Iqbal Hossain

Sheikh Mujibur Rahman was brought up and grown in light and air of ever-continuing Bangla. He, from his boyhood perceived intensely pleasure and pain and smiles and tears of eternal rural society. The rural soil and people used to intensely attract him. From his childhood he saw persecution, sucking and money-lender in the then social life. Since childhood Sheikh Mujib was human, a promised organizer and protester against injustice.

From boyhood Sheikh Mujib was severe willful, impetuous and opposing of communal. He, pressing hard was admitted in the Mission School and sat in the front bench. The development of leadership was happened in him during the learning period in the school. Prime Minister of Bengal A.K Fazlul Haque and his Commerce and Rural Development Minister Hossain Shahid Suhrawardy came to Gopalgonj for inspection in 1938. On the occasion of their coming Krisok-Proja party and Muslim League prepared a reception for them.

On the other hand Congress created obstacle to come the Ministers. Sheikh Mujib, taking the students worked on behalf of reception. The Congress backed out seeing his boldness. Fazlul Haque and Shahid Suhrawardy also inspected Mission School and in the way of their coming back Mujib stood in front them with a demand of hostel-reformation. Fazlul Haque allocated money to reform the hostel. This was the first meeting of Sheikh Mujib with two eminent leaders of Bengal. They got identity of Mujib’s boldness and genius. This identity was more intense especially Hossain Shahid Suhrawardy made him own and also made him as a leader. He was committed to prison several times in the school-life.
Sheikh Mujib, from his boyhood was generous and liberal. Once, a scarcity of food came in sight in the village. The people of village were in fasting. His heart bled for hungry people. He distributed paddy among poor people from his granary.

Sheikh Mujibur Rahman was admitted in Islamia college of Kolkata in 1942. In the college life his activities, getting more speed became strong. He got nearness of the then undivided India’s renowned politicians including A.K. Fazlul Haque, Hossain Shahid suhrawardy and Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose. Sheikh Mujib was a follower of Netaji. He participated in the Halwell Manument movement of Netaji. He was also supporter of Netaji’s Azad Hind Fowaj. Those movements were taken place in effort of Muslim League and Muslim student league from 1942 to 1947 for demanding Pakistan where he was in front part. He was the first line leader of student league.

Hossain Shahid suhrawardy and Abul Hossain gave him responsibility to work in Faridpur district for Provinsial Parisad election in 1946. Having identity of unprecedented organizing power Suhrawardy’s dependence on Sheikh Mujib increased more. During the riot in Kolkata Sheikh Mujib came forward to resist the riot. He restrained the rioting people with stick in hand. A Bihari killed a Bangalee Hindu in front of Islamia College. Sheikh Mujib, protesting this killing said, ‘A Bihari has killed a Bangalee. He realized in 1946 that non-Bangalee Muslim could not be friend of Bangalee Muslim.

Sheikh Mujib’s unusual role was in the State-Language movement. He surrounded the East Bangla secretariat taking with the students. The police fired on students and arrested 65 students including Sheikh Mujib. Even in the prison he used to give directions to the students. Awami Muslim league, a new political party was formed in East Bangla in 1949. He was given joint-secretary post, but he was then in prison. Sheikh Mujib called a strike in support of logical demands of 4th class employees of Dhaka University. For this reason 27 persons including Sheikh Mujib were arrested and were driven out from University. Later, many of students returned in their university-life in exchange of fine and bond. But Sheikh Mujib did not compromise with injustice. He did not give fine and bond and did not giving back to university. The government used to feel safety in keeping him in prison.

Due to his extraordinary organizing power Sheikh Mujib was given the General Secretary post of the party. Having responsibility he began to enforce his own thoughts especially he imposed importance on Bangalee nation’s freedom. Sheikh Mujib’s contribution in Jukto-front election in 1954 was unique. He, turning round various villages of East Bangla united the people. Jukto-front became successful in huge votes in his organizing charisma. But a new dimension was linked in Bangalee’s spirit very soon due to down fall of Jukto-front government in a deep conspiracy of West Pakistani rulers. The dimensions were: persecution, sucking and to come together the Bangalee to protest against the discriminating rule.

Due to Moulana Bhasani’s giving up Awami League and Hossain Shahid Suhrawardy’s sickness and death the leading of Awami league was actually in Sheikh Mujibur Rahman’s hand. He, in his own charisma made speedy the movements, processions and protest organizing the whole Bangalee nation which his aged leaders could not. It is said that sixty decade was a decade of his being hero of Bengali nation.

Sheikh Mujibur Rahman pointed out of freedom from the Pakistani ruler’s persecution, sucking and cruelty. His six-point was the way of freedom. The people of East Pakistan, realizing the gist of 6-point gradually became regenerated. The ruler of West Pakistan, feeling the gist of 6-point was frenzied on Sheikh Mujib as well as Bangalee. A state-rebellious suit was given against many patriot personalities including Sheikh Mujibur Rahman. Even a order of death-sentence was given to Sheikh Mujib by the Court, but in an intense mass-upsurge of ’69 the Pakistan Junta government was obliged to give release the state-prisoners including Sheikh Mujib. The crowed, in sincere love adorned Sheikh Mujib with ‘Bangabandhu’ title in a vast gathering at Palton Maiden. Mujib became Bangabandhu from that day.

The movement against the government became more forceful in touch with freed Mujib. President Yahiya Khan, being confused became obliged to give general election in 1970. The Awami league got majority in the election and had been taking preparation of forming government. But Yahiya Khan began willful delay to call the parliament assembly. As a result, the people of East Pakistan, being frenzied made violent through meeting, procession and agitation. At last the date of assembly was fixed up on March 3, but without any reason the called assembly of 3 March was suddenly closed.

The capital Dhaka was shaken in impetuous agitation then and there of Yahiya’s radio speech. The Chattra Sangram Parisad, burning the Pakistani flag raised the Bangladesh flag at Dhaka University. In this perspective Bangabandhu gave a historical speech on March 7 at Res-course maiden. In his speech Bangabandhu put forward 23 years’ history of persecution, sucking and discriminating on Bangalee in brief and in other words he gave a message of Bangalee’s independence.

The Pak-junta suddenly armed attacked on unarmed and sleeping people of Dhaka at dead night of March 25, 1971 and killed about 10 thousand Bangalees on that night. Having this news Bangabandhu called to wage war against Pak-bahini through a message that was disclosed in the morning of 26 March in various places including Chittagong. Bangabandhu was arrested from his house at 1 a.m of March 25 and kept in a prison of West Pakistan. He was living in a lonely prison with his people’s thought and in inhuman pain, on the other hand Bangalees were going forward in his directive way. They, being engaged in armed war against Pak-junta were making Bangladesh little by little. At last Bangladesh was completely freed from enemy on December in 1971. Bangabandhu came back to fertile soil of Bangladesh as the maker of Bangladesh and nation’s father.

The writer is a columnist and retired deputy director of Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy