The Bangladesh Freedom Party , also known as Freedom Party is a political party founded by Sayed Farooq Rahman , Khandakar Abdur Rashid and Bazlul Huda who were the chief organisers of the assassination of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman on 15 August 1975 .
149-573: After the liberation war against Pakistan and the declaration of Bangladesh as a sovereign and independent state , Sheikh Mujibur Rahman was sworn in as the Prime Minister of the newly independent country, later premiered Bangladesh as the President in 1975 for a few months till his assassination by disgruntled army officers led by Sayed Farooq Rahman , Khandakar Abdur Rashid , Bazlul Huda , Shariful Haque Dalim , Abdul Majed and others with
298-567: A presidential form of government. Sheikh Mujib renamed the League the Bangladesh Krishak Sramik Awami League (BAKSAL), and banned all other parties. The consequences lead to a critical political state. BAKSAL was dissolved after the assassination of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman. The move towards a secular form of government caused widespread dissatisfaction among many low ranking military personnel, most of whom received training from
447-634: A bid for more power. Along with this, Mujib had proclaimed using the desperate situation of the state, a ' state of emergency ' on 28 December 1974, suspending law courts of their power to intervene in his actions. Sheikh Mujib had then rammed through the Assembly a series of amendments to the Constitution which reduced the National Parliament to an advisory status, hence legitimizing his own absolute grip on absolute power. One of these amendments put forth to
596-619: A climax in 1970, when the Bangladesh Awami League , the largest East Pakistani political party, led by Sheikh Mujibur Rahman , won a landslide victory in the national elections. The party won 167 of the 169 seats allotted to East Pakistan, and thus a majority of the 313 seats in the National Assembly. This gave the Awami League the constitutional right to form a government. However, Zulfikar Ali Bhutto (a former Foreign Minister),
745-541: A coalition government with Rahman as premier and Bhutto as president, but Sheikh Mujib later ruled out such a possibility. Meanwhile, the military was unaware of these developments, and Bhutto increased his pressure on Rahman to reach a decision. On 7 March 1971, Sheikh Mujibur Rahman (soon to be prime minister) delivered a speech at the Racecourse Ground (now the Suhrawardy Udyan ). In this speech he mentioned
894-519: A common faith as an essential mobilising factor behind Pakistan's creation and the subsuming of Pakistan's multiple regional identities into one national identity. West Pakistanis were substantially more supportive than East Pakistanis of an Islamic state, a tendency that persisted after 1971. Cultural and linguistic differences between the two wings gradually outweighed any sense of religious unity. The Bengalis took great pride in their culture and language which, with its Bengali script and vocabulary ,
1043-493: A famine : 70,000 people died, and support for Mujib declined. Bangladesh continued exporting jute to Cuba, violating US economic sanctions, the Nixon government barred grain imports to Bangladesh. This exacerbated famine conditions. In January 1975, facing violent leftist insurgents Mujib declared a state of emergency and later assumed the presidency, after the Awami League dominated parliament decided to switch from parliamentary to
1192-825: A further four-point condition to consider at the National Assembly Meeting on 25 March: He urged his people to turn every house into a fort of resistance. He closed his speech saying, "Our struggle is for our freedom. Our struggle is for our independence." This speech is considered the main event that inspired the nation to fight for its independence. General Tikka Khan was flown into Dacca to become Governor of East Bengal. East-Pakistani judges, including Justice Siddique, refused to swear him in. Between 10 and 13 March, Pakistan International Airlines cancelled all its international routes to urgently fly "government passengers" to Dacca. These "government passengers" were almost all Pakistani soldiers in civilian dress. MV Swat ,
1341-613: A group of 23 men attacked with shooting from firearms, a Bangladesh Awami League rally killing local Mymensingh Awami League activist Harun-ur-Rashid and injuring others. The Dhaka court sentenced Zaynul Abedin and 21 more to seven years' rigorous imprisonment for possessing illegal firearms, murder and assault . The party, according to 1997 UNHRC report, kept a low profile. According to the Bangladesh Police , from 2000 onward, Mehnaz Rashid, daughter of Khandaker Abdur Rashid , had been involved in reorganizing Freedom Party. She contested
1490-891: A historical, though still influential, ideological base combining left-wing nationalism , socialism , and democratic socialism . The party's nationalist outlook is primarily concentrated in its fundamental principles and historical role of nationalism in the Independence War. The ideology of Awami League has been evolved through political and socio-economic landscape of the country since its creation. The Party President Sheikh Hasina claimed that her party's ideology has been blended with pragmatism . Party's constitution states four fundamental principles in guiding its philosophy and policies: democracy , socialism , secularism and nationalism . The origins of these principles can be traced to Sheikh Mujibur Rahman 's political thought . Awami League has been committed to secularism for
1639-700: A landmark order for the establishment of the Bangla Academy in Dhaka. As tensions with the western wing grew due to the demands for greater provincial autonomy in East Bengal, Governor-General Ghulam Muhammad dismissed the United Front government on 29 May 1954 under Article 92/A of the provisional constitution of Pakistan. In September 1956, the Awami League formed a coalition with the Republican Party to secure
