Political activism in British India
Sheikh Mujib (standing) with Mahatma Gandhi and Husain Shaheed Suhrawardy in 1948
Sheikh Mujib's political career began in 1939 when he was in missionary school. In the same year, the school was visited by the then Chief Minister of Bengal Presidency Sher-e-Bangla AK Fazlul Haque and the Minister of Food and later the Prime Minister of Bengal and Pakistan Hossain Shaheed Suhrawardy. At that time a group went to them demanding renovation of the roof of the school. The party was led by Sheikh Mujib himself. Sheikh Mujibur Rahman was arrested for the first time in 1937 over a personal feud. After 7 days of detention, he was released. In 1939 he was elected the founding secretary of the Gopalganj subdivision Muslim Chhatra League and the secretary of the defense committee of the subdivision Muslim League. In 1940 he joined the All India Muslim Chhatra Federation. At this time he was elected councilor of the All Bengal Muslim Chhatra League for a term of one year. Sheikh Mujib was one of the organizers of this conference.
Sheikh Mujibur Rahman was admitted to Islamia College in 1942. While studying there, he came in contact with Husain Shaheed Suhrawardy, a leading Muslim leader of Bengal. M. Bhaskaran described him as "the rising son of politics under Suhrawardy.In the same year, he became involved in the movement to remove the Hallwell Monument in Calcutta, led by student leader Abdul Wasek. He was elected General Secretary. In 1943, he joined the Bengal Muslim League. Here was the main theme of his student movement - the establishment of Pakistan as a separate Muslim state. He was elected a councilor of the Bengal Muslim League in 1943. Sheikh Mujib played a special role in this conference. He was nominated secretary of the "Faridpur District Association" of Faridpur residents living in Calcutta. Two years later, he was elected secretary general of the Islamia College Students' Union.
Pakistan movement, United Bengal and partition
Sheikh Mujibur Rahman with Hussain Shaheed Suhrawardy in 1949
After the Lahore resolution was raised in 1940, the Muslim League took to the field to establish Pakistan. Sheikh Mujib, a young student leader of the Muslim League, was involved in the movement for the establishment of Pakistan at that time. At the grassroots level, he went to the general peasantry and sought votes by justifying Pakistan's demands. The Muslim League won the election in the Muslim-majority areas. However, in Bengal alone they gained a single majority and a government was formed under Suhrawardy.
During the observance of the Day of Direct Struggle on 16 August 1947, terrible Hindu-Muslim riots broke out in Calcutta. Mujib took part in various political activities with Husain Shaheed Suhrawardy to protect the Muslims and bring the riots under control. Yes, Sheikh Mujib joined in. Later, when the creation of the states of India and Pakistan was confirmed, a referendum was held to decide the fate of the Bengali Muslim-dominated district of Assam. Sheikh Mujib acted as the organizer and campaigner for the inclusion of Pakistan in the Sylhet referendum. He went to Sylhet from Calcutta with about 500 workers at that time. Despite winning the referendum, Karimganj is not part of Pakistan and has expressed displeasure in his autobiography over various geographical shortcomings in East Pakistan while demarcating the country.
Political struggle in Pakistan
See also: East Pakistan
After the separation of Pakistan and India from British India, Sheikh Mujib returned to East Pakistan and enrolled in the Law Department of Dhaka University. He became a founding member of the East Pakistan Democratic Juba League, founded on September 7, 1948. He founded the East Pakistan Muslim Chhatra League on January 4, 1948, making him one of the leading student leaders in the region. During this time he leaned towards socialism and began to see socialism as the only solution to improve poverty, unemployment and living standards.
Bengali language movement
See also: Language Movement
Maulana Bhasani and Sheikh Mujibur Rahman paying homage at the Shaheed Minar on February 21, 1954
Sheikh Mujib's political activities began with his participation in the movement for the establishment of Bengali as one of the state languages. Dhirendranath Dutt, a member of the East Pakistan Congress, rejected a proposal to address the Pakistan Constituent Assembly in Urdu or English on 23 February 1948 in Karachi. He also demanded that Bengali be made the language of the Constituent Assembly. The proposal was rejected when the then Prime Minister of Pakistan Liaquat Ali Khan and the Chief Minister of East Pakistan Khwaja Nazimuddin opposed the Bengali language.
Also, on March 21, 1948, Muhammad Ali Jinnah declared Urdu to be the state language of Pakistan. This provoked a backlash in East Pakistan. Defendant Sheikh Mujib immediately decided to start a movement against this pre-planned decision of the Muslim League. On March 2 of the same year, a conference was held at Fazlul Haque Hall of Dhaka University with the participation of leaders of different political parties. At that conference the principles of the movement against the Muslim League were discussed. Sheikh Mujib put forward a proposal from which it was decided to form an all-party struggle council. During the strike, Sheikh Mujib and several other political activists were arrested in front of the Secretariat. However, Sheikh Mujib and other student leaders were released on 15 March in the face of strong protests from the student community. However, the police blocked the procession. The Rashtrabhasha Sangram Parishad was formed under Mujib's leadership on 15 March. Sheikh Mujib immediately declared a nationwide student strike on 16 March 1948 against the police crackdown. At the same time, he was arrested again on September 11 of the same year for protesting against the cordon system in Faridpur.
Sheikh Mujib was released from jail on January 21, 1949. After his release from prison, he again became involved in the fourth-class workers' movement for which he was fined by the university. But he declared the fine illegal and refrained from paying it. Following this, Shamsul Haque, an anti-Muslim League candidate, won the by-election in Tangail on 26 April 1949. Sheikh Mujib went on a hunger strike in front of the Vice-Chancellor's residence to protest the success of his movement. At this time he was expelled from Dhaka University. The allegation against him was to lead the movement for the rights of the fourth class employees of the university. It is to be noted that posthumously, on August 14, 2010, his lost student was returned by the Dhaka University authorities.
Sheikh Mujibur Rahman after his release from Dhaka Central Jail on June 26, 1949
The Awami Muslim League organized an anti-famine procession in Dhaka on the occasion of the arrival of the Prime Minister of Pakistan Liaquat Ali Khan in East Pakistan in January 1950. For leading the procession, Sheikh Mujib was again detained and imprisoned for two years. On January 26, 1952, Khwaja Nazimuddin declared that "Urdu will be the only state language of Pakistan." After this announcement, despite being in jail, he played a courageous role in organizing protests and resistance by indirectly managing the Rashtrabhasha Sangram Parishad with necessary directions. After that, it was decided to observe 21st February as the day of realizing the demands of the state language. At the same time, Sheikh Mujib decided to go on a hunger strike from February 14 while in jail. His hunger strike lasted 13 days. He was released from prison on 28 February.
On the occasion of the third founding anniversary of socialist China in 1952, the Asian and Pacific Regional Peace Conference was held in the capital, Peking, from October 2 to October 12. Sheikh Mujibur Rahman visited China at the invitation of the Chinese government as a member of the 30-member Pakistan delegation to attend the conference.
Establishment of Awami League and United Front government
See also: Bangladesh Awami League and East Pakistan Legislative Assembly Election, 1954
Sheikh Mujibur Rahman with Awami League leaders and workers in 1952 (center)
When Hussain Shaheed Suhrawardy and Maulana Bhasani formed the East Pakistan Awami Muslim League on 23 June 1949, Sheikh Mujib left the Muslim League and joined the new party. He was elected joint general secretary of the East Pakistan section of the party. He was released from prison on 26 June. Soon after his release, he joined the movement against the ongoing food crisis. He was temporarily detained in September 1949 for violating Section 144, but was soon released. In October of the same year, both were arrested for trying to send a delegation to Liaquat Ali Khan, who was associated with Maulana Abdul Hamid Khan Bhasani.
Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, Minister of Agriculture and Forests of the United Front Government
Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, Minister of Agriculture and Forests in the newly elected United Front government in 1954 (second from left)
Sheikh Mujibur Rahman
Sheikh Mujibur Rahman was sworn in as a Minister in 1958 by Sher-e-Bangla AK Fazlul Huq, the Governor of East Pakistan.
