotiate with. But he

was risking his life. He was arrested at his home and flown to West Pakistan where he was jailed, tried for treason and sentenced to death.

The army massacred Bangali police and soldiers, students, intellectuals and others. Many see this as an act of genocide. But in that bloody conflict, Bangali insurgents held their own. On December 3, 1971, the Indian army joined in. Thirteen days later, the Pakistani army surrendered to Bangladeshi and Indian forces. But

Bangladesh had been devastated. Many who might have helped rebuild the nation had been slaughtered.

Sheikh Mujib’s life was spared and he was released. He soon arrived in Dhaka to take up the leadership of a new nation. He introduced a new democratic constitution, and in 1973 his party won a landslide election victory.

Written by James Manor,

Professor in the School of

Advanced Study, University of

London. This article was first

published in the Daily Dhaka

Tribune on 15 August 2018.

This is a slightly edited version.

Sad end of a remarkableleader There were huge problems reviving the economy and restoring law and order. On 15 August 1975, discontented soldiers staged a coup and murdered Sheikh Mujib with 16 members of his family. Only two of his children were absent – one of whom, Sheikh Hasina, is prime minister today. It was a sad end to a remarkable struggle, led by a remarkable man.


Bangabandhu amid his party colleagues.

Bangabandhu's life, as written by himself in The Unfinished Memoirs and the Prison

Diaries, is one of unending sacrifice, unwavering courage and unyielding

commitment. In these two writings, he demonstrates consistently his ability to bear

immense suffering for a cause. His capacity for sheer hard work is astonishing. In

addition to the sacrifice he had made, including those of his family, education and

finances, he had to struggle endlessly, travel constantly, endure sleepless nights,

physical pain and mental torture, as well as suffer in other ways for his people.

Learning from

Bangabandhu’sWritings

Bangabandhu's unflagging courage and selflessness was amply demonstrated in all phases of his life. Again and again, in The Unfinished Memoirs and the Prison Diaries we see how he showed immense courage and resolve by standing up against seemingly insurmountable forces. Again and again, we witness him speaking truth to those in power and, in the process, becomes the kind of leader who would inspire others to drive out the brutal and powerful occupation forces that had come to oppress his people.

From Bangabandhu's two published books we learn also of his reflections on history. He always kept in view the sacrifices made by other leaders before him. He told us of the Wahabi movement, Titu Mir's rebellion, Haji Shariatullah's Faraizi movement. A little later, in the same stroke, he underscored the necessity of breaking free from the clutches of “Hindu moneylenders and zamindars.” Bangabandhu was ready to stand up against men with feudal mindsets, whether they were Hindus or Muslims. In the formation of his convictions, anti-communal as well as anti-feudal emotions always played a major part, as did his awareness of the negative roles played by such forces in Bengal's history.

The Unfinished Memoirs is thus the story of a spirited young politician learning about how he should lead people forward on the road to independence as he dived deeper into East Bengal's politics. It is a narrative that is very much about his instinctive identification with ordinary people and the sense that he belonged to them and not in the pockets of the ruling elite. In the Prison Dairies too, we see him reaching out to ordinary people and demonstrating his empathy for prisoners whose status, or lack thereof, made them much more vulnerable to abuse by the guards than those who had the political capital to get preferential treatment. His compassion extended even to the mentally ill in prison who would often keep him from sleeping at night.

There are many reasons why every Bangladeshi should read The Unfinished Memoirs and the Prison Diaries, but surely, the most cogent one is that we can deduct from them the evolution of Bangabandhu's political philosophy. Looking at the government at work in East Pakistan, Bangabandhu came to understand clearly why governments must be by the people, for the people and of the people; why democracy worked best as our form of governance. Reflecting on colluding politicians who served the state purely out of self-interest and uniformed people who worked by incarcerating and oppressing people, he seemed to have learnt the fragility of freedom and the need to protect it from those who would take it away from the people.