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#17328758136041788-422: A later meeting, Army Chief Ziaur Rahman had urged then Major Farook to do something about the situation, then in collaboration with Khandakar Mushtaq Ahmed, and other army officers like his brother-in-law Khandakar Abdur Rashid , Shariful Haque Dalim and others to bring down the regime of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman. It is also said that Khandakar Abdur Rashid's wife Zubaida Khan, sister of Farooq Rahman's wife Farida Khan
1937-500: A link to assassinated members of the 1972–1975 AL government were Sayed Ashraful Islam , son of Syed Nazrul Islam , Sheikh Fazle Noor Taposh , son of Sheikh Fazlul Huq Moni , and Sohel Taj , son of Tajuddin Ahmad . Since 2009, the Awami League government faced several major political challenges, including BDR ( Bangladesh Rifles ) mutiny, power crisis, unrest in garments industry and stock market fluctuations. Judicial achievements for
2086-405: A long time. The party has promoted a strong secular image and depicted itself as a defender of secularism against Islamism . Most of the party leaders support the restoration of the original constitution of 1972 by removing Islam as the state religion . Since Islam has been made as the state religion of Bangladesh, Awami League has been trying to defended secularism in light of Islam. Being
2235-471: A majority in the new National Assembly of Pakistan and took over the central government. Awami League President Huseyn Shaheed Suhrawardy became the Prime Minister of Pakistan . Suhrawardy pursued a reform agenda to reduce the long-standing economic disparity between East and West Pakistan, greater representation of Bengalis in the Pakistani civil and armed services and he unsuccessfully attempted to alleviate
2384-611: A member of parliament from Habiganj , was killed in a grenade attack in Sylhet later that year. In June 2005, the Awami League won an important victory when the AL nominated incumbent mayor A.B.M. Mohiuddin Chowdhury won the important mayoral election in Chittagong, by a huge margin, against BNP nominee State Minister of Aviation Mir Mohammad Nasiruddin . This election was seen as a showdown between
2533-521: A mounting humanitarian and economic crisis, India actively aided and organised the Bangladeshi resistance army, the Mukti Bahini . In 1948, Governor-General Muhammad Ali Jinnah declared that " Urdu , and only Urdu" would be Pakistan's federal language. But Urdu was historically prevalent only in the north, central, and western subcontinent ; in East Bengal, the native language was Bengali , one of
2682-560: A number of students including Abdus Salam , Rafiq Uddin Ahmed , Abul Barkat and Abdul Jabbar . The events of 1952 are widely seen by historians today as a turning point in the history of Pakistan and the Bengali people, as it was the starting point of the Bengali nationalist struggle that eventually culminated in the creation of Bangladesh in 1971. Hussein Shaheed Suhrawardy, who had been
2831-647: A powerful influence on the killing of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman. Andha Hafiz (blind holy man) as he is known, was born without sight. His piety and austere life, however, had brought him the blessing of a phenomenal extrasensory perception and the gift of prophesy. The accuracy of his predictions had won him a sizeable following, among them the Khans of Chittagong who were Major Farook's inlaws. Farook decided to consult him - and found an early opportunity to do so. The Bengal Lancers were scheduled to go to Hat Hazari near Chittagong for range firing between 7 and 11 April. When this exercise
2980-719: A pragmatist party, Awami League often compromises with the Islamist political parties in social issues, which has been criticized. The party's tolerance of the Islamic practices, retaining of Islam as the state religion , silence during the attacks on secularists in Bangladesh , has been questioned. Sheikh Hasina supported calls to remove the Statue of Justice in Bangladesh Supreme Court. Many criticized these calls, saying Sheikh Hasina
3129-649: A secular party. The word Awami is the adjectival form for the Urdu word Awam , which means "people"; thus the party's name can be translated as Bangladesh People's League . During the Bangladesh Liberation War of 1971, most of the Awami League members joined the Provisional Government of Bangladesh and Mukti Bahini guerrillas to fight against the Pakistani army and the name Bangladesh Awami League
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#17328758136043278-600: A ship of the Pakistan Navy carrying ammunition and soldiers, was harboured in Chittagong Port, but the Bengali workers and sailors at the port refused to unload the ship. A unit of East Pakistan Rifles refused to obey commands to fire on the Bengali demonstrators, beginning a mutiny among the Bengali soldiers. The 1970 Bhola cyclone made landfall on the East Pakistan coastline during the evening of 12 November, around
3427-531: A slight majority of the country's population, political power remained in the hands of West Pakistanis. Since a straightforward system of representation based on population would have concentrated political power in East Pakistan, the West Pakistani establishment came up with the " One Unit " scheme, whereby all of West Pakistan was considered one province. This was solely to counterbalance the East wing's votes. After
3576-450: A society headed by a criminal organization. It was as if the Mafia had taken over Bangladesh. We were totally disillusioned. Here was the head of government abetting murder and other extreme things from which he was supposed to protect us. This was not acceptable. We decided he must go. " Colonel Farooq had started discussing the ever-worsening state of Bangladesh, the brutality and corruption of
3725-512: Is a sovereign and independent country. On Thursday night, West Pakistani armed forces suddenly attacked the police barracks at Razarbagh and the EPR headquarters at Pilkhana in Dacca. Many innocent and unarmed have been killed in Dhaka city and other places of Bangladesh. Violent clashes between E.P.R. and Police on the one hand and the armed forces of Pakistan on the other, are going on. The Bengalis are fighting
3874-793: Is also ministerial financial advisor to Sheikh Mohammed Al-Maktoum . The general secretary is Dewan Hossain Mohammad Ismail who is also based in Sydney . Bangladesh Liberation War Political: [REDACTED] Yahya Khan [REDACTED] Nurul Amin [REDACTED] Tikka Khan [REDACTED] Abdul Motaleb Malik Military: [REDACTED] A. A. K. Niazi [REDACTED] [REDACTED] Rao Farman Ali [REDACTED] [REDACTED] Khadim Hussain Raja [REDACTED] [REDACTED] Pakistan Armed Forces Systematic events § indicates events in
4023-528: The All-India Muslim League (AIML)-nominated prime minister of Bengal in 1937 and held the same office after 1946 elections, did not agree to 'Muslim League' as the name of AIML in Pakistan. He initiated the thought that the ideal of political representation under religious identity was no longer prudent after independence and the organisation might be called the 'Pakistan League'. Moreover, he claimed that
4172-582: The Asia Times: At a meeting of the military top brass, Yahya Khan declared: "Kill 3 million of them and the rest will eat out of our hands". Accordingly, on the night of 25 March, the Pakistani Army launched Operation Searchlight to "crush" Bengali resistance in which Bengali members of military services were disarmed and killed, students and the intelligentsia systematically liquidated and able-bodied Bengali males just picked up and gunned down. Although
4321-629: The Awami League government led by Sheikh Mujibur Rahman with his fellow army officers, also talking with the Army Chief and future President of Bangladesh, Ziaur Rahman , as recounted in Bangladesh: A legacy of Blood by Anthony Mascarenhas : " It was a Thursday and when he reported to General Zia's bungalow at 7.30 pm he found Col. Moin, the Adjutant General, about to leave. Farook said he broached
4470-827: The Bangladesh genocide . These systematic killings served only to enrage the Bengalis, resulting in East Pakistan's secession later that year. Bangladeshi media and reference books in English have published casualty figures that vary greatly, from 5,000 to 35,000 in Dacca, and 300,000 to 3,000,000 for Bangladesh as a whole. Independent researchers, including the British Medical Journal , have put forward figures ranging from 125,000 to 505,000. American political scientist Rudolph Rummel puts total deaths at 1.5 million. The atrocities have been called acts of genocide . According to
4619-535: The Hamoodur Rahman Commission in Pakistan concluded that overwhelming force was used. This fact, and the massacre at Jagannath Hall and nearby student dormitories of Dacca University, are corroborated by a videotape secretly filmed by Professor Nurul Ula of the East Pakistan University of Engineering and Technology , whose residence was directly opposite the student dormitories. The scale of
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4768-573: The Jatiya Party led by former military ruler Lieutenant General Hussain Muhammad Ershad as well as some leftist parties. According to the Official Results, Bangladesh Awami League won 230 out of 300 constituencies, and together with its allies, had a total of 262 parliamentary seats. The Awami League and its allies received 57% of the total votes cast. The AL alone got 48%, compared to 36% of
4917-606: The Lahore Resolution initially envisaged separate Muslim -majority states in British India's eastern and northwestern zones. A proposal for an independent United Bengal was mooted by Prime Minister Huseyn Shaheed Suhrawardy in 1946 but opposed by the colonial authorities. The East Pakistan Renaissance Society advocated the creation of a sovereign state in eastern British India. Political negotiations led, in August 1947, to
5066-487: The Mukti Bahini —a guerrilla resistance movement formed by Bengali military, paramilitary and civilians—launched a mass guerrilla war against the Pakistani military , liberating numerous towns and cities in the war's initial months. At first, the Pakistan Army regained momentum during the monsoon , but Bengali guerrillas counterattacked by carrying out widespread sabotage, including through Operation Jackpot against
5215-516: The Pakistan Navy , while the nascent Bangladesh Air Force flew sorties against Pakistani military bases. India joined the war on 3 December 1971, after Pakistan launched preemptive air strikes on northern India. The subsequent Indo-Pakistani War involved fighting on two fronts; with air supremacy achieved in the eastern theatre and the rapid advance of the Allied Forces of Mukti Bahini and
5364-586: The Pakistani army . On 15 August 1975 during the time of Major General K. M. Shafiullah as a Chief of the Army Staff, some junior members of the armed forces in Dhaka , led by Major Faruk Rahman and Major Rashid, murdered Sheikh Mujibur Rahman and all his family members, including his wife and minor son. Within months, on 3 November 1975, four more of its top leaders, Syed Nazrul Islam , Tajuddin Ahmed , Muhammad Mansur Ali and A. H. M. Qamaruzzaman were killed inside
5513-640: The Persian-Arabic script was Bengali . Against this backdrop, Bengali nationalism began to take root within the Muslim League and the party's Bengali members began to take a stand for recognition. On 23 June 1949, Bengali nationalists from East Bengal broke away from the Muslim League, Pakistan's dominant political party, and established the East Pakistan Awami Muslim League . Maulana Abdul Hamid Khan Bhashani and Shamsul Huq were elected
5662-597: The assassination of Ziaur Rahman in 1981, Rahman returned to active politics by founding the Bangladesh Freedom Party and running for the presidency against Lt. Gen. Hussain Muhammad Ershad in 1986 . Sayed Farooq Rahman representing the Bangladesh Freedom Party had run for presidency against Hussain Muhammad Ershad of the Jatiya Party , and Muhammadullah Hafezzi of the Bangladesh Khilafat Andolan . Sayed Farooq Rahman had obtained 1,202,303 of
5811-592: The flag of Pakistan , showing the ex-Pakistani origin of the Awami League. The four stars on the Flag represent the four fundamental principles of the party. During the post- Mughal era , no political parties existed in the area known as Bangla or Bangal. After the British arrived and established government, the system of political representation (though much later) was adopted in the area of Bangla (Bengal) or introduced in Bengal. After