Sheikh Mujib was elected General Secretary of the East Pakistan Awami League on 9 July 1953 at the end of the council session of the party. This election was held on March 10, 1954. In the election, the United Front won 223 out of 238 seats, of which 143 were won by the Awami League. Sheikh Mujib won the Gopalganj seat by a margin of 10,000 votes. His opponent there was Muslim League leader Wahiduzzaman. On 3 April Sher-e-Bangla United Front led by AK Fazlul Huq formed the government in the province of East Bengal and on 15 May Sheikh Mujib joined the government and took charge of the Ministry of Agriculture, Forests and Cooperatives. He was detained at the airport on May 31 after returning to Dhaka from Karachi. He was released on December 23. Sheikh Mujib became a member of the Constituent Assembly for the first time on June 5, 1955. At a meeting of the party's executive council on June 23, it was decided that all members of the legislature would resign if East Pakistan did not achieve autonomy. Sheikh Mujib addressed the Constituent Assembly in Karachi, Pakistan on August 25:
«Sir (President of the Constituent Assembly), you will see that they want to name" East Pakistan "instead of" East Bengal ". We have repeatedly demanded that you should use Bengali instead of Pakistan. The word "Bangla" has its own history and tradition. You can change this name by talking to our people. If you want to change that name then we have to go to Bengal again and ask the people there if they will accept the name change. The question of one unit may be included in the constitution. Why do you want to pick it up now? What will happen to accept Bengali as the state language? What is the solution to the question of forming a joint constituency? Thinking about our autonomy? The people of East Bengal are ready to consider the question of one unit along with the solution of other questions. So I would appeal to my friends in that part of the world to accept the verdict of our people in a referendum or referendum.
At a special session of the Bangladesh Awami Muslim League held on 21-23 October 1955, the word "Muslim" was unanimously removed from the party's name and Sheikh Mujib was re-elected General Secretary of the party. Claimed to be included. On 14 July, a motion was tabled against the military presence in the state administration, which he submitted to the government. On September 4, an anti-famine procession led by him came out. At least four people were killed when police opened fire on the procession in violation of section 144. Sheikh Mujib joined the provincial government on 18 September and served as Minister of Industry, Commerce, Labor, Anti-Corruption and Rural Aid. He went to New Delhi to attend the India Trade Agreement Conference. He resigned from the cabinet on May 30, 1956 to spend his full time as general secretary of the party. On August 8, 1956, he paid an official visit to China and the Soviet Union. The convenience of living as a citizen of these two socialist countries made Sheikh Mujibur Rahman excited towards socialism. He was appointed Chairman of the Pakistan Tea Board for the financial year 1956-57.
Movement against military rule
On October 8, 1956, the President of Pakistan, Major General Iskander Mirza, and the Chief of Army Staff, Ayub Khan, imposed martial law in the country. He was arrested on 11 October 1956 for criticizing Ayub Khan. He was later released on October 5, 1959, but was kept under surveillance. He was virtually under house arrest in 1980 and 1981. At that time, Ayub Khan banned all political activities for six years. Several baseless allegations were made against him while he was in jail. On September 12, he was sentenced to two years in prison and fined 5,000 rupees, and another six months in prison for non-payment. He was released from jail on September 22, 1971 after filing a writ petition in the High Court.
After his release from prison, he started secret political activities. Along with other ordinary student leaders, he secretly formed an organization called Nucleus and Swadhin Bangla Biplobi Parishad. The aim of the organization was to work for the independence of East Bengal. Sheikh Mujib sought the help of Indian Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru for the independence of Bengal in 1971. He was turned down. After his capture, Sheikh Mujibur Rahman took the initiative to reorganize the party. He was released on 16 June after lifting the four-year martial law on 2 June. On 25 June, he joined other political leaders in the struggle against various political issues imposed by Ayub Khan. On 5 June, he criticized Ayub Khan at a conference held at Paltan Maidan. On 24 September he went to Lahore, where he formed the National Democratic Front with Shaheed Suhrawardy. It basically served as a general structure of opposition parties.
Dear disciple Sheikh Mujib with Shaheed Suhrawardy
Throughout the month of October, he visited various places in Bengal with the aim of gaining the support of the United Front along with Shaheed Suhrawardy. In 1973, he went to London for talks with Shaheed Suhrawardy. Shaheed Suhrawardy was treated there and died in Beirut on 5 December of the same year. A meeting at Mujib's house on 25 January 1974 decided to reunite the Awami League. On the basis of the proposal of that meeting, Sheikh Mujib was elected General Secretary of Awami League and Maulana Abdur Rashid Tarkbagish was elected President of the party. An all-party struggle council was formed on March 11, 1964, through which Mujib took special measures to prevent communal riots. Sheikh Mujib was one of the pioneers of opposition to the military rule of military ruler Ayub Khan, the introduction of basic democracy in the name of politics and the one-unit system in Pakistan's structure. Would have been elected. According to this method, the centralization of power was planned and efforts were made to unite the provinces. In doing so, Mujib supported Fatima Jinnah, an all-party candidate against Ayub. Sheikh Mujib was sentenced to one year in prison for sedition and making offensive proposals.
