Her Majesty The Queen was born in the twentieth century, a period that saw enormous social
change driven by visionary and committed leaders. Reflect on an inspirational leader from this
period.
The Tale of the Father of Bangladesh
Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, fondly known as Bangabandhu (Friend of Bengal), was a politician and
the main architect behind the freedom of Bangladesh. Through his immense contribution, the
people of Bengal attained their long-fought-for freedom. The Bengali struggle for liberty – often
referred to as the Liberation War – began in 1971, with Sheikh Mujibur Rahman at the forefront
of the battle. Though he got arrested the night before, his declaration of independence for the
country inspired the Bengalis to break free from the shackles of West Pakistan. Without him,
Bangladesh would cease to exist, our identity forever lost in the corrupted cloud of West
Pakistan. Due to his resilient leadership, the Bengali culture and heritage, along with a separate
identity of the Bengali entity, now exist. Therefore, in Bangladesh, he is known as the Father of
the Nation.
However, his journey toward becoming one of the world’s most influential leaders began long
before the Liberation War. Born in 1920 in a village in the Bengal province in British India,
Sheikh Mujibur Rahman belonged to a modest, aristocratic Bengali Muslim family. In the lush
greenery that enveloped his surroundings, he enjoyed a rich childhood, not in wealth but love,
playing in the fields, swimming in the rivers and catching fish. Moreover, at an early age, he
showed compassion for the needy, often giving his personal belongings, including his clothes and
food, to the poor. Alongside his generosity, he exhibited early signs of leadership. In 1938, he
was a student of Gopalganj Missionary School, where A. K. Fazlul Huq, the Prime Minister of
Bengal at that time, was scheduled to visit. However, because he formed the government with the
help of the Muslim League, the Hindus, who were supposed to help with the inauguration of the
Prime Minister, were given instructions to not participate in the event by the Congress Party.
Shocked yet determined, Sheikh Mujib formed a volunteer brigade and helped the event come to
fruition, displaying his leadership qualities. At that meeting, he befriended Huseyn Shaheed
Suhrawardy, the then-Labour Minister, who would go on to become his political mentor.
He was in school from 1927 to 1941, though he suffered a four-year setback due to eye problems.
In 1941, he passed his Matriculation exam from the Gopalganj Missionary School. After
graduating, he migrated to Calcutta for higher studies. Being curious about politics for a long
time, Sheikh Mujib attended several political meetings, even before he came to Calcutta.
However, over there, he dived deep into the world of politics, attending all political meetings
whilst maintaining his education. Furthermore, he would often visit Huseyn Shaheed
Suhrawardy’s house, where he was given political lessons.
Mujib would read one newspaper with much interest, Azad. The contents of the newspaper gave
him an epiphany that a sovereign state needed to be incepted to protect the Muslims in his area
because there was tension building up between the Muslim and Hindus there. However, before
any considerable action could be taken, a terrible famine struck Bengal in 1943, which left an
estimated 3.8 million Bengalis dead. In his autobiography The Unfinished Memoirs, he
recollected horrifying sights, such as mothers dying in the streets while their babies still suckled
and children either being abandoned or sold for food by their parents. At a time when no one was
helping them, Suhrawardy decided to open gruel kitchens in the Muslim League Central Office in
Calcutta and the city's madrasas and other places. In order to invest more time in helping the
distressed, Mujib quit his studies and joined in the effort, showing that he truly was the Friend of
Bengal. In the midst of aiding the people of Bengal, he had not forgotten about his idea, the
creation of Pakistan.
Unfortunately, Mujib’s idea of a single Muslim-dominated state was opposed by A. K. Fazlul
Huq, who, in the Lahore Resolution of 1940, proposed that there would be multiple autonomous
Muslim states. However, in a fundamental departure from the Lahore Resolution, the Muslim
League replaced the word ‘states’ with ‘state’ in 1946. The Muslim leadership stuck to the
amendment and this was reflected in the formation of a single state for the Muslims of India,
comprising West and East Pakistan. Meanwhile, Mujib’s political career took off, with him being
elected as a councillor of the Muslim League in 1943, followed by his election as the secretary of
Faridpur District Association and general secretary of Islamia College Students' Union in 1944
and 1946 respectively.