5960-548: The 1951 assassination of Liaquat Ali Khan , Pakistan's first prime minister, political power began to devolve to the new position of President of Pakistan , which replaced the office of Governor General when Pakistan became a republic, and, eventually, the military. The nominal elected chief executive, the Prime Minister, was frequently sacked by the establishment, acting through the President. The East Pakistanis observed that
6109-423: The 1970s, the people of East Pakistan had given priority to their Bengali ethnicity over their religious identity, desiring a society in accordance with Western principles such as secularism , democracy and socialism. Many Bengali Muslims strongly objected to the Islamist paradigm the Pakistani state imposed. Most members of West Pakistan's ruling elite shared a vision of a liberal society, but nevertheless viewed
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6258-477: The 300 provincial assembly seats in East Pakistan. This win gave the Awami League a healthy majority in the 313-seat National Assembly and placed it in a position to establish a national government without a coalition partner. This was not acceptable to the political leaders of West Pakistan and led directly to the events of the Bangladesh Liberation War . The Awami League leaders, taking refuge in India, successfully led
6407-606: The Awami League and the BNP. However, the killing of party leaders continued. In December 2005, the AL supported Mayor of Sylhet narrowly escaped the third attempt on his life as a grenade thrown at him failed to explode. In September 2006, several of the party's top leaders, including Saber Hossain Chowdhury MP and Asaduzzaman Nur MP, were hospitalised after being critically injured by police beatings while they demonstrated in support of electoral-law reforms. Starting in late October 2006,
6556-486: The Awami League led alliance carried out a series of nationwide demonstrations and blockades centring on the selection of the leader of the interim caretaker administration to oversee the 2007 elections. Although an election was scheduled to take place on 22 January 2007 that the Awami League decided to boycott, the country's military intervened on 11 January 2007 and installed an interim government composed of retired bureaucrats and military officers. Throughout 2007 and 2008,
6705-406: The Bangladesh Freedom Party and the assassins of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman Lt Col (retd) Sayed Faruque Rahman, Lt Col (retd) Khandakar Abdur Rashid and Maj (retd) Bazlul Huda in an attempted murder and another explosive case. On 5 July 2009, charges were framed against 16 accused. Four of the accused, Sohel, Golam Sarwar Mamun, Joy Miah and Syed Nazmul Maksud Murad are all currently in jail. Four others of
6854-489: The Bangladesh Liberation War in 1971. The phrase Joy Bangla, Joy Bangabandhu is used by the party members at the end of speeches and communications pertaining to or referring to the devotion towards Bangladesh and Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib. The Awami League party flag is a green field with four five-rayed red star at its centre, and a vertical red stripe at the hoist side. The flag also bears some resemblance to
7003-409: The Bengali readership. The Awami League's emphasis on secularism differentiated it from the Muslim League. In 1971, the Bangladeshi liberation struggle against Pakistan was led by secular leaders and secularists hailed the Bangladeshi victory as the triumph of secular Bengali nationalism over religion-centred Pakistani nationalism. While Pakistan's government strives for an Islamic state, Bangladesh
7152-713: The Dhaka Central Jail as they were on behalf of BAKSAL. Only Sheikh Hasina and Sheikh Rehana , daughters of Mujib, survived the 1988 Chittagong Massacre as they were in West Germany as a part of a cultural exchange program. They later claimed political asylum in the United Kingdom. Sheikh Rehana, the younger sister, chose to remain in the UK permanently, while Sheikh Hasina moved to India and lived in self-imposed exile. Her stays abroad helped her gain important political friends in
7301-511: The Government of Bangladesh from all types of political and organizational activities and declared as a terrorist organization on 23 Oct 2024. The party has been labelled as centrist and centre-left , however, it has also been accused of being far-right and authoritarian since 2021. Awami League has been described as secular (though this is disputed), social-democratic , social-liberal , and economic-liberal , with
7450-663: The Indian military , Pakistan surrendered in Dhaka on 16 December 1971, in what remains to date the largest surrender of armed personnel since the Second World War . Rural and urban areas across East Pakistan saw extensive military operations and air strikes to suppress the tide of civil disobedience that formed after the 1970 election stalemate . The Pakistan Army , backed by Islamists, created radical religious militias—the Razakars , Al-Badr and Al-Shams —to assist it during raids on
7599-439: The Muslim League's objective of struggling to form a nation state had been achieved therefore political representation should continue focusing on nationalism based on Pakistani sovereignty. Suhrawardy's suggestion was not accepted and he parted ways with the party to be re-established as the Awami League in 1949. This was to serve the first shock to the country's political structure. In 1953, the party's council meeting voted to drop
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#17328758136047748-460: The Muslim League. However, due to its strength stemming from the discriminated Bengali population of Pakistan's eastern wing, the party eventually became associated and identified with East Bengal. In 1952, the Awami Muslim League and its student wing played an instrumental role in the Bengali Language Movement , during which Pakistani security forces fired upon protesting students demanding Bengali be declared an official language of Pakistan, killing