Six point movement
Main article: Six-point movement
Sheikh Mujibur Rahman is presenting a six-point demand in Lahore
Even though the majority of the population and the majority of Pakistan's total export earnings (such as jute) came from East Pakistan, the people of the region were discriminated against at all levels. East Pakistan continues to be adversely affected and continues to face adverse conditions due to its persistent discrimination on a regional basis. As a result, economists, intellectuals and East Pakistani politicians began to question inequality. Sheikh Mujib raised six demands to eliminate inequality, known as the Six Point Demand. This much-desired demand of the Bengalis later came to be known as the "demand for life" and "survival of the fittest". Dafa demanded, which was a de facto outline of the autonomy of East Pakistan. The six-point demands were as follows:
There will be a parliamentary system of government under the federal system. Elections on the basis of universal suffrage.
The power of the central government will be limited to only two areas - national defense and foreign policy. In all other respects, the powers of the states will be absolute.
Two separate but freely exchangeable currencies for the whole country, or the introduction of similar currencies under special conditions.
The states of the federation will have sovereign power over the imposition of taxes or duties. However, a portion of the state revenue will go to the central government for meeting the necessary expenses.
The states will own the foreign exchange they earn, a fixed portion of which they will give to the center.
In order to maintain regional integrity and governance, the constitution must give states the power to form and maintain paramilitary or regional armies under their authority.
Sheikh Mujib promoted this demand under the headline "Our demand for survival". The main theme of this demand was the full autonomy of East Pakistan in the Pakistani Federation under a weak central government. Returned to Pakistan.
Sheikh Mujib returns from Lahore with Tofazzal Hossain Manik Mia after making six-point demand
On March 1, 1986, Sheikh Mujib was elected President of the Awami League. After the election, he campaigned across the country to garner support for the Six Points and traveled around the country to garner public support. During this trip he was arrested several times by the police in Sylhet, Mymensingh and Dhaka. He was arrested eight times in the first quarter of the year. He was arrested again on May 7 of that year for participating in a procession of jute factory workers in Narayanganj. A nationwide strike was held on June 7 to demand his release. Police opened fire during the strike, killing at least three people in Dhaka and Narayanganj.
General election of 70
Main article: General elections in Pakistan, 1970
Sheikh Mujib in the general election campaign of the 70's
In the aftermath of the uprising, Ayub Khan resigned from the presidency on 24 March 1969. Yahya Khan assumed office on 25 March. He promised to hold general elections in Pakistan on 26 March 1969. A cyclone in Bhola on November 12, 1970 killed about 100,000 people and displaced one million. The central government, on the other hand, referred to it as a "failure of local leaders. Elections for relief and rescue operations were postponed. Elections were then held on 7 December 1970 (national) and 16 December (provincial) "on a one-man vote". Member of the National Assembly at the time. The number was 313. Among them were 189 delegates from East Pakistan and 144 from West Pakistan. In the 1970 elections, the Awami League, led by Sheikh Mujib, won an absolute majority in the national and provincial legislatures. The Awami League won 18 of the 189 seats allotted to East Pakistan in the National Assembly. The Awami League also won a majority in the National Assembly by winning all but two seats in East Pakistan. The Awami League won 26 of the 300 seats in the provincial elections held on 16 December.
The election results polarized the two parts of Pakistan. Zulfikar Ali Bhutto, the leader of West Pakistan's largest political party, strongly opposed Mujib's policy of autonomy. Bhutto threatened to boycott the session, declaring that if President Yahya Khan called on Mujib to form a government, he would not accept it. Neither Sheikh Mujib nor the Awami League thought of political independence in East Pakistan at the time, although some nationalist parties continued to demand Bangladesh's independence. Mubashir Hasan of the Pakistan People's Party persuaded Sheikh Mujib to form a coalition government with Bhutto; Sheikh Mujib will be the Prime Minister and Bhutto will be the President. At the same time, Bhutto continued to put pressure on Yahya Khan to thwart the formation of the next government.
