The making of a superman
Muhammad Zamir re-observes Bangabandhu's place in history
Bangladesh My Bangladesh
Edited with notes by Ramendu Majumdar
Muktadhara
THE period between the beginning of December and the end of March, these four months, symbolize for the Bangalee ethos several aspects --- joy, loss, pride, dedication, patience and courage. These few weeks encapsulate many historical events that are sign posts, that are inter-related and fuse together to create for us the very foundation of our nation.
This book was first published in India in January 1972 by Orient Longman Ltd. This current revised and enlarged edition has been published from Dhaka.
The book presents in Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman's own words an unusual view of the events and circumstances leading up to his return from a Pakistani jail to an independent Bangladesh. Forty speeches and statements made by Bangabandhu between October 28, 1970 and January 10, 1972 in Bangla have been translated into English. They help to unfold for readers the story that transforms a people into a nation. It also reveals the evolution of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman from being the chief of the Awami League to the status of being the father of a newly independent country.
What adds to the quality of the book and makes it special are the ten appendices. They will be particularly useful for the younger generation desiring to know a bit more about the important steps that eventually led to 1971. They contain, some in original English and some in translation, extracts from the resolution adopted by the All India Muslim League in Lahore on March 23, 1940, the Six Point Programme proposed by the Awami League on March 23, 1966 (?), the Eleven Point Demand of the then East Pakistan Students All Party Committee of Action, Sheikh Mujibur Rahman's defence statement before the Special Tribunal of the 'Agartala Conspiracy Case', the text of the broadcast declaring independence in the early morning of March 26, 1971 and the proclamation of independence as made from Mujibnagar on April 10, 1971. In addition, there are statistical data pertaining to comparative development expenditure in the then East and West Pakistan, the share of exports and imports of both the wings of Pakistan and the election results of the Pakistan National Assembly (held on December 7, 1970) and the East Pakistan Provincial Assembly (held on December 17, 1970).
This book is a treasure trove for anyone interested in keeping track of history as it emerged in Bangladesh. It is also fascinating for the way it reveals the efforts undertaken by Bangabandhu towards the eradication of deliberate discrimination that was being meted out to the people of the then East Pakistan by the armed forces-bureaucratic nexus of Islamabad, Pakistan.
One statement in particular (made during the press conference held in the Awami League central office in Dhaka on December 9, 1970, after the emergence of Awami League as the majority party in the newly elected Pakistan National Assembly) deserves special attention. Here, the democratic spirit in the Leader comes out through his inclusion of all the people in Pakistan in his address by adding 'Joy Pakistan' to 'Joy Bangla' at the end of his statement.
This book is also valuable for including the full text of the speech delivered by Sheikh Mujibur Rahman at the then Race Course (now Suhrawardy Uddyan) on March 7, 1971. A difficult undertaking, at a sensitive juncture, but the Leader, with his innate political wisdom succeeded not only in pacifying the angry masses who had gathered to hear him speak but also through his inimitable oratory was able to call for positive and decisive action aimed at obtaining freedom with clear connotations of independence.
Ramendu Majumdar, a former teacher of English literature, now associated with the world of advertising, is a cultural icon. He has done all of us a service by editing this publication and re-printing an enlarged version. Nearly 40 years after 1971, it will help the present younger generation to understand our past and also answer many of their questions.
Muhammad Zamir is a former Secretary and Ambassador who can be reached at mzamir@dhaka.net .
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