Awami League:
Awami League is a political organization in Pakistan and Bangladesh. It was
founded in 1949 as an opposition party in Pakistan and had a moderately
socialist ideology. The Awami League, with cofounder Sheikh Mujibur
Rahman as its leader from 1953, called in 1966 for a federation of East and
West Pakistan, an arrangement that would have given much greater
autonomy to East Pakistan. The party's candidates won a majority in the
1970 elections, but the central government in West Pakistan banned the
League after war between East and West Pakistan erupted in early 1971.
When Bangladesh (formerly East Pakistan) won its independence in late
1971, the party was the nation's dominant political force. In 1981 and again
in 1991 it was defeated in a popular election by the Bangladesh National
party (BNP), but the League won the 1996 parliamentary elections, and party
leader Hasina Wazed, the daughter of Mujibur Rahman, became prime
minister. The League lost the 2001 elections to the BNP in a landslide, but in
2008 the party was returned to power in a landslide and Sheikh Hasina again
became (2009) prime minister.
Language Movement:
The Bengali Language Movementwere protests by people living in
Bangladesh, which was part of Pakistan during that time. The people
living in Bangladesh started protesting because they did not like that the
government of Pakistan made Urdu the official language, which they
did not speak. The government responded to the protests by making
meetings outside illegally. At the height of the movement on 21
February 1952, police killed students that were protesting. The Shaheed
Minar was a monument built to honor these students.Bengali did
become an official language on 29 February 1956. This day is
celebrated by Bangladesh as Language Movement Day.
Six Point Programme:
The six-point movement was a movement in East Pakistan, spearheaded by
Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, which called for greater autonomy for East Pakistan.
The movement's main goal was to fulfill the six demands made by an alliance
of Bengali nationalist political parties in 1966, which included ending the West
Pakistani rulers' exploitation of East Pakistan.Mujib's unwavering support for
Bengali independence, which was rooted in the six-point agenda, earned him
the title Bangabandhu.The movement is considered the foundation of
Bangladesh’s independence.
The six points of the formula were: 1) a form of federal government, a
parliamentary system directly elected via one-person-one-vote, 2) two separate
reserve banks and currencies for the two wings of Pakistan, 3) Other than
defence and foreign policy all issues will be dealt by the federal provinces, 4) a
paramilitary force for East Pakistan, 5) fiscal affairs, much as taxation and
resources allocation, will be state responsibility, and, 6) monetary and trade
policies, such as foreign reserve maintenance and establishing trade links, will
be handled separately by the two wings.
Agartala Conspiracy Case:
Agartala Conspiracy Casewas a sedition case in Pakistan, brought forward by
the Government of Pakistan against Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, the then leader
of the Awami League and East Pakistan, and 34 other persons.The case was
filed in early 1968 and implicated Sheikh Mujibur Rahman and others in
conspiring with India against the stability of Pakistan. The case is officially
called State vs. Sheikh Mujibur Rahman and others. The main conspiracy was
purported to have taken place in the Indian city of Agartala, where Sheikh
Mujib's associates met Indian military officials.
An action committee was formed by enraged protesters. Ayub Khan was forced
to withdraw the case and convene a Round Table Conference, which Sheikh
Mujib triumphantly attended but left when his Six-Point demands were not
met. The case, as well as the uprising that followed it, was a major factor in
Ayub Khan's downfall and is regarded as one of the major events leading up to
the Bangladesh Liberation War.
1970 Election
General elections were held in Pakistan on 7 December 1970 to elect members of
the National Assembly. They were the first general elections since the independence
of Pakistan and ultimately the only ones held prior to the independence of
Bangladesh. The elections were a fierce contest between two parties, the west-based
Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) and the east-based Awami League. The Awami League
was the sole major party in the east wing.
The result was a victory for the Awami League, which gained an absolute majority,
winning 160 of the 162 general seats and all seven women's seats in East Pakistan.
In the provincial elections held ten days later, the Awami League again dominated in
East Pakistan, while the PPP were the winning party in Punjab and Sindh.
President Yahya Khan and PPP Chairman Zulfikar Ali Bhutto did not want an East
Pakistani party in the federal government, so the National Assembly was not
officially inaugurated. Instead, Yahya named veteran Bengali politician Nurul Amin
as Prime Minister, instructing him to negotiate a deal between the PPP and the
Awami League. However, the delay in inauguration had already caused significant
unrest in East Pakistan, so this move failed. The situation deteriorated into a civil
war, which resulted in Bangladesh becoming an independent country.
Historic 7th March Speech:
"The Historic 7th March Speech of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur
Rahman" was delivered by Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman on 7th
March, 1971 who led the people of Bangladesh to independence in 1971.
At that time when the Pakistani military rulers refused to transfer power to
the Bengali nationalist leader Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman,
whose party Awami League gained majority in the National Assembly of
Pakistan in the general election held in 1970.The speech inspired the
Bangalees to prepare for a war of independence. He called upon all
Bangalees of then East Pakistan to launch a significant struggle against the
Pakistani occupation forces. He also indicated for for taking all-out
preparations for the War of Liberation.
Mujibnagar Government
On 17th April 1971, the first Bangladesh government, widely known as the
'Mujibnagar’ government was formed by the elected leaders of Bangladesh as
the rightful constitutional, logical, and realistic step forward towards an
independent country.