March 7 speech
Main article: March 7 speech
Sheikh Mujibur Rahman is giving a speech on March 7
Although the Awami League won an absolute majority in the National Assembly elections, the military ruling party began to delay the transfer of power to the party. In fact, their aim was to somehow keep power in the hands of West Pakistani politicians. Under such circumstances, on 14 February, General Yahya Khan, President of Pakistan, convened a session of the National Assembly in Dhaka on 3 March. However, he unexpectedly adjourned the session indefinitely on 1 March. That Mujib's party would not be allowed to form a government despite having a majority. The news sparked protests in East Pakistan. Under the leadership of Awami League chief Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, a simultaneous hartal was observed in Dhaka on March 2 and across the country on March 3. He announced the program of all-out non-cooperation movement in the whole of East Bengal at a huge public meeting held at Paltan Maidan on 3 March. In a radio address on March 7, Yahya Khan referred to Sheikh Mujib as a symbol of Pakistan's political instability and tried to put all kinds of blame on him. In such a cloudy situation, a large number of people gathered at the public meeting on March 7 at the racecourse ground. Sheikh Mujibur Rahman delivered his historic March 7 address to the general public and the nation as a whole. He announced -
"... When I give blood, I will give more blood. I will release the people of this country inshallah. This time the struggle is for our liberation, this time the struggle is for freedom. Joy Bangla.
Hours earlier, the central government banned Sheikh Mujibur Rahman's speech from being broadcast live in the media. Audio and video footage of the speech were recorded on EMI machines and television cameras despite military pressure. And a strike by Pakistan Radio officials forced the Pakistani government to allow the speech to be rebroadcast on radio.
Yahya-Mujib-Bhutto meeting
See also: Operation Searchlight
When Yahya Khan invited the 12 top parliamentary leaders elected for a meeting on March 10, Sheikh Mujib refused and issued 35 specific instructions for the non-cooperation movement on March 15. He also began talks on forming a government and handing over power. But at the same time, the military began preparing for a genocide in East Pakistan. General Tikka Khan of the Army was sent to Dhaka as the Governor of East Pakistan and troops and arms were to be sent. The third round of Yahya-Mujib meeting was held on 19 March. Zulfikar Ali Bhutto arrived in Dhaka on March 21 with 12 advisers to join the talks. A 60-minute meeting between Bhutto and Mujib was held on March 22. Despite much optimism, the Bhutto-Mujib-Yahya meeting was unsuccessful. March 23 is Resistance Day in East Pakistan. After the closed-door meeting between Bhutto and Yahya on March 25, Yahya Khan secretly left for West Pakistan in the evening, providing Operation Searchlight, a green signal of the Bengali massacre to the Pakistani military. Wing Commander A. K. Khandaker informed Sheikh Mujib about the matter. Sheikh Mujibur Rahman declared the independence of Bangladesh on March 25 at 12:20 pm and was arrested at 1:10 pm on the same day and taken to Dhaka Cantonment.
Declaration of Independence
Main article: Declaration of Independence of Bangladesh
Sheikh Mujibur Rahman sitting in front of two police officers at Karachi Airport after his arrest, 1971
Yahya Khan declared martial law in a statement on Pakistan Radio on 26 March, banned the Awami League and ordered the arrest of Mujib and other Awami League leaders. The Pakistani military launched Operation Searchlight on 25 March to quell political and public discontent. When the military operation began, Mujibur Rahman declared the independence of Bangladesh in the early hours of March 26, The translation of the original declaration is as follows:
"This may be my last message, Bangladesh is independent from today. I urge the people of Bangladesh, wherever you are, to continue your resistance against the occupying army with all your might. May your war continue till the last Pakistani army is ousted from the soil of Bangladesh and a final victory is achieved. Joy Bangla.
Shortly afterwards, he arranged to send a proclamation in Bengali:
“My appeal and command to you in the name of Almighty God is to continue the fight till the last drop of blood to liberate the country. Police, EPR, Bengal Regiment Ansar want help to come to your side and fight. No side effects. We will win. Expel the last enemy from the Holy Motherland. Spread the word to all Awami League leaders, activists and other patriotic people. God bless you. Joy Bangla.
Mahbubur Rahman Jalal, a freedom fighter living in Texas and a collector of documents related to the Liberation War, said: .