Written by Professor Fakrul Alam, Department of English,

University of Dhaka. This article was published in The Daily Star on

15 August 2018. This is an edited version.

Men such as Bangabandhu appear only once in an

epoch. We should not only pay our respects to his

departed soul, but also rededicate ourselves to his

vision of Bangladesh. We can then work for his Sonar

Bangla, depending at least partly on the legacy he has

left for us in his writings and speeches.

There are many lessons we can learn from The Unfinished Memoirs and The Prison Dairies. For instance, we see in the first book the young Mujib realising by the end of 1950 that the problem with Liaqat Ali Khan was that “he wanted to be the prime minister not of a people but of a party” and “that a country could not be equated with any one political party.” The need, he felt then and later, was to create a country that ran fully on secular and democratic principles. Imprisoned repeatedly for illegitimate reasons, the young politician declared, “It is wrong to keep anyone in prison without a trial,” a testament to his firm belief in fundamental human rights.

Bangabandhu was shocked to learn that attempts were underway to deculturise East Pakistan's Muslims, strip them of the “Bengali” part of their identity as much as possible, and make them adopt the Urdu language as the only state language. By early 1948 the young Mujib and fellow members of the Student League had joined other activists in opposing Muslim League attempts to make Urdu the only state language of Pakistan, and in demanding that Bengali be made one of two state languages. Although in jail in February 1952, he was in regular contact with the key organisers of the Language Movement. He strongly believed, “no nation can bear an insult directed at its mother tongue.”

Throughout The Unfinished Memoirs, Bangabandhu recorded his love of everything Bengali. He was deeply attached to Bengali

culture as a whole, the Bengali language in particular. When he heard Abbasuddin's song in a boat on the river Meghna, he wrote that he was simply mesmerised by the beauty of the whole scene. He wrote, “We were born into a world that abounded in beauty; we loved whatever was beautiful.”

Bangabandhu had come closer and closer to the view that Bangladeshis needed a country where secularism, socialism, democracy and the kind of nationalism based on upholding the Bengali language and celebrating Bengali culture must take roots. As for the fourth pillar of our 1973 constitution, it was clear he felt strongly that inequality should be minimised on all fronts. Analysing the defeat of the Muslim League at the hands of the United Front in 1954, Bangabandhu observed that it was unacceptable to use religion as a means to exploit the people. He also noted that what “the masses want is an exploitation-free society and economic and social progress.”

The Unfinished Memoirs is thus not only a record of the first thirty-four years of Bangabandhu's life but also a book depicting the evolution of his political thinking. It is also a work telling us that we need to finish constructing the four pillars of the country—nationalism, socialism, democracy and secularism—fully if we are to build the kind of Sonar Bangla that Bangabandhu dreamt of. We must learn from him the courage to speak truth to power, here and everywhere, for nothing should take us away from our founding principles. The Unfinished Memoirs indicates also that we should readjust our course when we must. As he says at one point of his book: “When I decide on doing something I go ahead and do it. If I find out I was wrong, I try to correct myself. This is because I know that only doers are capable of making errors; people who never do anything make no mistakes.”


What Lessons We Can Learn from

Sheikh Mujibur Rahman?

Sheikh Mujibur Rahman was Bangladesh’s first Prime Minister, affectionately

known as Bangabandhu (“friend of Bengal” in Bengali). An immense presence in

former East Pakistan and a thorn in West Pakistan, he was the central figure who

initiated the emancipation of Bengalis from the military rule of General Ayub Khan

and General Yahya Khan – former Presidents of Pakistan. Sheikh Mujib led a

passionate nationalist movement which eventually led to the formation of

Bangladesh in 1971. He was the chief architect of a young Bangladesh, and that

he should be commended for his tenacity to uplift the plight of Bangladesh during

challenging times. The following are leadership lessons picked up from the life of

Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, Father of the Nation of Bangladesh.

