MUJIB STRONGLY CONDEMNS FIRING-BANGLA DESH
CANNOT BE SUPPRESSED AS COLONY ANY MORE
Press statement
issued on March 2, 1971
Sheikh
Mujibur Rahman in a Press statement issued
last evening, strongly condemned the
killing of unarmed persons at Farm Gate and urged the government to desist
forthwith from this reckless course. He reminded that Bengalees could not be
suppresed any more and they would no
longer tolerate exploitation as a colony or as a market.
Sheikh in his statement said, "Unarmed boys have been
fired upon today. At least two
have died, and several more are seriously injured. They have been shot at
because they along with the rest of the
people of Bangla Desh had stood up to protest against the gross insult
inflicted upon Bangla Desh by the powers that be. I srrnr,zii condemn such firing and urge the elements who are seeking
to co-confront the people with force to desist forthwith fronr this reckless course. They should he reminded that firing upon unarmed masses amounts to genocide and is a
crime against humanity. They should know that if Bangla Desh is a fire, as, it will
be If such Confrontation
continues then they will not be able to escape the flames.
"We, as the
elected representatives of the seventy million people of Bangala
Desh, were read} to sit with the representatives from the Western Wing on the 3rd March for the purpose of constitution-making.
Indeed some of the representatives from the Western Wing had already
come to
"The intervention
was prompted
by an intransigent minority group,
which as the protector of the
vested interests of the western wing and their bureaucratic lackeys, had declared that the sitting should not
be held except on terms dictated by
them. They had even gone to the length of nakedly threatening to "deal with" other west wing representatives who
dared to defy such dictation. Such denial of the rights of the representatives
of the majority of the people at the behest of an undemocratic minority is an
intolerable insult to the people.
Since
the people
of Bangla Desh would
not submit to such dictation
or intimidation they are now saught to be
confronted by force. It is tragic
that planes which might have carried elected representatives from the
Western Wing„ should instead be engaged in
lifting military personnel and arms. If these measures are intended to cow down seventy million Bengalees, the spontaneous
demonstrations of the will to resist displayed throughout Bangla Desh since yesterday should prove to the world
that Bengalees cannot be suppressed any more and that they are determined to be
the free citizens of a free country. They
will no longer tolerate being exploited as a colony or a market.
"At this critical hour it is the sacred duty of each
and every Bengalee in every walk of life,
including government officials, not to co-operate with antipeople forces and indeed to do everything in their
power to foil the conspiracy against
Bangla Desh.
"Now that representatives have been elected by the
people are the only legitimate source of
authority, all authorities are, therefore, expected to take note of this fact.
"In
the circumstances, there is no justification for the continuation of Martial
Law or military rule by a single day. I, therefore, urge the immediate
withdrawal of Martial Law, an immediate end
to the 'confrontation' and the removal of obstacles to the exercise by the people's representatives of the power,
that is rightfully theirs.
"Our
movement will continue till the above demands are met and till the people of
Bangla Desh realise their emancipation.
"I am announcing our programme of action till 7th
March and am issuing she
following directives to our people:
(a) Province-wide Hartal to be observed on each day from 3rd March 1971 to the 6th March,
1971 from 6 a.m. to 2 p.m. in all spheres including government
offices, secretariat, High Court and other courts, semi-government and autonomous
corporation, PIA, Railways and other communication services,
transport, private and public, all mills, factories, industrial and commercial
establishments and market. 'Exemptions are ' to be extended to: Ambulances,
press cars, hospitals, medicine shops, electric and water supply. All
persons are urged to observe the Hartal in a peaceful
and disciplined
manner and to ensure that no untoward incident such as looting, burning,
etc., takes place. In particular people should be alert against agent-provocators and should remember that everyone living in Bangla Desh, no matter where he originates
from or the language he speaks is for us a Bengalee
and their person, property and honour are our sacred trust
and these must be protected.
(b) 3rd March which
was to have been the day for the sitting of the National Assembly should be
observed as a day of national mourning, on which occasion I will lead a
procession from Paltan Maidan
at 4 p.m. immediately after the conclusion of the meeting being held by
Students League.
(c) In the event of radio, television or
newspapers failing to cover our
version of events or our statements, all Bengalees
serving in these agencies should refuse to
co-operate with such gagging of the voice of the seventy million people of Bangla Desh.
(d) On
(e) I would urge our people to continue with
our common struggle in a peaceful and disciplined manner, I would remind them that
any breach of discipline would be against the
interest of our movement and will serve the interest of agent provocators and the anti-people forces."
(THE
PEOPLE, Dacca-March 3, 1971)
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