7897-468: The National Democratic Front against Ayub Khan's military-backed rule and to restore elective democracy. However the alliance failed to obtain any concessions. Instead the electoral colleges appointed a new parliament and the President exercised executive authority. Widespread discrimination prevailed in Pakistan against Bengalis during the regime of Khan. The University of Dhaka became a hotbed for student activism advocating greater rights for Bengalis and
8046-502: The Pakistani military. Officers of Bengali origin in the different wings of the armed forces made up just 5% of the overall force by 1965; of these, only a few were in command positions, with the majority in technical or administrative posts. West Pakistanis believed that Bengalis were not "martially inclined", unlike Pashtuns and Punjabis ; Bengalis dismissed the " martial races " notion as ridiculous and humiliating. Moreover, despite huge defence spending, East Pakistan received none of
8195-434: The Pakistani state. They included Sheikh Mujibur Rahman from the Awami League, who served as commerce minister. Leaders of the new provincial government demanded greater provincial autonomy for East Bengal and eventually succeeded in pressuring Prime Minister Muhammad Ali Bogra , himself a Bengali , to endorse the proposed constitutional recognition of Bengali as an official language of Pakistan. The United Front also passed
8344-569: The Police and other agencies, violently cracked down on the protesters. In spite of that crackdown, the protests could not be quelled. The government imposed internet shutdown as well as curfews to forcefully stop the momentum of the movement. Eventually, the protests morphed into a movement aimed at ensuring the resignation of Sheikh Hasina. On 5 August 2024, millions of protesters defied curfew orders and marched towards Ganobhaban. Consequently, Hasina resigned and left Bangladesh for India. This ended 15 years of continuous awami rule in Bangladesh . In
8493-517: The Political Parties Elected Bodies Disqualified Ordinance, Khan banned all major political parties in Pakistan. Senior politicians, including the entire top leadership of the Awami League, were arrested and most were kept under detention until 1963. In 1962, Khan drafted a new constitution, modelled on indirect election , through an electoral college , and termed it 'Basic Democracy'. Huseyn Shaheed Suhrawardy joined Nurul Amin , Khwaja Nazimuddin , Maulvi Farid Ahmed and Hamidul Haq Chowdhury in forming
8642-419: The Prime Minister's resignation. Suhrawardy requested to seek a vote of confidence in the National Assembly, but this request was turned down. Suhrawardy resigned under threat of dismissal on 10 October 1957. On 7 October 1958, President Mirza declared martial law and appointed army chief General Ayub Khan as Chief Martial Law Administrator . Khan eventually deposed Mirza in a bloodless coup. By promulgating
8791-513: The Suhrawardy government and called a conference in February 1957 at Kagmari, Tangail in East Bengal. He protested the move and the support lent by the Awami League leadership to the government. Bhashani broke away from the Awami League and then formed the leftist National Awami Party (NAP). Yar Mohammad Khan funded the 5-day Kagmari Conference and was the treasurer of the conference committee. The controversy over 'One Unit' (the division of Pakistan into only two provinces, east and west ) and
8940-416: The West Pakistani establishment swiftly deposed any East Pakistanis elected leader of Pakistan, such as Khawaja Nazimuddin , Mohammad Ali Bogra , Huseyn Shaheed Suhrawardy , and Iskander Mirza . Their suspicions were further aggravated by the military dictatorships of Ayub Khan (27 October 1958 – 25 March 1969) and Yahya Khan (25 March 1969 – 20 December 1971), both West Pakistanis. The situation reached
9089-416: The West and in India that proved to be a valuable asset for the party in the future. After 1975, the party remained split into several rival factions and fared poorly in the 1979 parliamentary elections held under a military government. In 1981 Sheikh Hasina returned as Ziaur Rahman allowed her to return after the largest party faction, the Awami League elected her its president, and she proceeded to take over
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#17328758136049238-461: The accused, Humayun Kabir, Mizanur Rahman, Khandakar Amirul Islam and Md Shahjahan had been freed on bail. Two others, Zafar Ahmed and H Kabir are absconding while two others of the accused, Gazi Liakat Hossain and Rezaul Islam Khan died earlier. Sayed Faruque Rahman and Bazlul Huda have been executed in the Bangabandhu murder case. On 11 February 1990, prominent members of the Bangladesh Freedom Party, Major. Zaynul Abedin and Major. Bazlul Huda leading
9387-399: The appropriate electoral system for Pakistan, whether joint or separate, also revived as soon as Suhrawardy became prime minister. In West Pakistan, there was strong opposition to the joint electorate by the Muslim League and the religious parties. The Awami League however, strongly supported the joint electorate. These differences over One Unit and the appropriate electorate caused problems for
9536-467: The armed forces and the dominance of the Muslim League. The Bengalis argued that they constituted the ethnic majority of Pakistan's population and Urdu was unknown to the majority in East Bengal. Moreover, the rich literary heritage of the Bengali language and the deep rooted secular culture of Bengali society led to a strong sense of linguistic and cultural nationalism amongst the people of East Bengal. The only significant language in Pakistan not written in
9685-450: The atrocities was first made clear in the West, when Anthony Mascarenhas , a Pakistani journalist who had been sent to the province by the military authorities to write a story favourable to Pakistan, instead fled to the United Kingdom and, on 13 June 1971, published an article in The Sunday Times describing the systematic killings by the military. The BBC wrote: "There is little doubt that Mascarenhas' reportage played its part in ending