Shortly after the declaration of independence, at 1.30 pm, Sheikh Mujib was arrested by an army team from his residence and taken to Dhaka Cantonment in a military jeep. He was detained that night at Adamjee Cantonment School. The next day he was airlifted to Karachi in the utmost secrecy. The next day, a picture of Sheikh Mujib sitting in the front seat of two police officers standing behind him at the Karachi airport appeared on the front pages of almost all dailies. Earlier in his address to the nation, General Yahya Khan termed Sheikh Mujib as a power-hungry patriot and accused him of hurting the unity and solidarity of the country and playing tricks on the fate of 120 million people, saying that he (Sheikh Mujib) must be punished for this crime.
Liberation war and captivity
Sheikh Mujib was held under tight security in the jail in Lyallpur (now Faisalabad), Pakistan's warmest city, 60 miles from Lahore. He was kept in solitary confinement. Meanwhile, Sheikh Mujibur Rahman was the President of the Government of Bangladesh and Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces established in April 1971 at Amrakanan (now Mujibnagar in Meherpur District) at Baidyanathtala in the then Kushtia District. In his absence, Syed Nazrul Islam, the Vice President of the Mujibnagar Government, served as the Acting President and the Acting Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces. Tajuddin Ahmed became the Prime Minister. In East Pakistan, the Mukti Bahini led by the Mujibnagar government staged a major revolt. The war between the Mukti Bahini and the Pakistan Bahini is known as the War of Independence of Bangladesh.
On July 19, the Pakistani authorities announced the news of Mujib's impending trial in a military court. The court was headed by Pakistani General Rahimuddin Khan. However, the actual proceedings and verdict of the case have never been made public. A military court was set up at Layalpur Jail. Therefore, the case is termed as "Layalpur Trial". At the beginning of this case, senior Sindhi lawyer A. K. Brohi was appointed to handle the case on behalf of the accused. A 12-point indictment was read out at the beginning of the court proceedings. Among the allegations were sedition, declaration of war against the government, etc. The penalty for six crimes was death. A tape recording of Yahya Khan's speech on March 26 was played in the court. After hearing that statement, Sheikh Mujib refused to take part in any court proceedings and appoint a counsel on his behalf. He called the trial a farce. Throughout the trial, he practically turned his back on the court. Whatever happened in the courtroom, he accepted with indifference. Far from defending himself in the judicial process, he did not take part in any proceedings.
On December 3, the Pakistan Air Force attacked several Indian military airfields, triggering an all-out war. The next day, on December 4, the military court announced the verdict. Sheikh Mujibur Rahman was sentenced to death. At the end of the court proceedings, he was taken to another jail in Mianwali town. There is a system to enforce the sentence. It is said that a tomb was dug next to the prison cell where he was staying. However, due to the rapidly changing war situation, the death penalty could not be carried out. Despite international pressure, the Pakistani government refused to release Mujib and compromise with him.
As a result of India's direct participation in the war in December 1971, the Pakistani forces surrendered to the joint forces of the Mukti Bahini and the Indian Army on 16 December and the Awami League leaders returned to Dhaka to form the government.
Release and repatriation
Sheikh Mujibur Rahman
When Yahya Khan was overthrown by the Pakistani army in a war with Bangladesh on 20 December, Zulfikar Ali Bhutto took over as President and Chief Martial Law Administrator of Pakistan. Bhutto did not want to harm Sheikh Mujib, considering his own interests, the consequences for Pakistanis trapped in Bangladesh, and international pressure. The head of the prison sent an urgent message to Habib Ali with such an order. On 22 December, Sheikh Mujibur Rahman was released from Mianwali Jail and placed under house arrest in an unknown location. He was then taken to the Sihala Police Rest House on December 26. Bhutto met Sheikh Mujib there that day. In late December (29 or 30 December) Mujib met again with the then Foreign Minister of Pakistan, Aziz Ahmed, and again on January 7, 1962 in Rawalpindi. Bhutto offered him a minimal "loose connection" with West Pakistan and the newly formed Bangladesh, a loose confederation. But Sheikh Mujib came to Dhaka and refused to make any promise without knowing the opinion of the people.
On January 7, 1962, Bhutto was forced to arrange for Sheikh Mujib to leave Pakistan. Sheikh Mujibur Rahman and Dr. A cargo plane of Pakistan International Airlines carrying Kamal Hossain left Rawalpindi for London. Bhutto himself arrived at the airport to bid farewell to Sheikh Mujib. In London, he met with British Prime Minister Edward Heath. He then returned to New Delhi from London and met Indian President V. V. After meeting Giri and Prime Minister Indira Gandhi, he publicly thanked Indira Gandhi and the people of India as "the best friends of my people. He returned to Bangladesh on January 10, 1972 at 1:41 p.m. Coming straight from the airport to the racecourse grounds, he spoke in front of about half a million people that day.
