POLLS, A REFERENDUM ON AUTONOMY

NAOGAON, October 25: Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, Awami League Chief said here last night that he and his party had condemned Legal Framework Order but at the same time decided to participate in elections as they considered elections a referendum on regional autonomy on the basis of the six-point programme.

Sheikh Mujibur Rahman addressing a public meeting here criticised those political parties and leaders who alleged that Awami League had not criticised LFO and asked them why they had now decided to take part in elections.

The Awami League chief told the meeting that Bengalees who had long been denied their rights must show in the coming elections that this time they were determined to restore their rights either ' through elections or through struggle. He asked the people to get prepared for struggle if their rights could not be achieved through elections and assured them that he would be in the forefront of any such movement.

The Awami League chief criticised former President Ayub Khan for taking over power without people's consent and depriving Bengalees of their rights. He dwelt at considerable length on inter-wing disparity and held ` Mir Zafars of Bengal ' more responsible than any West Pakistani for the miseries of the province. In this connection he made a pointed reference to former Governor Abdul Monem Khan and said that if people's rule was established, Monem would be tried. He said that they would probe into the killings that had taken place in mass movement during Ayub-Monem regime and exhume bodies of those now dead.

Sheikh Mujib amidst loud clappings said that if he had substantial majority in the coming elections he would show the rights of Bengal were restored. He said none could anymore deprive Bengalees of their rights unless ` Mir Zafars of Bengal ' betrayed. He said that a conspiracy was being hatched to purchase Bengalee members of the assembly to weaken Bengal's unity when unity was needed for the struggle to establish our rights.

Exploitation

Sheikh Mujib said that his politics was to bring an end to the exploitation which had ruined the economy of Bangla Desh.

He said that the fourthcoming elections were the last chance of realising the legitimate rights through constitutional way.

He called upon the people to take a fresh vow either to achieve the six-point formula or to die. There was no other alternative, he added.

He said that legitimate demands must be realised through continued struggle and remarked that nothing could be achieved through begging. Explaining the six-point formula of his party, he said that it had nothing against the people of any other region. It was a group of politicians who were opposing it, because it was designed to eliminate vested interests.

Similarly they had raised the slogans of Pakistan and Islam in danger over the question of Bengali being adopted as a national language. They had come out with a similar bogey when the United Front had emerged.

He told the cheering crowd that in a country like Pakistan where 90 per cent of the population was Muslim, the slogan of Islam in danger was merely a hoax. The future constitution must be framed on the 11-point formula, he added. He said that his politics was not merely for the sake of going to power but it was to establish people's rule in the country.

The Sheikh in his half-an-hour speech said that the Bengalees would no more live a life of second class citizens. Either they would live as free citizens or would die in the struggle.

He asked the people to rally round Awami League to finish the political touts and Mir Zafars on December 7 so that they might not get any chance to betray the cause of the Bengalees any more. If you can do it there is no power on earth which can check in getting your demands realised this time, he added.

(MORNING NEWS, Karachi and Dacca-October 26, 1970)

Source: Bangladesh Documents, vol-I, p.101-102