9834-486: The backing of to-be president Khandakar Mushtaq Ahmed . The situation of Bangladesh had deteriorated greatly both politically and economically to a point of desperation, along with occurrence of The Famine of 1974 . The dismay of army majors with the ruling Awami League government was sparked when Sheikh Mujibur Rahman had switched the governance system of Bangladesh to replicate the American government led by an executive president, he had proclaimed himself as president in
9983-453: The benefits, such as contracts, purchasing and military support jobs. The Indo-Pakistani War of 1965 over Kashmir also highlighted the sense of military insecurity among Bengalis, as only an under-strength infantry division and 15 combat aircraft without tank support were in East Pakistan to repulse any Indian retaliations during the conflict. In 1947, the Bengali Muslims had identified themselves with Pakistan's Islamic project, but by
10132-460: The civil authorities. Farook said they were all astonished a few days later to find that Muzamil had been released on Sheikh Mujib's direct intervention. 'I told you to take the money.' Muzamil crowed. 'You would have been the gainers. Now I have been released anyway and you get nothing.' " Farooq Rahman had desired to kill Sheikh Mujibur Rahman from the day of Sheikh Mujib's intervention. Sayed Farooq Rahman said; " It seemed as if we were living in
10281-477: The complicity of law enforcement forces in compromising the integrity of the electoral process. On 7 January 2024, the twelfth National Parliamentary elections were held which were boycotted by BNP and major opposition parties. Transparency International Bangladesh (TIB) condemned this process as one-sided and farcical. The election saw Awami League again clinching a landslide victory, winning 224 out of 300 directly elected seats. The 62 elected members who contested
10430-407: The conflict between East and West Pakistan developed in March, the Dacca offices of the two government organisations directly involved in relief efforts were closed for at least two weeks, first by a general strike and then by a ban on government work in East Pakistan by the Awami League . With this increase in tension, foreign personnel were evacuated over fears of violence. Relief work continued in
10579-399: The constitution of Bangladesh in January 1974 was the following: Sheikh Mujibur Rahman had ultimately created an authoritarian and autocratic regime where his party, the Bangladesh Awami League and a few allies comprising the Bangladesh Krishak Sramik Awami League had absolute power, a one-party rule. Sheikh Mujibur Rahman had also passed the Special Powers Act 1974 that provided
10728-700: The corruption and everything that was going wrong. I said the country required a change. Zia said "Yes, Yes. Let's go outside and talk" and then he took me on the lawn.' 'As we walked on the lawn I told him that we were professional soldiers who served the country and not an individual. The army and the civil government, everybody, was going down the drain. We have to have a change. We, the junior officers, have already worked it out. We want your support and your leadership'. According to Farook, General Zia's answer was: 'I am sorry I would not like to get involved in anything like this. If you want to do something you junior officers should do it yourself. Leave me out of it'. " Yet in
10877-582: The country and carried out mine clearing operations. The party had pro Pakistani newspaper editors arrested and shut down the nations' newspapers leaving only four in operation. Food shortages were also a major concern of the Awami League. War had damaged all forms of farming. The party aligned itself with the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM), and leaned towards the Soviet bloc. The party was accused of corruption by supporters of Pakistan. In 1974 Bangladesh suffered
11026-550: The country's capital and more immigrant businessmen in the Western Wing directed greater government allocations there. Due to low numbers of native businessmen in East Pakistan, substantial labour unrest and a tense political environment, there were also much lower foreign investments in the eastern wing. The Pakistani state's economic outlook was geared towards urban industry, which was not compatible with East Pakistan's mainly agrarian economy. Also, Bengalis were underrepresented in
11175-496: The crime, the thug told the army men the police investigation was called off when they found that the ring-leader of the gang was his boss, Muzamil, chairman of the Tongi Awami League. According to Farook the confession so infuriated the interrogating officer, a boyish lieu-tenant named Ishtiaq who has since resigned and left the country, that 'he started kicking the chap so hard that he died of internal injuries.' Muzamil himself
11324-452: The cyclone hit charged the government with "gross neglect, callous and utter indifference". They also accused the president of playing down the magnitude of the problem in news coverage. On 19 November, students held a march in Dacca protesting the slowness of the government's response. Abdul Hamid Khan Bhashani addressed a rally of 50,000 people on 24 November, where he accused the president of inefficiency and demanded his resignation. As
11473-471: The election as independents largely aligned with AL On 5 June 2024, The High Court of Bangladesh reinstated the controversial Job Quota System, sparking countrywide students protests. On 4 July 2024, The Appellate Division refused to rescind the verdict. As a result, protests intensified. Then the Appellate Division imposed a stay on the ruling but protesters continued to carry on their movement unless
11622-512: The elections in 1991, in which Khaleda Zia became the first female prime minister. AL's second term in office had mixed achievements. Apart from sustaining economic stability during the Asian economic crisis , the government successfully settled Bangladesh's long standing dispute with India over sharing the water of the river Ganges (also known as Padma ) in late 1996, and signed a peace treaty with tribal rebels in 1997. In 1998, Bangladesh faced one of