DIPLOMACY Sheikh Mujib had resisted initiating an attack against West Pakistan, for he understood very well the devastation it would bring upon the citizens. He was, for the most part, demanding a diplomatic solution to the unrest developing in that region.

In 1966, the Awami League, led by Sheikh Mujib, proposed the Six Point Programme at the National Convention in Lahore, which sought to bridge the disparity between the two provinces of Pakistan and provide significant autonomy of administration for East Pakistan. The proposal was rejected and denounced by the ruling government in West Pakistan, for they feared it might instigate the splitting of Pakistan.

The Awami League, under the stewardship of Sheikh Mujib, swept to a landslide victory in Pakistan’s 1970 general election. However, the National Assembly failed to convene on Mar 3, 1971 to swear in the new Prime Minister (who was Sheikh Mujib), because the then President of Pakistan, Yahya Khan and rival party leader, Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto vehemently opposed a ruling party from East Pakistan. Despite the setback, Sheikh Mujib was defiant and held several dialogues with his detractors to reach a settlement on the Six Point Programme.

As the Prime Minister of Bangladesh, Sheikh Mujib emphasised the importance of diplomacy in his foreign policies, which included memberships in the Organization of the Islamic Conference (OIC) and the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM). He felt the need to place Bangladesh in a neutral position in an era dominated by the two Cold War superpowers – the Soviet Union and the United States.

Lesson:

As leaders, we need to establish a middle ground for discussions to take place, as being too aggressive or passive can be counter-productive in finding a feasible solution.



ASSERTIVENESS One of the key aspects of Sheikh Mujib’s leadership was his assertiveness to obtain what was deemed necessary to his ambition.

Throughout the political campaign leading up to the general election, he continuously asserted the Six Points Programme which he believed was essential to bring the struggling province out of its existing doldrums.

His speech on Mar 7, 1971 in front of 1 million people has been touted as a pinnacle moment of the independence struggle. He said: “The history of the last twenty-three years is the history of the wailing of dying men and women. The history of Bangla is the history of the staining of streets with the blood of the people of this country… If we can solve things in a peaceful manner, we can at least live as brothers.” Sheikh Mujib’s unwavering assertiveness provided the necessary confidence to his people to fight alongside him.

Former President of the United States, Richard Nixon (1969-1974) and his Secretary of State, Henry Kissinger exchanged their views frequently on Sheikh Mujib’s unrelenting struggle. Despite favouring a united Pakistan (hence keeping an eye shut on the devastating deaths and losses from the war), both often remarked at how Sheikh Mujib refused to bow to the overwhelming pressure and consistently affirmed his stance on uplifting the rights of Bengalis in Pakistan. The Nixon administration finally recognised Bangladesh’s independence in 1972 – a huge turn in events.

Lesson:

Being assertive is a core communication skill that every leader should possess, as expressing their opinions effectively will boost the self-esteem of their team members and earn the much-needed respect of their peers.

COURAGE It takes plenty of courage and determination to face unsurmountable odds, especially in a political environment where life is at the mercy of those who rule.

Sheikh Mujib spent around 12 years (or so, at different times) in prison for various charges (e.g. organising resistance movements against the unforgiving military regime) and was in fact facing the gallows before being acquitted in 1972. Despite these hardships, the fire inside Sheikh Mujib was never extinguished, but was further ignited to achieve what he had set out for.

After the declaration of independence, Sheikh Mujib was arrested on Mar 26, 1971 as part of Operation Searchlight, launched by the army to arrest government separatists. Just before the arrest, he urged his people to stand up and fight against the atrocities and for their liberation through an inspiring telegraph message:

“This may be my last message. From today Bangladesh is independent. I call upon the people of Bangladesh wherever you are and with whatever you have, to resist the occupation army. Our fight will go on till the last soldier of the Pakistan Occupation Army is expelled from the soil of independent Bangladesh.”

His unwavering courage spread through the ranks of the resistance groups in East Pakistan to fight against the crimes committed by the West Pakistan army.

