Historic June 7 marks inception of spirit of independence

Every year on June 7, we observe 'Six-Point Day' with due respect. The Six Points and June 7 are intricately linked in the history of the national liberation struggle. The significance of the Six Points and June 7 in our national life is immense. On June 7, 1966, under the leadership of the Awami League, the people of Bengal observed a comprehensive strike against the Pakistani rulers, demanding the release of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman and all other political prisoners. This day is marked by the blood of many martyrs, including Manu Miah and Mujibullah, staining the historic Six Points. Later, at the beginning of the mass movement in 1969, the Six Points evolved into the Eleven Points, leading to the historic 1970 election, and ultimately, through the sacrifice of a sea of blood, we achieved the single point of independence in 1971.

The Father of the Nation, Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, was a wise and visionary leader. He introduced the Six-Point program to the nation, inspired by the desire for national self-determination, which is why the Six Points are referred to as the charter of freedom for the nation. Deep in his heart, Bangabandhu always cherished the independence of Bangladesh. He had no thoughts other than the independence of his beloved motherland. Enduring imprisonment, oppression, and torture, he liberated Bangladesh from the shackles of subjugation. Bangabandhu was a proponent of democratic and secular politics. By removing the word 'Muslim' from the Awami Muslim League, he opened the doors of the Awami League to people of all religions, races, and classes. He envisioned Bangladesh as a secular, democratic state based on Bengali nationalism, where everyone would practice their religion freely, without interference from others.

Autocratic ruler Ayub Khan conspired to annihilate the democratic forces of this country and enslave the majority Bengali nation. In response, Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib, the beloved leader of Bengal, presented the historic Six-Point Demand, known as the charter of Bengali liberation, on February 5, 1966, at a convention of the united opposition parties in Lahore.

To promote and disseminate the Six Points, a six-member sub-committee was formed under Bangabandhu's leadership, and a booklet titled 'Our Demand for Survival: Six-Point Program' was published. The Awami League's council session took place on March 18, 19, and 20 of the same year. The booklet was distributed during this council meeting. At the opening session, chaired by the party's senior vice president, Syed Nazrul Islam, Rabindranath Tagore's song 'Amar Sonar Bangla, Ami Tomay Bhalobashi' was sung. The three-day council session of the Awami League in March 1966, which focused on the Six Points, was particularly significant.

At that council meeting, 1,443 councilors elected Bangabandhu as the president of the East Pakistan Awami League, Tajuddin Ahmad as the general secretary, and Mizanur Rahman Chowdhury as the organizational secretary. A draft of the revised party constitution based on the Six Points was also approved. The changes in party leadership and constitution based on the Six Points were indicative of the ultimate goal of forming an independent and sovereign Bangladesh. The Six-Point program created a stir among party workers, especially among the younger student leaders like us. The Six Points became so popular that almost every household in Bengal carefully preserved this booklet. Regarding the Six Points, Bangabandhu would say, 'I gave a bridge to transition from autonomy to independence.'

Indeed, the Six Points were the seed and essence of the independence struggle. On the final day of the council session, March 20, in adverse weather conditions, Bangabandhu called upon party workers and the people at a public meeting in Paltan Maidan, Dhaka, to spread this message far and wide. He urged them to inform every person in East Pakistan that the leaders and workers of the Awami League were ready to sacrifice everything for the country, for the people, and for future generations, and to launch a nationwide movement based on the Six Points.

This council session of the Awami League marked a turning point in Bengali history, setting the stage for the great mass uprising of 1969, the historic 1970 election, and the grand liberation war of 1971. At the closing public meeting of the council session, Bangabandhu Mujib declared, 'There is no compromise on the Six Points. There is no shortcut in politics. The Awami League no longer believes in the unity of leaders but in the unity of dedicated workers committed to a specific ideology and its implementation. The Awami League is not a party of leaders but an institution of workers. We must achieve these Six Points through peaceful and democratic means. No threat can prevent the Six Points movement. The Six Points are the charter of Bengali liberation.'

Bangabandhu knew that the Six Points could ensure the autonomy and full self-governance of the Bengalis and preserve the unity of Pakistan. On the other hand, a small segment of the West Pakistani ruling class, the Punjabis, used all their power to prevent the majority Bengalis from rising to power by implementing the Six Points. Consequently, the groundwork for the independence of Bangladesh was laid.
After the successful conclusion of the Awami League's council session, Bangabandhu toured the entire country. He addressed a total of 32 public meetings in 35 days across the country. The massive public gatherings and his speeches in favor of the Six Points generated overwhelming public support. As a result, Ayub's oppressive regime unleashed brutal arrests and torture on Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib and other Awami League leaders.

Based on the themes of his speeches at these public meetings in each district, continuous arrest warrants were issued for Bangabandhu from various districts. On April 17, at 4 AM, after delivering a speech at a public meeting in Khulna and on his way back to Dhaka, police arrested Bangabandhu under Section 47 (5) of the Pakistan Defense Act, based on a warrant issued by the Ramna Police Station. He was granted bail from the Jessore Sub-divisional Magistrate's court. That same night, at 9 PM, he was re-arrested in Sylhet, applied for bail again, and was granted bail on the 23rd. On April 24, he was arrested in Mymensingh and granted bail on the 25th. During the promotion of the Six Points, Bangabandhu was arrested a total of eight times in three months.