Personal life and family
See also: Sheikh-Wazed family
Mujib and his wife Begum Fazilatunnesa
In 1934, on the orders of Dada Abdul Hamid, Sheikh Mujib's father married 14-year-old Sheikh Mujib to his 3-year-old newly orphaned cousin Begum Fazilatunnesa. After 9 years of marriage, Sheikh Mujib got married in 1942 at the age of 22 and Fazilatunnesa at the age of 12. The couple had two daughters and three sons - Sheikh Hasina, Sheikh Kamal, Sheikh Jamal, Sheikh Rehana and Sheikh Russell.
Sheikh Mujibur Rahman and his family have been living in house number 32 in Dhanmondi since October 1, 1971. The Pakistani army kept the Sheikh's family under house arrest until December 16, 1971. Sheikh Kamal and Jamal escaped from the guard and fled to safety. Sheikh Kamal was a coordinator of the guerrilla warfare of the Mukti Bahini in 1971 and was given a wartime commission by the Bangladesh Army during the War of Independence. Sheikh Jamal trained at the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst in the United Kingdom and later joined the Bangladesh Army as a commissioned officer.
Sheikh Hasina
Sheikh Rehana
Sheikh Mujibur Rahman has two surviving children
Almost the entire family of Sheikh Mujib was killed in an army operation on the night of 15 August 1975. Only two daughters, Sheikh Hasina and Sheikh Rehana, survived due to their location in West Germany at the time. Sheikh Hasina returned to the country and later took the helm of the Awami League. She is currently serving her fourth term as Prime Minister of Bangladesh and President of the Bangladesh Awami League since 1981. She has also served three terms as Leader of the Opposition in Parliament.
Sheikh Rehana's daughter, Tulip Siddique, a British Labor Party politician of Bangladeshi descent, has been a member of the UK House of Commons since 2015 (elected from the Hampstead and Kilburn constituency in Greater London). Sheikh Fazlul Haque Moni, nephew of Sheikh Mujib, was the chief leader of Mujib's forces in 1971 and founded the Juba League in 1962 (both were killed on 15 August). and nephews Sheikh Helal Uddin and Sheikh Salahuddin Jewel are MPs of Bangladesh. Sheikh Fazle Nur Taposh, Mojibur Rahman Chowdhury, Nur-i-Alam Chowdhury, Andalib Rahman, Sheikh Tanmoy, Serniabat Sadiq Abdullah, Sheikh Fazle Shams Parash , and Sheikh Fazle Fahim – Bangladesh's foremost politician and his grandson.
Murder
Main article: Assassination of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman
Tomb of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman
On the morning of August 15, 1975, a group of army officers surrounded the President's residence in Dhanmondi with tanks and killed Sheikh Mujibur Rahman and his family and personal staff. Wife Sultana Kamal Khuki, Sheikh Jamal and his wife Parveen Jamal Rosi, Sheikh Russell, Sheikh Mujib's brother Sheikh Abu Naser were killed. On this day, Sheikh Mujibur Rahman's nephew Sheikh Fazlul Haque Moni and his wife Begum Arju Moni, Sheikh Mujib's brother-in-law and minister Abdur Rob Serniabat, his daughter Baby Serniabat, son Arif Serniabat, granddaughter Sukant Babu, elder brother's son Sajib Serniabat Sheikh Mujib's chief security officer Jamil Uddin Ahmed, SB officer Siddiqur Rahman and army member Syed Mahbubul Haque were also killed. Survive. They were barred from returning to Bangladesh.
A total of 16 bullet marks were found on Sheikh Mujib's body. In the process, a bullet severed the index finger of his right hand. The then station commander of the Dhaka cantonment, Lt. Col. Colonel MA Hamid was given charge. He went and discovered that the body of his brother Sheikh Nasser was kept in a certain coffin thinking it was the body of Sheikh Mujib. The subedar in charge explained that the bodies were exchanged because the two brothers looked very different and the darkness of the night. The next day, on 16 August, Sheikh Mujib's body was flown by helicopter to his birthplace, Tungipara, and buried under military supervision. Others were buried at Banani Cemetery in Dhaka.