The Bangladesh Liberation War had resulted in 3 million casualties and displaced more than 10 million Bengalis who fled to neighbouring India. The cost of the war was staggering.

Time Magazine reported in 1972: “In the aftermath of the Pakistani army’s rampage last March, a special team of inspectors from the World Bank observed that some cities looked ‘like the morning after a nuclear attack.’”

Despite the overwhelming setbacks, Sheikh Mujib took it upon himself to steer Bangladesh out of its predicament. His charisma and love for Bangladesh provided the much-needed confidence for its people to reconstruct the battered country.

Sheikh Mujib embarked on a Nationalization program to rehabilitate the estimated 10 million refugees and revitalised the nation’s economy through state investments into rural infrastructure, agriculture and cottage industries.

Lesson:

The act of leadership is to overcome the pain of obstacles in the pursuit of progress. Leadership is built on the pillars of courage.



BELIEF Sheikh Mujib delivered a stirring speech on January 10, 1972 at the New Delhi Airport during a stopover after his release from prison in Pakistan. He described the trip as “a journey from darkness to light,” and remarked: “In these nine months my people have traversed centuries. When I was taken away from my people, they wept; when I was held in captivity, they fought; and now when I go back to them, they are victorious.”

“My people love me, they would respect me, they would have confidence in me and my party, and I know so long as I am here, my people will continue to support,” said Sheikh Mujib in an interview with Sir David Frost from BBC following the liberation of Bangladesh.

Sheikh Mujib placed great faith in his fellow men to fight for their rights despite the devastating blows that they had suffered. That faith was vindicated when the Pakistani army surrendered following the intervention from Mukti Bahani and the Indian army.

Bangabadhu is still greatly loved by the people of Bangladesh and was voted the “Greatest Bengali of All Time” in a BBC poll in 2004. He gave hope to the millions persecuted by the previous government and despite his absence from the political arena today, his influence still lives on.

Lesson:

Leadership is built on the foundation of trust within the organisation. A leader should trust his or her team members to deliver the expected results and provide the necessary platform for them to excel. They will, in return, contribute immensely to the organisation’s vision due to the growing belief by their leaders.

Written by Pravin Nair. Published in the

Leaderonomics Online Magazine.

This is a slightly shortened version.

FINAL THOUGHTS Sheikh Mujibur Rahman was far from perfect; his legacy would forever be overshadowed by incidents during the latter stages of his life. However, as a person, Sheikh Mujib stood out as a towering figure who shouldered the hopes of the millions through difficult times.

During the United Nations General Assembly in September 1974, Sheikh Mujib addressed world leaders in Bengali, on his people’s aspiration for a peaceful world order. He was described by many as a genuine person who had great affection for the well-being of commoners.

He is widely admired worldwide for confronting the military rule and championing the human rights of Bengalis. The late Lord Fenner Brockway, a renowned British anti-war activist once remarked: “In a sense, Sheikh Mujib is a greater leader than George Washington, Mahatma Gandhi and De Valera.”

Sheikh Mujib may not be as recognised as Mahatma Gandhi or Martin Luther King Jr, but his immense contribution to the formation of Bangladesh speaks volumes about the strength of leadership that is needed in facing the ever-increasing challenges in human advancement today.

Lesson:

Great leaders muster the strength and courage to stand for the values and principles that they believe in and utilize them to bring a positive impact to their community.

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Pakistan backtracked when a mass movement started and a furious mob set fire to the state guesthouse, and Justice SA Rahman, Chairman of the Tribunal, and Mr Manzur Quader, Chief Prosecution Lawyer, were compelled to leave East Pakistan. The government of Pakistan unconditionally released Sheikh Mujib and others.

