Alok Acharaa

The historic 'Mass Upsurge Day', commemorates the 1969's movement for autonomy from the then East Pakistan that eventually the movement led to the Liberation War. The movement of the 1969s is closely associated with the independence war of Bangladesh. The freedom of a subjugated nation does not come by chance.

There is some eventful history behind it. These events are accompanied by a history of fresh blood. In other words, freedom takes hold little by little. Freedom does not come overnight. Freedom is a dream. There are several steps to be taken on the road to independence. Bangladesh also had to pass such steps on the way to independence. Every step has a history of struggle.

The mass Upsurge of 1969 is a significant milestone in the history of Bangladesh's freedom struggle. The Bengali nation achieved great freedom through the bloody armed liberation war through the language movement, the 6 points of the Bengali liberation charter, later the 11 points, and the mass Upsurge of 1969.

The basis of the 11-point claim was the 6-point declared by Bangabandhu. These movements were a protest against the brutality inflicted on Bengalis by Pakistan. The Bengali language was targeted by East Pakistan first. Bengali did not accept Pakistan's decision that day. There was a protest. Blood flowed. Bengali was established as the national language through the language movement of 1952. Then the six-point movement of 1966 sparked the Bengali liberation struggle. Then came the popular Upsurge of 1969. In 1966, this mass uprising took place in the context of the famous 6-point program of the nation's liberation charter and later the 11-point program given by the student society on behalf of the oppressed people.

On January 20, Asad's blood became the color of the independence flag. Earlier on January 17, when student leaders called for a strike in all educational institutions across the country, the then Governor of East Pakistan Monem Khan issued Section 144 to suppress the student movement. Finally, on 24th January, a popular Upsurge was organized. January 24, the day of the historic mass Upsurge. On this day in 1969, the struggling masses marched against the regime's repression and the dusk law to overthrow the Pakistani military regime. Just like in the language movement of 1952, the students took out a procession by breaking Article 144. On 24 January 1969 Matiur Rahman Mallik, a standard IX student of the Nabakumar Institution, and Rustam Ali, a rickshaw-puller, were killed in a police firing on demonstrators in Dhaka as Pakistani rulers desperately tried to suppress the popular uprising. This killing spread intense protest across the country that eventually saw the fall of the autocrat Ayun regime. In the tide of public outrage and mass uprising, the dictatorial Ayub government was forced to release everyone, including Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, the accused in the Agartala conspiracy case. It was also another victory before the final victory of independence. Which eased the way to freedom. The oppressors understood that Bengali freedom could not be prevented for much longer. Ayub's dictatorship fell. On January 4, 1969, the 11-point program of the All-Party Student Struggle Parishad paved the way for a mass uprising. After the surrender of Shaheed Assad on the 21st, 22nd, and 23rd of January, there was a mass uprising with the participation of people from all walks of life. The first dream in the eyes of every oppressed people is a piece of independent land, a right to their flag and their language. Subjugation is a curse.
Everyone wants to get rid of this curse. Many nations in the world have fought and are still fighting to free themselves from the chains of subjugation. Many patriots sacrificed their lives at different times to free India from the hands of the British. Their youth and adolescence were for freedom. Then I free Bangladesh from the evil eye of West Pakistan. Got red and green flags. A war requires a combination of blood, honor, courage, and strength of many people to win a free country. More than that, a swap is needed. Dream of freedom. The dream that a Bengali saw one day. Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman painted that dream in the eyes of Bengalis. It is known from the history of popular uprising in the report published in BBC Bengal in 1969, that Awami League leader Sheikh Mujibur Rahman announced the historic six points in 1966. As a result, the freedom movement intensified. The Pakistani rulers filed the Agartala case to thwart it. On January 24, 1969, ordinary people broke the law and took out a procession demanding the release of the main accused Sheikh Mujib and others, and the overthrow of the Pakistani military regime. Four people including Kishore Matiur Rahman Mallik lost their lives in police firing in that procession. Every animal is bent on attaining its freedom. Another class of animals find peace by taking away the freedom of others. One class is the absorber and the other is the exploited class. Those who are constantly struggling to get their rights. It has been happening for ages. Whenever the oppressed classes take to the streets and struggle for their rights, the swords of the oppressors fall on them. But the anger of people deprived of freedom is indeed intense and it breaks down all barriers. Our freedom was won by an ocean of blood. This freedom was achieved as a result of the death struggle of the Bengali nation. But it was not achieved in a day. There is a bloody history behind it. The mass uprising of 69 was not just a movement. On this day, some history coincided. Ayub Khan's rule shook with Motiur's blood. His throne was shaken. Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, the hero of Bengal's independence, was freed. However, the death of Assad before that gave more momentum to this movement. As a result, the Ayub government had no way to suppress this movement. In general, 1969's final achievement of Bengali independence started with the Leh uprising.

The writer is a Essayist and columnist Pabna