On March 25, 1971 the leader of the Awami League Sheikh Mujibur Rahman
signed an official declaration and called upon the people to resist the occupation
forces through a radio message. After he was arrested by Pakistan Army and
moved to a jail in West Pakistan, M A Hannan, Ziaur Rahman broadcast the
announcement of the declaration of independence on behalf of Sheikh Mujibur
on 26 March and 27 March respectively and exhorted the Bengali people to
resist the Pakistani state forces.The Awami League's senior political leaders
gathered in Baidyanathtala and On April 17, the People's Republic of
Bangladesh's government was inaugurated, and the national anthem Amar Sonar
Bangla was sung in chorus. Syed Nazrul Islam was appointed acting president
and hoisted the Bangladesh flag, despite the fact that Sheikh Mujib was declared
the first President. The first Prime Minister, Tajuddin Ahmed, was appointed.
Three Phases of the Liberation War of Bangladesh
The struggle for Bengali rights started shortly after Pakistan gained independence as a
country with two territories known as West Pakistan (today’s Pakistan) and East
Pakistan (today’s Bangladesh). The refusal to accept Bengali as a state language of
Pakistan in the early years after Partition, economic disparity between the two parts,
demeaning attitude towards Bengali culture and the Bengali population soured
relations between the two parts.
Tensions rose in December 1970 when the Awami League party, led by Sheikh
Mujibur Rahmanand based in East Pakistan, won the national elections but West
Pakistan parties, namely the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP), refused to hand over
power.
In March 1971, using the violence as an excuse, the Pakistan Army intervened to stem
the growth of nationalist sentiments in the east. It recruited local pro-Pakistan
Bengalis and non-Bengalis, including members of the Islamic organisation Jamaat-eIslami for its operations against Bengali factions. The nine-month conflict ended with
the surrender of the Pakistani army on December 16; the death toll is estimated to
have been between 300,000 and 3 million people, with hundreds of thousands of
women raped.
Having played an important role during the war, Mujib took power after
independence. He banned Jamaat-e-Islami and introduced special laws that allowed
for the arrest and prosecution of those accused of “collaborating” with the Pakistan
military.
Basic Principles to the Bangladesh Constitution
The Constitution of Bangladesh, officially the Constitution of the People's
Republic of Bangladesh is the supreme law of Bangladesh. The document
establishes the framework for the Bangladeshi republic, which includes a
unitary, parliamentary democracy, an independent judiciary, democratic local
government, and a national bureaucracy, as well as fundamental human rights
and freedoms.
The Constitution's four fundamental principles are nationalism, socialism,
democracy, and secularism. The Constitution aims to establish a socialist
society in which all citizens have access to the rule of law, fundamental
human rights and freedoms, political, economic, and social justice.
Major Amendments to Bangladesh Constitution
As of 2018 the Constitution has been amended 17 times. Amending the
Constitution of Bangladesh is the process of making changes to the nation's
fundamental law or supreme law.
In the 4th amendment, the changes that are made includes:
•The presidential form of government was introduced replacing the
parliamentary system.
•A one-party system in place of a multi-party system was introduced
In the 5th amendment, the changes that are made includes:
Democracy and democratic rule and culture in Bangladesh
Bangladesh gained independence from Pakistan in 1971 and established a
democratic government. As a result, Bangladesh was founded on the foundation
of democratic institutions. The Awami League, which played a key role in the
campaign for a separate Bengali state, produced Bangladesh's first leaders. The
Provisional Constitution of Order of 1972 established a parliamentary system of
democracy, which was overseen by the Awami League party. The Constituent
Assembly passed the 1972 constitution on November 4, 1972, not long after.
After the early years of democracy, Bangladesh was subjected to two decades
of authoritarian rule, including military dictatorships. Military coups occurred
in 1975, when the military used corruption and bad rulings to justify the
takeover and later elected General Ziaur Rehman as president in 1977, and in
1982, when General H.M. Ershad declared martial law after a coup to
overthrow the previous regime of General Ziaur Rehman. Bangladesh resumed
its transition to parliamentary democracy in 1991, but a political crisis in 2007
forced the country into a state of emergency, with a'military-backed' caretaker
government in place until Sheikh Hasina, the leader of the Awami League, was
elected Prime Minister in 2009.
Interference of Military in Bangladesh Politics.
A coup led by Army Chief Hussain Muhammad Ershad removed from power
democratically elected President Abdus Sattar, suspended the Constitution, and
imposed martial law in 1982. All political parties were outlawed, and
Parliament was dissolved. On March 27, 1982, Ershad appointed Justice A. F.
M. Ahsanuddin Chowdhury as President, a position he held until December
1983, when Ershad took over. Ershad promised in 1983 that presidential
elections would be held in May 1984, and that parliamentary government would
be restored the following year. Neither election, however, was held within the
specified time frame.
On May 7, 1986, parliamentarian elections were held, with Ershad's newly
formed Jatiya Party winning. The outcome, however, was contentious, with a
British team of observers calling the elections a "tragedy for democracy."
Following that, on October 15, 1986, presidential elections were held, which
were boycotted by all major opposition party candidates, allowing Ershad to
win by a landslide despite reports of electoral irregularities.In 1990, Ershad
resigned from the presidency after a popular uprising led by future Prime
Ministers Khaleda Zia and Sheikh Hasina, and the country returned to
parliamentary democracy.