Today is the historic June 7, six-point day. The six-point program is known as the “Certificate of Liberation” or “Magna Carta” of the Bengali nation. On the same day, 41 people were killed in police firing in different places including Manu Mia, a worker of Tejgaon, in a nationwide strike for six points. Thousands of protesters were also arrested at the time. Since then June 7, has been celebrated as the historic ‘Six Point Day’.
Although Pakistan became independent in 1947, East Pakistan is still considered as a subjugated state. East Pakistan was deprived of all its fair share between the two nations at a distance of 1200 miles. Gradually, the scale of this deprivation of Bengalis became heavier.
In the economic field, seventy percent of the foreign exchange earnings came from East Pakistan, but only thirty percent was allocated for development. The foreign loans taken for the development of West Pakistan were also repaid in foreign currency earned from East Pakistan. After Ayub Khan came to power, the level of inequality increased.
If 21st February can be called consciousness, then six points are the seeds of liberation consciousness. The people of East Bengal could not escape the political machinations of the Pakistani ruling group even though they wanted to turn around in the United Front elections of 1954. The military ruler Ayub Khan created a new outline of politics by showing the thumbs up to the verdict of the people.
An all-Pakistan National Conference of All Opposition was convened in Lahore on 5 and 6 February 1966, mainly on the initiative of the leaders of the West Pakistan opposition to form a national government. Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib attended the meeting.
The most coveted day of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib came on February 5 in the city of Lahore, which is famous for the historic Lahore proposal on the soil of West Pakistan. Leaders of Awami League, Nezami Islam, Jamaat-e-Islam and Council Muslim League met at the residence of Nezami Islam party leader Chowdhury Mohammad Ali on this day.
Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib presented a historic resolution demanding autonomy, highlighting the helplessness of East Pakistan on other issues, including security, and demanded that the issue be included in the agenda.
Everyone in West Pakistan, including the leaders of other East Pakistani parties present, were reluctant to accept or even listen to it. Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib led the East Pakistan Awami League to walk out of the meeting and sever all ties with the conference.The six points are noted as being:
1. The Constitution should provide for a Federation of Pakistan in its true sense based on the Lahore Resolution, and the parliamentary form of government with supremacy of a Legislature directly elected on the basis of universal adult franchise.
2. The federal government should deal with only two subjects: Defence and Foreign Affairs, and all other residual subjects should be vested in the federating states.
3. Two separate, but freely convertible currencies for two wings should be introduced; or if this is not feasible, there should be one currency for the whole country, but effective constitutional provisions should be introduced to stop the flight of capital from East to West Pakistan. Furthermore, a separate Banking Reserve should be established and separate fiscal and monetary policy be adopted for East Pakistan.
4. The power of taxation and revenue collection should be vested in the federating units and the federal centre would have no such power. The federation would be entitled to a share in the state taxes to meet its expenditures.
5. There should be two separate accounts for the foreign exchange earnings of the two wings; the foreign exchange requirements of the federal government should be met by the two wings equally or in a ratio to be fixed; indigenous products should move free of duty between the two wings, and the constitution should empower the units to establish trade links with foreign countries.
6. East Pakistan should have a separate military or paramilitary force, and Navy headquarters should be in East Pakistan.
When Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib returned to East Pakistan, he went to his residence in Dhanmondi. After the Awami League officially accepted the six points, the first six-point official campaign started from the public meeting held at Laldighi Maidan in Chittagong.
According to Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, the six-point demand has received a huge response from the people because these issues are not new discoveries but are in fact the long-standing demands of the people and the promises of their leaders.
On March 20, 1966 the first public meeting was held at Paltan Maidan on the initiative of the new committee. Thus, in 35 days, he spoke in 32 public meetings in favor of the Six Points. Many central leaders of the party, including Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, were arrested after the May 8 rally in Narayanganj.
After the six-point declaration, Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib and the Awami League began to gain the unwavering support of the Bengali lower class, middle class, emerging businessmen, students, workers and general intellectuals. At this time the Awami League was also able to express the hopes and aspirations of Bengali nationalist politics.
A nationwide strike was called on June 7, to demand the arrest, torture and release of Awami League leaders and activists, including Sheikh Mujib. Leaders who were able to avoid arrest prepared for the strike and the BCL and Sramik League gave wide support. On the day of the strike, 41 people were shot dead by police in different places of the country and 1,000 people were arrested. In this way, fresh blood of thousands of lives was shed in the implementation of the six points of the Charter of Liberation. The six point support was reflected on the election of 1970.
The demand for autonomy which started in 1966 gradually turned into a one point demand of the Bengalis. As a result, the much desired freedom was achieved at the cost of millions of lives in the great liberation war of 1971 under the leadership of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman.
Md. Nurul Amin
BA (Hon’s), MA In English (Literature).