11771-544: The enemy with great courage for an independent Bangladesh. May Allah aid us in our fight for freedom. Joy Bangla [May Bangladesh be victorious]. Sheikh Mujib also called upon the people to resist the occupation forces through a radio message. Rahman was arrested on the night of 25–26 March 1971 at about 1:30 am (as per Radio Pakistan's news on 29 March 1971). A telegram containing the text of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman's declaration reached some students in Chittagong . The message
11920-596: The field, but long-term planning was curtailed. This conflict widened into the Bangladesh Liberation War in December and concluded with the creation of Bangladesh. This was one of the first times that a natural event helped trigger a civil war. A planned military pacification carried out by the Pakistan Army —codenamed Operation Searchlight —started on 25 March 1971 to curb the Bengali independence movement by taking control of
12069-492: The first elected government in Bangladesh to serve a full term in office. The party won only 62 out of 300 parliamentary seats in the elections held in October 2001, despite winning 40% of the votes, up from 36% in 1996 and 33% in 1991. The BNP and its allies won a two-thirds majority in parliament with 46% of the votes cast, with BNP alone winning 41%, up from 33% in 1996 and 30% in 1991. In its second term in opposition since 1991,
12218-420: The first president and general secretary of the party respectively, Ataur Rahman Khan was elected the vice-president, Yar Mohammad Khan was elected as the treasurer, while Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, Khondaker Mostaq Ahmad and A. K. Rafiqul Hussain were elected the party's first joint secretaries. The party was formed to champion the rights of the masses in Pakistan against the powerful feudal establishment led by
12367-582: The following crime as stated in Bangladesh: A Legacy of Blood by Anthony Mascarenhas : " One day during a combing operation in the Tongi area north of Dhaka, Major Nasser who was commanding another squadron of the Bengal Lancers, arrested three smalltime thugs. In the course of interrogation one of the men broke down and told the army officers a story about a particularly gruesome triple murder which had rocked Tongi
12516-664: The food shortage in the country. The Awami League also began deepening relations with the United States. The government moved to join the Southeast Asia Treaty Organisation (SEATO) and Central Treaty Organisation (CENTO), the two strategic defence alliances in Asia inspired by the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO). Maulana Bhashani , one of the party's founders, condemned the decision of
12665-407: The general election of Bangladesh staged by military ruler Lt. Gen. H. M. Ershad even though the other major political party and the winner of previous elections Bangladesh Nationalist Party boycotted. British observers including a journalists termed the elections a "tragedy for democracy" and a "cynically frustrated exercise". The Awami League emerged as the largest opposition party in parliament in
12814-625: The geopolitical landscape of South Asia, with the emergence of Bangladesh as the world's seventh-most populous country. Due to complex regional alliances, the war was a major episode in Cold War tensions involving the United States, the Soviet Union and China. The majority of member states in the United Nations recognised Bangladesh as a sovereign nation in 1972. Before the Partition of British India ,
12963-543: The government agreed to their demands of taking a firm step for reforming the quota system. Prime Minister Hasina ignited controversy by her statement - "If the grandchildren and great grandchildren of the freedom fighters are deprived of quotas, will Razakars' (Collaborators of the Pakistani military during the Liberation War)grandchildren and great grandchildren get them?" The protesters were further galvanized at this comment. Bangladesh Students' League, aided by
13112-546: The government. By early 1957, the movement for the dismemberment of the One Unit had started. Suhrawardy was at the mercy of the central bureaucracy fighting to save the One Unit. Many in the business elite in Karachi were lobbying against Suhrawardy's decision to distribute millions of dollars of American aid to East Pakistan and to set up a national shipping corporation. Supported by these lobbyists, President Iskander Mirza demanded
13261-496: The government. Its pro poor policies achieved wide microeconomic development but that left the country's wealthy business class dissatisfied. The AL's last months in office were marred by sporadic bombing by alleged Islamist militants. Hasina herself escaped several attempts on her life, in one of which two anti-tank mines were planted under her helipad in Gopalganj district . In July 2001, the second AL government stepped down, becoming
13410-516: The historic decision to adopt the traditional Bengali boat, which signified the attachment to rural Bengal, as its election symbol. The election in April 1954 swept the United Front coalition into power in East Bengal with a massive mandate of 223 seats out of 237 seats. The Awami League itself won 143 seats while the Muslim League won only 9 seats. Veteran student leader and language movement stalwart Khaleque Nawaz Khan defeated incumbent prime minister of
13559-492: The immediate aftermath of the fall of the AL government, many of its leaders went into hiding. The properties and residences of many AL leaders were looted, vandalized and set on fire. Many ministers and influential politicians from AL have been arrested and taken into remand. Many of them were prohibited from leaving Bangladesh. The bank accounts of many AL leaders and their families have also been frozen. The student wing of Bangladesh Awami League has been officially banned by
13708-594: The internal resistance movement linked to the Indo-Pakistani War. ‡ indicates events in the Indo-Pakistani War linked to the internal resistance movement in Bangladesh. The Bangladesh Liberation War ( Bengali : মুক্তিযুদ্ধ , pronounced [mukt̪iɟud̪d̪ʱo] ), also known as the Bangladesh War of Independence and known as the Liberation War in Bangladesh , was an armed conflict sparked by
