WITHDRAW FORCES AND TRANSFER POWER
Sheikh
Mujibur Rahman's speech in a public meeting at
The authorities must realise that the people wanted
self-rule and if they were resisted by force they would not hesitate to
sacrifice their life, the Awami League Chief said while addressing a massive
public meeting at Paltan Maidan here this afternoon.
He also issued directives to the people of Bangla
Desh not to pay any taxes until and unless power was transferred to the
people's representatives.
The massive public meeting was organised by the
Students' League as a part of the province-wide hartal call given by the Chief
of the Awami League.
" By obstructing the constitutional method the
authorities have virtually compelled the people to shed their innocent blood
for realising their legal rights. This is absolutely intolerable. I appeal to
the authorities concerned to immediately stop this wrong course by withdrawing
Martial Law and transferring power to the elected representatives."
The massive public meeting was presided over by the
Students' League Chief, Mr. Nure Alam Siddiqi. The meeting was also addressed,
among others, by the General Secretary of Jatiya Sramik League Mr. Abdul
Mannan, the General Secretary of the Students League, Mr. Shahjahan Siraj, and
the General Secretary of the
In an emotion choaked voice, the Sheikh in his
30-minute speech, called upon the people to continue their struggle in a
peaceful and organised manner.
He urged the people to be alert against agent-provocators
and to maintain complete peace and discipline, otherwise the purpose of the
movement would be spoiled.
He called upon the people from all walks of life to
rise to the occasion and protect the life and property of everyone living in
this part of the country, whether Hindu or Muslim, Bengali or non-Bengali.
Reminding the authorities that he as well as the
people of Bangla Desh were ready to die for the realisation of people's
Icgitimate rights, he declared in clear-cut terms that the people were ready to
face all the eventualities.
He said that he would never betray the cause of the
people of Bangla Desh even facing death.
The Awami League Chief said that the authorities had
taken action against those who had been asking for peaceful transfer of power.
Announcing his programme of action upto March 7
next, he said that he would seek help and co-operation from all shades of
opinion for the success of the movement.
He said that the hartal would be observed throughout
Bangla Desh everyday from
He will address a mass rally at the Race Course
Maidan at
He said that the forces were being maintained for
protecting the country, and they could not be used against the common masses.
Sheikh Sahib urged the authorities to pull back the forces to their barracks
without further delay.
Sheikh Mujibur Rahman said that he had no language
to condemn the incidents that took place in the city last night.
Sheikh Sahib made it clear that the present
situation in the country was not the creation of his or any other people of
Bangla Desh, but of the conspirators who had been trying to sabotage the
peaceful transfer of power to the elected representatives of the people. The
majority party had been even ignored while taking important national decisions,
he said.
Sheikh Sahib advised each and every person of Bangla
Desh to observe the hartal according to schedule in a peaceful and disciplined
manner.
He, however, said that exemptions were to be
extended only to ambulances, Press cars, hospitals, medicine shops, water and
electricity supply.
Sheikh Sahib said that the speech at Paltan Maidan
today might be his " last speech " and advised the people to continue
their struggle in full swing even if he was absent. He said that there were a
chain of leaders, among his companions who would be able to continue the
struggle without any trouble.
The Sheikh who was earlier scheduled to lead a huge
procession after the meeting, announced that the procession would not be led.
Instead he led a prayer for the salvation of the departed souls of the martyrs
who had, he maintained, died in the struggle for democracy.
Other speakers at the meeting called upon the people
to maintain peace and harmony among the people, and desist from looting and
other anti-social activities.
They declared in unequivocal terms that the people
of Bangla Desh could not be suppressed any more and they must achieve their
goal at any cost.
The meeting in a resolution condemned the firings in
different parts of the city during the last two days and prayed for the
salvation of the departed souls. It expressed its,deep sympathy with the
members of the bereaved families.
In another resolution, the meeting called upon the
people from all walks of life to take active part in the movement for the
realisation of the people's rights under the dynamic leadership of Sheikh
Mujibur Rahman.
The meeting took a fresh vow for the establishment
of a society in Bangla Desh. where there would be no exploitation and people
would live in peace.
Sheikh Mujib gave call for " peaceful
satyagraha " movement for the realisation of the rights of the people of
Bangla Desh and appealed to the people to maintain peace for the success of
the struggle.
Sheikh Mujib also appealed to the people to guard
against looting and arsor, and to maintain peace at all costs. Any attempt to
disrupt peaceful life must be resisted, because without strict discipline no
mass movement could attain any success
Sheikh Mujib appealed for communal peace and added
the Biharis non-Muslims "are our sacred trust".
He referred to the sacrifice of lives by Bengalis
during the last 23 years and during yesterday's observance of hartal in the
City.
He said " I do not know how many people died
yesterday," adding that he himself heard the firing of machine-gun. He also
led the prayer at the meeting for those who died. The dead bodies of a few
persons, who died yesterday, were also brought to the public meeting.
Sheikh Mujib said he wanted to spell out the future
course of action, and added if the attitude of the Government remained
unchanged till March 7 he would give out his mind at the race course, where he
is scheduled to address a public meeting. He said if he failed to turn up for
any unforeseen reasons, there would be others to announce the future course of
action.
He said the maintenance of discipline was the
prerequisite for the success of any mass movement. Without discipline no
movement could achieve any tangible results " no matter how many lives we
sacrifice." He particularly reminded the volunteers of their
responsibilities in this connection.
Sheikh Mujib said " we are not responsible for
the present state of affairs". He said they as the majority party in the
country were in favour of the National Assembly session on February 15, but Mr.
Z. A. Bhutto wanted it to be deferred to the first week of March, and when it
was summoned to meet today he (Bhutto) oppose it again.
The Awami League Chief regretted the stand taken by
the People's Party chief on the session of the National Assembly, which was to
begin today, and added although they " were ready to attend the session
the use of arms was " directed at the Bengalis. He also referred to
threats of PPP chief to set afire
Sheikh Mujib, in an apparent reference to
The Awami League Chief said the people of Bangla
Desh freed him from jail at the cost of their lives and shed their blood in the
last. "We are ready to make further sacrifices and give more blood."
He added: " You cannot suppress the Bengalis by killing 70,000,000
Bengalis."
Sheikh Mujib said if he died his soul would be there
to be happy to find the Bengalis free and that they have two square meals a day
to survive.
Sheikh Mujib said he did not have any grudge against
the poor people of
The Awami League leader also called upon the Press
not to obey any restriction on them. if an}, and if they failed to resist it they
should refuse to attend their offices. He told the Press that •` it is a
national struggle ". and everyone's participation µas essential.
(THE DAWN, Karachi-March 4,1971)
Source: Bangladesh Documents, vol-1, page no. 195-197