Again, on March 25, 1971, Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib was arrested, tried in camera for sedition in Lyallpur Central Jail in West Pakistan and was sentenced to death. It was due to the intervention of Zulfikar Ali Bhutto, who assumed the responsibilities of chief martial law administrator and president,

harassed by the government of Pakistan. He was arrested and imprisoned a number of times. In 1965, he was falsely charged with sedition and sentenced to one-year imprisonment, only to be released by an order of the High Court. In 1968, the government of Pakistan filed the infamous Agartala conspiracy case against Bangabandhu as a number one accused, with 34 other Bengali civil and military officials. The accused persons were charged with conspiring for the secession of East Pakistan from the rest of Pakistan through armed revolt. However, the conspiracy case did not make much headway. Almost all the approvers turned hostile. The government of

Like Nelson Mandela who dedicated his life to fighting apartheid, a system of racial segregation established by the National Party’s white-only government in South Africa, Sheikh Mujib dedicated his life to fighting for the just causes of East Bengal: the demand for Bengali to be made one of the state languages side by side with Urdu, free Muslim League leadership from the clutches of a few aristocrats, establish East Bengal’s rightful place in the administrative hierarchy in Pakistan, and fair and equitable allocation of the country’s resources between the two wings of the country.

Due to his fight for the causes he believed in, he was continuously

Drawing a ParallelBangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman believed that: “To do anything great,

one has to be ready to sacrifice and show one’s devotion. I believe that those who are not ready to sacrifice are not capable of doing anything

worthy. To engage in politics in our country and to make our people happy, one must be ready to make huge sacrifices.” His own life was full of

sacrifices. Sheikh Mujib practised what he preached and preached what he practised. He died at the age of 55, but the achievements and the legacy he left behind dwarf the accomplishments of many a politician around the world.

Bangabandhuand

Nelson Mandela:

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replacing General Yahya Khan, that Sheikh Mujib’s life was spared. Bhutto set him free and sent him to London by PIA, from where the British government sent him to Bangladesh by its Comet Jet to lead the newly created sovereign state of Bangladesh.

Like Bangabandhu, Nelson Mandela was also repeatedly arrested for “seditious” activities, was unsuccessfully prosecuted in 1956 Treason Trial and finally was sentenced to life for conspiring to overthrow a legally established government. It was at the intervention of President Frederik Willem de Klerk that Mandela was released from prison in 1990. Nelson Mandela’s first task was to work for national reconciliation. The inhuman treatment that he suffered at the hands of the apartheid government during his jail term was all forgotten and forgiven. Mandela and de Klerk led efforts to negotiate an end to apartheid. In the resultant

happiness.” There was no blame, no recrimination.

Sheikh Mujib displayed matured statesmanship when in 1974, under intense lobbying of some foreign ministers of OIC countries and its secretary general and Bhutto’s threat to charge more than 200 Bangladeshi civilian officials trapped in Pakistan with espionage and high treason, he dropped the proposed trial of 195 Pakistani POWs accused of atrocities committed during the war of liberation. This paved the way for Sheikh Mujib’s participation in the Islamic Summit in Lahore and the standing ovation of the heads of governments/states of the Islamic countries resulting in quick recognition of Bangladesh by Iran, Turkey, Saudi Arabia, China, etc.

Just like Sheikh Mujib, who is fondly referred to as the “Father of the Nation”, Nelson Mandela, held in deep respect in South Africa, is also described as the “Father of the Nation”. Both were charismatic leaders with great mass appeal. But the similarity between the two great leaders ends here. Nelson Mandela lived a peaceful life after retirement from the high office of the president and died at the age of 95. The cruel hands of assassins snatched away Bangabandhu’s life on August 15, 1975 when he was at the prime of his life and could have served his beloved people for a few more decades.

1994 multiracial general election, Mandela led his ANC party to victory and became the president of South Africa.

Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman’s life was also one of reconciliation, not recrimination. During his political struggle for the rights of the Bengalis, he never ever made any distinction between the Bengalis and Biharis or between Hindus and Muslims. The support for the ruling elites of West Pakistan by Muslim migrants from eastern India drew the anger of the Awami League cadres. Sheikh Mujib, disturbed by the attacks on Urdu-speaking Biharis, publicly announced: “The Biharis and the non-Muslims are our sacred trust.” On his triumphant return to his dreamland Bangladesh, where he got an unforgettable reception, he drove straight to the Racecourse Ground to address the mammoth gathering. In his address, he openly invited the Biharis and non-Bengalis to become good citizens of Bangladesh. Referring to Zulfikar Ali Bhutto’s request to Sheikh Mujib, during their farewell meeting at the Chaklala Airport, to consider forging some sort of a loose confederation between Pakistan and Bangladesh, Bangabandhu said: “I convey my good wishes to the people of Pakistan. We now belong to two separate nations and I wish you and your people prosperity and

Written by Mohammed Matiul Islam, former Finance Secretary of Bangladesh, published in the Daily Star 15 August 2019. Slightly edited for the magazine.

Nelson Mandela, Yasser Arafat and

Turkey’s President Suleyman Demirel

with Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina in

Dhaka to celebrate Bangladesh’s

25th year of independence (26 March

1997).

Bangabandhu reaching out to the

distressed.


As two individuals entrusted with the towering responsibilities of making their young countries resilient and mature, Lee Kuan Yew and Sheikh Mujibur

Rahman, faced broadly similar prospects, daunting in their magnitude and complex in depth. Both were identical as charismatic leaders, capable of

rising head-and-shoulders above the rest and carry thousands of their fellow countrymen to destinies they chose to write for them. The faith that their

respective countrymen posed in them was almost incredible.

It was primarily this faith that helped them in overcoming seemingly impossible initial conditions and putting their country on the tracks of stability and progress. Mr Lee was able to galvanize Singaporeans into a zealously committed lot to national development and progress, leaving behind deep scars of race riots, displacement and painful pangs of political and economic separation from Malaysia. Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, on the other hand, was able to stitch the bonds of harmony within a traumatised group of people ravaged by a second shock of partition, coming within less than three decades on an earlier tumultuous one in 1947. History was cruel in not letting Sheikh Mujib live and see the gradual transformation of a fractured and hurt East Pakistan into a stable and resilient Bangladesh. But his spirit continued to provide the fundamental vision of guidance and

direction to Bangladesh, which has been able to discard cynical and dismissive descriptions of being a ‘basket case’, to a country that has actively promoted sustainable and balanced development.

Leaders become great leaders through their abilities to connect with people and work on the aspirations of the latter. Both Lee Kuan Yew and Sheikh Mujib illustrate these abilities. Handicapped by lack of natural resources capable of planting their countries into global economic mainstreams, and absence of strong social and economic institutions, nation-building – for both leaders – was far more challenging than those of other newly independent Asian countries with colonial pasts. Both also had to overcome another obvious challenge: being looked down upon by most of the rest of the world as fledglings, incapable of finding their feet in regional road maps and global ideas. Multilateral

development assistance and large flows of aid could not easily come at a time when the world was split bipolar, and political allegiance was a prerequisite for obtaining funds.

The spectre of staying marginal would have clearly played upon the minds of both leaders as they embarked on the tedious task of setting their houses in order. It is a testimony to their outlooks and approaches that neither country succumbed to narrow sectarian agendas and stayed committed to inclusive social and economic development programmes. As two of the world’s youngest sovereign states, Singapore and Bangladesh, while being markedly different in what they have achieved and how, nonetheless, convey distinct lessons of struggle and success, within their respective geographical spaces. These lessons reflect the spirit and character of their founding fathers in unmistakable fashion.

Titans ofTumultuous Times

Lee Kuan Yew and Sheikh Mujib:


The challenges that Bangladesh and Singapore have faced in their progress and development are individually different. But the intrinsic struggle of being newly independent countries with limited resources, and bearing the painful legacies of geographical partition, have been common for both. These legacies left their indelible imprints on the governance, administration and development philosophies of both countries. To a very large extent, such imprints were planted deep in the minds of the young sovereign nations by their founding fathers.