Thus, Ayub's policy of repression continued. On May 8 of the same year, at a massive workers' rally in Narayanganj's Chashara to commemorate the historic 'May Day,' workers gave a grand reception to Bangabandhu and honored him with a garland made of jute. Returning home at 1 AM after his speech, Bangabandhu and his close political associates were arrested under Section 32(1) of the Pakistan Defense Act. The autocratic ruler Ayub Khan considered the Six Points as a crime, branding Bangabandhu a 'separatist,' and continued the relentless arrest and torture of Awami League leaders under the Defense Act. In response to these actions, the Awami League called for a 'Protest Day' on May 13 across the province. The public meetings held on this day expressed overwhelming support for the Six Points, and thousands of workers spontaneously observed a strike, protesting against the government's repressive policies at a mass rally in Paltan.

The strike on June 7 turned all of East Bengal into a cauldron of protest. The agitated masses raised their voices demanding self-determination and the release of Bangabandhu and all political prisoners. At that time, I was a student at Dhaka University, a full-time activist of the Chhatra League, and the elected Vice President of the Iqbal Hall (now Shaheed Sergeant Zahurul Haq Hall) student union. Along with Sheikh Fazlul Haque Moni, Sirajul Alam Khan, Abdur Razzak, Amir Hossain Amu, Syed Mazharul Haque Baki, Abdur Rauf, Khaled Mohammad Ali, Nur-e-Alam Siddiqui, and many others, we took comprehensive preparations to implement the strike.

On that day, the government ordered the police to fire indiscriminately to disperse the striking students and people. Eleven people, including worker Manu Miah in Tejgaon and Mujibullah in Adamjee, were martyred by police bullets, and around 800 people were arrested. Student leaders Khaled Mohammad Ali and Nur-e-Alam Siddiqui were responsible for making the strike successful in the Tejgaon industrial area, where they delivered speeches. In reality, June 7 marked the starting point of the journey from self-determination to independence. For those of us who were Chhatra League activists, this day laid the foundation for our consciousness of independence.
Since the 1950s, the Chhatra League has led every movement and struggle for the national liberation of Bengalis. Through these glorious struggles, the Chhatra League has achieved a democratic and systematic political culture and won the hearts of the people of Bengal, creating history. In our time, it was mandatory to complete the Chhatra League conference by March 21 each year as per the constitution. If not, leadership had to be handed over to a three-member committee. This was the rule, and there was no deviation from the constitutional provisions.

Following the rules, after the mass uprising of 1969, I was elected president of the Chhatra League, and ASM Abdur Rab was elected general secretary. A year later, following the constitution, we handed over leadership to Nur-e-Alam Siddiqui and Shahjahan Siraj by holding a conference before March 21 and stepped down. On March 22, we vacated the hall and rented a house named 'Chandrashila' on Green Road, where Razzaq Bhai and I started living. Looking back at those golden days of the past, I see that the Chhatra League was the vanguard of establishing the 'Mujib Ideology' and securing the rights of the people of Bengal. Essentially, under Bangabandhu's direction, the leadership of the Awami League and Chhatra League successfully implemented the June 7 program, setting a unique example on the path to self-determination. The hardworking people of Bengal, through their immense sacrifices, made it clear to the Pakistani rulers and the world that the Six Points given by Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib were the only path to Bengali national liberation.

The Pakistani ruling class conspired in many ways to thwart the Six Points, but Bangabandhu's firm and determined stance on the Six Points established him as the leader in the public mind. When the Six Points movement could not be stopped even after imprisoning Bangabandhu on May 8, 1966, and filing numerous cases against him, Ayub Khan brought the 'State vs. Sheikh Mujib and Others' case, aiming to silence him forever by hanging. To demand the realization of the Six Points and the release of Bangabandhu, people from all walks of life in Bengal, including those of us involved in student politics, formed the All-Party Student Struggle Council on January 4, 1969, the founding anniversary of the Chhatra League. We incorporated the Six Points into the Eleven Points and spread them across villages, towns, ports, and factories throughout Bengal. This generated a massive public movement in support of the Eleven Points, leading to a revolutionary situation in the country.

The ruling class tried to discredit the mass movement by portraying us as 'separatists.' To counter this misrepresentation, on February 9, 1969, at a massive gathering on the oath-taking day of the All-Party Student Struggle Council at Paltan Maidan, I declared, 'The people of East Bengal have never supported separatism and do not believe in it. Being 56 percent of the population, if anyone has objections to staying with East Bengal, they can separate.' We adhered to this directive from our leader until the last moment. Until the Pakistan Army started its genocide, we did not entertain any extremism or ultra-revolutionary actions.

Bangabandhu conducted the struggle within the framework of rules and regulations. We were never accused of separatism. We progressed in our liberation struggle, proving its legitimacy and fighting as freedom fighters. The heroic sacrifices of the martyrs during the June 7 program inspired us to move forward. June 7 marked the beginning. In our national life, this day, written in the blood of countless martyrs, ignited the flame of national liberation. Consequently, on June 2, 1970, in the presence of Bangabandhu and national leaders and under his direction, I formally joined the Awami League.

Today, on June 7, many memories from the past flood my mind. Especially the memories of Bangabandhu deeply move me. My life is blessed with Bangabandhu's affection. The spirit of June 7 remains indelible in my life. I remember with profound respect the martyred brothers of June 7, who, with their fresh blood and lives, paved the way for the liberation of the people of Bengal. Their immortal sacrifice, in the continuum of struggle, led to the establishment of an independent and sovereign People's Republic of Bangladesh under the leadership of the Father of the Nation. Indeed, the historic June 7 was the starting point of our consciousness of self-determination and independence. On this day, paying tribute to the martyrs of June 7 is a duty.

Author: Advisory Board Member, Bangladesh Awami League; Member, Bangladesh National Parliament.