After obtaining a Bachelor of Arts degree from Islamia College under Calcutta University in
1947, young Mujib was faced with yet another challenge: the partition of India. Due to communal
violence between Muslims and Hindus, it was decided, in June 1947, that British India would be
partitioned into India and Pakistan. When the boundary of the two nations was demarcated in
August 1947, communal riots broke out. Mujib played an active role in protecting the Muslims
and containing the violence. After all, how could he let his countrymen suffer? Around 20 million
people were displaced during that period of horror, but Mujib, along with other like-minded
colleagues, helped the Bengalis get back on their feet.
On 4 January 1948, Mujib founded the Muslim Students’ League at Dhaka University. A few
days later, Prime Minister Khawaja Nazimuddin declared at the Legislative Assembly that Urdu
would be the state language of Pakistan – a statement that was strongly opposed by Mujib and
others, who rose in rebellion against the Muslim League’s decision. Mujib, now angry and
determined to give Bangla the respect it deserved, plunged into incessant activities to build a
strong movement to make Bangla one of the state languages of Pakistan. On 11 March, a general
strike was called for, in which Mujib and other protestors were arrested. Following his arrest, the
student community of the country became recalcitrant, forcing the Muslim League government to
release him. From 1949 to 1952, the Bengalis, including Sheikh Mujib, fought vigorously against
the Pakistani ruling clique to make Bangla a state language, but their demands were constantly
ignored. Unfortunately, Mujib was incarcerated in 1949 in another incident; however, he
encouraged politically active leaders and workers in 1952 from prison to observe 21 February as
a ‘State Language Day’. On that ominous day, the students of Dhaka University marched to the
Provincial Assembly and were fired upon, killing several students. At the same time, Mujib was
observing a hunger strike to protest his unfair incarceration. After being released from prison,
Mujib rose up the ranks of the political world. When Bangla was finally made a state language of
Pakistan in 1956, Sheikh Mujibur Rahman manifested an early idea of a new nation, Bangladesh,
but this idea would materialise later.
The political development in Pakistan from 1956 to 1966 left Mujib disheartened, as it was a
period of uncertainty marked by disgraceful events. In 1966, Sheikh Mujibur Rahman introduced
his six-point political and economical programme, in which he demanded more autonomy for
East Pakistan and equal rights for both the divisions of Pakistan. At that time, he was the leader of
the Awami League, following the death of his beloved friend and mentor, Huseyn Shaheed
Suhrawardy. Ayub Khan, the President of Pakistan at that time, interpreted Mujib’s demands as
tantamount to a call for independence, and got him, along with other civil and military officials,
arrested in the Agartala Conspiracy Case. They were accused of conspiring at Agartala, India to
revolt against Ayub Khan and win independence for East Pakistan with India’s help. However,
the All-Party Student Action Committee started the mass uprising movement against Ayub Khan,
forcing him to release Mujib and withdraw the case. The pressure was such that Ayub was
compelled to resign and hand over power to General Yahya Khan.
In the general elections held in 1970, the Awami League acquired an absolute majority, with
Sheikh Mujibur Rahman at the helm. He had fulfilled his long-awaited desire to form the
government of Pakistan and bring about revolutionary changes that would bring the nation to
peace. To his dismay, Yahya postponed the opening of the Assembly after Mujib’s victory,
without setting a new date. He, with the people of East Pakistan, felt betrayed by Yahya. On 7
March 1971, Sheikh Mujibur Rahman addressed a public rally at the Race Course ground, urging
the nation to break the shackles of subjugation. In his speech, h declared that there would be a
Liberation War. On 25 March, the darkest day in the history of Bangladesh had incepted,
beginning with Mujib’s arrest. Pakistani forces surrounded Dhaka city with tanks and military
vehicles, mercilessly killing Bengalis wherever they could be found. However, the people of
Bengal fought back, often being inspired after remembering Mujib’s calls for independence in his
speech. After 9 months of struggle, the Pakistani armed forces surrendered at the iconic Race
Course ground, granting Bangladesh the sovereignty that Sheikh Mujib had dreamt of.
Mujib’s journey from being a kid in a village to the President of Bangladesh has inspired millions
of Bangladeshis; it has shown them that anything is possible if you put your mind to it. Moreover,
it emphasises the importance of preserving one’s own country’s culture and heritage, along with
fighting for what is right, for independence from the cruel leaders. Mujib had to fight against all
odds for autonomy for his region, not once or twice, but thrice, and through determination,
perseverance and sheer will, he came out victorious every time.