Lee Kuan Yew never failed to draw the attention of people of Singapore to the importance of being resilient, self-sufficient and pragmatic in their journey to achieve higher socio-economic well-being. This was imperative given Singapore’s small size and lack of internal resources. Geography was Singapore’s biggest asset as it set out to achieve its task after independence. Five decades later, modern Singapore is probably the best example of a ‘self-made’ nation in world history.

Bangladesh, on the other hand, did not have the good fortune of having Sheikh Mujib at its helm of affairs for much long. His untimely death was an irreparable loss for the young country. But over the years, Bangladesh has displayed ample resolve and grit to come around and secure the foundations of the economic and social futures of large sections of its population. The contribution of Bangabandhu in this regard, notwithstanding his untimely demise, has been fundamental. The country has, time and again, in its spirited endeavours recalled the inspiring leadership, and inclusive vision of Sheikh Mujib, in its onward journey.

It is quite remarkable that both Singapore and Bangladesh have followed industrial development strategies that aim to include as many from their work forces as possible. Singapore, right from the beginning, relied on exports as an important element of its economic growth programmes. Over time, it has moved up the production value chain. While continuing to export a number of different manufacturing products, it has developed great proficiencies in service exports, particularly in transport, finance,

prominently noticeable in Bangladesh’s economic policies. Economic growth policies of the country have been accompanied by appropriate training, and careful attention on social participation of all communities in economic activities. This explains Bangladesh’s ability to bring together gender and diverse ethnic communities successfully in its economic progress.

The challenges for Bangladesh and Singapore will increase as they adjust to various new development in the world order. These developments include not just political realignments among countries and regions, but also major changes in social, cultural and economic organisations. Onset of Globalization 4.0, technological disruptions in workplaces following digitalization, climate change and upheavals caused by pandemics like the novel Coronavirus are challenges that are beyond the control of countries like Bangladesh and Singapore, much as they are beyond the control of most.

education, health and hospitality. The emphasis on manufacturing exports in the early years of development in Singapore were accompanied by appropriate technical training for its population. There was no greatly ambitious effort to make the country a reservoir of fundamental and profound knowledge, which, while establishing the country’s intellectual prowess, would nonetheless be incapable of making people useful in contributing to industrial and technical applications. Basic applied technical training ensured high industrial adaptation and employability for Singapore’s people. Over time, after having achieved significant economic progress and improvement in living standards, Singapore is now well-established as a global education and knowledge hub with a formidable global reputation – in both applied scientific subjects as well as social science and humanities.

The effort by Singapore to ensure that its economic growth remained fundamentally people-centric was clearly attributable to the inclusive vision of its Founding Father. Moving ahead, the vision has made the Singapore government principally responsive to the issues and concerns of citizens from all sections of the society, particularly the low and middle income ones. A similar application of a people-centric inclusive vision is

Written by Dr. Amitendu Palit, a Senior Research Fellow at the Institute of South Asian Studies, National University of Singapore.

Leaderships in both countries will need to adapt and respond to these changes.

Anticipation and foresight will be essential in this regard. Neither country, while responding to the myriad challenges they face, can afford

to deviate from the fundamentals that their founding fathers strived to emphasize:

harmonious and stable development including all, notwithstanding the challenges that

achieving so might entail.

Bangabandhuin the Eyes of World Leaders


Leaders across the world paid their rich tribute to Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman during his lifetime and after his brutal assassination. The international personalities including politicians, social activists and journalists made comments and observations in various occasions that were published in newspapers and other publications.

“ I have not seen the Himalayas, but I have seen Sheikh Mujib. In personality and in courage, this man is the Himalayas. I have thus had the experience of witnessing the Himalayas. ”

- Fidel Castro, the Cuban supreme leader, made this frequently quoted remark on Bangabandhu in 1973, when the two unparalleled leaders met for the first time at the Algiers Non-Aligned Summit.

