4. POLITICAL CAREER OF BANGABANDHU SHEIKH
MUJIBUR RAHMAN
Early Political Career :
Bengali Language Movement :
Founding Of the Awami Leauge :
Influence Of Awami League In 1954 Election :
Six Point Movement :
Anti-Ayub Movement :
1970 General Election:
Announcement OF Independence :
Influence Of 7th March Speech In Bengali Independence War :
5. Sheikh Mujib showed his leadership potentially since school
life. While he was a student of Gopalganj Missionary School,
AK Fazlul Huq, the then Chief Minister of Bengal, visited the
school in1938, then young Mujib stroke the attention of the
two leaders. While a student in Islamia College he was
elected general secretary of the College Students Union.
He was an activist of the Bengal Provincial Muslim League
and a member of the All India Muslim League Council from
1943 onwards. In politics, he was an ardent follower of
Huseyn Shaheed Suhrawardy, a legendary leader in the
Indian subcontinent. The Muslim League deputed Sheikh
Mujib to work for the party candidates in the Faridpur
District during the general elections in1946.
EARLY POLITICAL CAREER :
6. Having completed studies from Islamia
College, Kolkata in 1947, he took
admission in law at Dhaka University.
Then the University authority expelled
him in 1948 on the charge of making
incitement of the fourth-class employees
in their agitation against the University
authority's indifference towards their
legitimate demands. He went to jail
twice in 1948. Subsequently, he spent in
jail about one-fourth of his lifetime due
to uncompromising characteristics.
7. BENGALI LANGUAGE MOVEMENT:
The language movement sparked when Khwaja
Nazimuddin, the then Prime Minister of Pakistan,
restated that “only Urdu shall become the state
language of Pakistan” on 27 January, 1952. Mujib was
behind bars. It was around a period when Mujib was
getting repeatedly arrested. On February 14, 1952,
just a week before the movement was reaching its
peak, Mujib got arrested.
During February 1952, imprisoned Mujib was
admitted at the Dhaka Medical College. While in
captivity, Mujib stayed in constant touch with those
waging the movement to realize Bangla as the state
language. From the confines of his prison, he passed
on key directives to make the movement a success.
8. FOUNDING OF THE AWAMI LEAUGE:
Sheikh Mujibur Rahman worked for the formation
of the East Pakistan Muslim Students League in1948
and the Awami Muslim League in June 1949. He was
selected for the post of joint secretary of the newly
established East Pakistan Awami Muslim League
in1949 while he was sent to jail again due to his
active participation in politics. In 1953, Sheikh
Mujib was elected general secretary of the East
Pakistan Awami Muslim League. Mujib also took
initiative to drop the word 'Muslim' in 1955 in order
to make transparency for secularism.
9. INFLUENCE OF AWAMI LEAGUE IN 1954 ELECTION:
In the provincial elections of March
1954, the Awami League played a
pioneering role in the creation of
the Jukto Front. Following Huseyn
Shaheed Suhrawardy's death in
1963, Sheikh Mujib revived the
Awami League in January 1964. He
demonstrated his desire to reform
the party which would eco the
desire of Bangalee people.
10. SIX POINT MOVEMENT:
He announced the Six-Point
programme of regional
autonomy at a conference of
Pakistan's opposition parties
in Lahore in February 1966.
In May that year, he was
arrested under the Defence of
Pakistan Rules.
11. ANTI-AYUB MOVEMENT:
He was charged with conspiracy to break
up Pakistan what was given out as the
Agartala Conspiracy Case in January 1968.
Countrywide mass uprising compelled the
government to withdraw the case of the
Agartala conspiracy on February 22, 1969.
The next day Bangalee nation staged huge
rally at the then Racecourse Maidan in
which Sheikh Mujib was officially honoured
as Bangabandhu (Friend of Bengal).
12. 1970 GENERAL ELECTION
• After Ayub Khan’s resignation, New president Yahya Khan announced a General
Assembly Election
• Bangabandhu led Awami League attained decisive victory in Pakistan's first general
elections securing 167 seats out of 169 allotted to East Pakistan in National
Assembly Election.
• In Provincial Election, The Awami League won a landslide victory of 288 seats out of
298 including all the seats reserved for women.
• However, Pakistani rulers began to conspire against the Awami League and people
of the then East Pakistan by denying Awami League to form a government.
13. RESULTS OF 1970 GENERAL ELECTION
PROVINCIAL ASSEMBLY ELECTION
Awami League Pakistan Democratic Party National Awami Party (Wali)
Jamaat-e-Islami Pakistan Nizam-e-Islam Party Others
14. RESULTS OF 1970 GENERAL ELECTION
Awami League
Pakistan Peoples
Party
Jamaat-e-Islami
Council Muslim
League
Qayyum Muslim
League
Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam
Jamiat Ulema-e-
Pakistan
Convention Muslim
League
Others
NATIONAL ASSEMBLY ELECTION
18. ANNOUNCEMENT OF INDEPENDENCE
• Though Yahya Khan announced the date of the National Assembly session
on 3 March but due to the ongoing conspiracies against the people of
Bangladesh on 1 March, Yahya Khan postponed the session of the National
Assembly.
• This decision led to an outcry across East Pakistan and the security forces
killed dozens of unarmed protesters. Following this the Awami League
called a large public gathering at Dhaka's Ramna Race Course on 7 March to
respond where Bangabandhu gave the finest speech of his life.
• In the speech, Bangabandhu informally declared independence of
Bangladesh, proclaiming: "The struggle this time, is a struggle for our liberty.
The struggle this time, is a struggle for our independence."
20. INFLUENCE OF 7TH MARCH SPEECH IN BENGALI
INDEPENDENCE WAR
• The speech inspired the Bengali people to prepare for a war of
independence amid widespread reports of armed mobilisation by
West Pakistan.
• The Bangladesh Liberation War began 18 days later when the
Pakistan Army initiated Operation Searchlight against Bengalis.
• It was Bangabandhu’s political decision, inspiration and moral
persuasion that made mass people sacrifice their lives for the
independence of Bangladesh and the speech was effective in giving
Bengalis a clear goal of independence.