“ I am broken by the news of Sheikh Mujib’s death. He was a great leader. His extraordinary Heroism has been a source of inspiration for the people of Asiaand Africa. ” - Indira Gandhi, former Prime Minister of India and

a friend of Bangabandhu and Bangladesh.

“ This is surely a supreme national tragedy for you. For me, it is a personal tragedy of immense dimensions. ”

- Harold Wilson, former British Prime Minister, wrote to a journalist upon hearing the sad news of the assassination of Bangabandhu.

“ The speciality of Mujib’s character was his uncompromising fighting leadership with generous heart. ”

- Yasser Arafat, former Chairman of the PLO and First President of the Palestinian National Authority.

“ I am keen and eager to visit Bangladesh and to meet ‘my brother Mujib’. ”

Anwar Sadat, former President of Egypt and Winner of Nobel Peace Prize.

“ Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman is a trailblazer who fought for establishing people's rights and dignity in one of the most profound struggles for liberation in the twentieth century. The title of Bangabandhu bestowed on him reflects the extraordinary love that this patriot had for the people of his country. ”

- Pranab Mukherjee, former Indian President, who was a long-time acquaintance of Bangabandhu.

“Sheikh Mujibur Rahman’s visions and goals help to shape Bangladesh, and continued to inspire many”

- António Guterres, Secretary-General, United Nations.


“ A great visionary and statesman who laid a firm foundation for an independent, strong and proud Bangladesh. Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman led his people in their struggle for liberation through his inspired and courageous leadership. ”

- Dr Manmohan Singh, Former Indian Prime Minister.

“ A visionary leader and statesman Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, who demonstrated 'resolute courage' in the face of adversity, enduring hardships and indisposition in the quest for freedom. Bangabandhu sought to empower his people in many ways and his sacrifice and struggle for the country's independence and people's cherished destination would always be honoured forever. ”

- Ms Sonia Gandhi, President of Indian National Congress.

“ Bangabandhu is an inspiration of all freedom-loving people in the sub-continent. ”

- Mamata Banerjee, Chief Minister of West Bengal, India.

“ In a sense, Sheikh Mujib is a great leader than George Washington, Mahatma Gandhi and De Valera. ”

- Lord Fenner Brockway, Leader of the British humanist movement, once remarked.

“ Bangabandhu had a wonderful voice that could mesmerize the crowd. ”

- Sir Mark Tully, famous British journalist, who had the opportunity to meet Bangabandhu and attended several public meetings.

“ Sheikh Mujibur Rahman does not belong to Bangladesh alone. He is the harbinger of freedom for all Bengaliees. ”

- Hasnein Heikal, an eminent Egyptian journalist said this describing Bangabandhu as the hero of Bengaliees.

“ In the thousand years’ history of Bangladesh, Sheikh Mujib is the only leader who has, in terms of blood, race, language, culture and birth, been a full-blooded Bengali. ”

- Cyril Dunn of the London Observer, renowned British journalist, wrote in one of his articles.

“ Bangabandhu had a long career of action, agitation, reflection, attempted conciliation, peace-making, and oppression through arrest and incarceration. He went through all that before reaching the ultimate goal. He articulated a vision of what that form of postcolonial identity meant, which I think has rightly continued to inspire many. ”

- Shashi Tharoor, former Under Secretary General of UN and former Minister of State for Foreign Affairs of the Government of India.

“ I met Jawaharlal Nehru, Indira Gandhi, Rajiv Gandhi and many world leaders, Bangabandhu was the most charismatic personalityI have ever met. ”

- Ved Marwah, former governor of Indian states of Manipur and Jharkhand who met Bangabandhu, shared the memory of his meeting with Bangabandhu.

.

Collected from various sources.

“ A great statesman who fought for the rights and dignity of his people and was steadfastly committed to independence and national unity. ”

- Christian Wulff, Former President of the Federal Republic of Germany.

CONTENTS · Md. Mustafizur Rahman Executive Editor Md. Toufiq-ur-Rahman Editorial Team A.K.M. Azam...

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