13857-409: The larger population, West Pakistan dominated the divided country politically and received more money from the common budget. East Pakistan was already economically disadvantaged at the time of Pakistan's creation yet this economic disparity only increased under Pakistani rule. Factors included not only the deliberate state discrimination in developmental policies but also the fact that the presence of
14006-525: The law enforcement agencies, especially the JRB an absolute power to detain and torture any citizen without any charge or trial for an indefinite time. Sayed Farooq Rahman and other army officers were highly resentful about the state of the country which they had fought against Pakistan for. This anti-Mujib sentiment in Sayed Farooq Rahman had gone to its highest point when members of Awami League had committed
14155-469: The leader of the Pakistan People's Party , refused to allow Rahman to become the Prime Minister of Pakistan. Instead, he proposed the idea of having two Prime Ministers, one for each wing. The proposal elicited outrage in the east wing, already chafing under the other constitutional innovation, the "One Unit scheme". Bhutto also refused to accept Rahman's Six Points . On 3 March 1971, the two leaders of
14304-681: The leadership of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman , led the struggle for independence, first through massive populist and civil disobedience movements, such as the Six Point Movement and 1971 Non-Cooperation Movement , and then during the Bangladesh Liberation War . After the emergence of independent Bangladesh, Awami League under the leadership of Sheikh Mujib won the first general elections . The party along with most other parties of Bangladesh were merged into Bangladesh Krishak Sramik Awami League (BaKSAL) in January 1975, where Awami League politicians played
14453-523: The leading role in BaKSAL. After the August 1975 coup , the party was forced by subsequent military regimes onto the political sidelines, and many of its senior leaders and activists were executed or jailed. In 1981, Sheikh Hasina , the daughter of Sheikh Mujib, became the president of the party and continued to hold the position to this date. The party played a crucial role in the anti-authoritarian movements against
14602-682: The local populace. Members of the Pakistani military and supporting militias engaged in mass murder, deportation and genocidal rape , pursuing a systematic campaign of annihilation against nationalist Bengali civilians, students, intelligentsia , religious minorities and armed personnel. The capital, Dhaka , was the scene of numerous massacres, including the Dhaka University massacre . Sectarian violence also broke out between Bengalis and Urdu-speaking Biharis . An estimated 10 million Bengali refugees fled to neighbouring India, while 30 million were internally displaced. The war changed
14751-472: The major cities on 26 March, and then eliminating all opposition, political or military, within one month. The Pakistani state used anti-Bihari violence by Bengalis in early March to justify Operation Searchlight. Before the beginning of the operation, all foreign journalists were systematically deported from East Pakistan. The main phase of Operation Searchlight ended with the fall of the last major town in Bengali hands in mid-May. The operation also began
14900-402: The military backed government tried to root out corruption and remove Sheikh Hasina and Khaleda Zia of the AL and BNP respectively. While these efforts largely failed, they succeeded in producing a credible voter list that was used on 29 December 2008 national election. The Awami League won the national election held on 29 December 2008 as part of a larger electoral alliance that also included
15049-428: The official birth of two states, Pakistan and India, giving presumably permanent homes for Muslims and Hindus, respectively, after the British departed. The Dominion of Pakistan comprised two geographically and culturally separate areas to the east and the west, with India in between. The western zone was popularly (and, for a period, also officially) termed West Pakistan and the eastern zone (modern-day Bangladesh)
15198-715: The official departure of the British, the area known as East Bengal became a part of Pakistan, and the establishment of the Muslim was led by its founder Muhammad Ali Jinnah and his Muslim League party. In 1948, there was rising agitation in East Bengal against the omission of Bengali script from coins, stamps and government exams. Thousands of students, mainly from the University of Dhaka, protested in Dhaka and clashed with security forces. Prominent student leaders including Shamsul Huq , Khaleque Nawaz Khan , Shawkat Ali , Kazi Golam Mahboob , Oli Ahad , and Abdul Wahed were arrested and
15347-406: The other major alliance led by the BNP which by itself got 33% of the votes. Sheikh Hasina, as party head, became the new prime minister. Her term of office began in January 2009. The second Hasina cabinet had several new faces, including three women in prominent positions: Dr Dipu Moni (Foreign Minister), Matia Chowdhury (Agriculture Minister) and Sahara Khatun (Home Minister). Younger MPs with
15496-561: The parliamentary polls in 2001 and 2008 from Chandina of Comilla representing Freedom Party. In 2009, Mehnaz Rashid was arrested by police, along with Kamrul Haque Swapan, younger brother of Major Sharful Haq Dalim for suspected links to a bomb attack on Awami League lawmaker Sheikh Fazle Noor Taposh . The current leadership team of the Bangladesh Freedom Party were formerly in exile and sought political refugee status in Australia and became citizens. The exile has now been lifted after
15645-569: The party included restoring original 1972 constitution, returning secularism to the constitution, beginning of war crimes trials, and guilty verdict in 1975 assassination trial. According to the Nielsen 2-year survey, 50% felt the country was moving in the right direction, and 36% gave the government a favourable rating. In the 2014 election the Awami League led alliance won a second term of which 154 Members (out of 300) of Parliament were selected where there were no election . Only 5% voter attended in
15794-447: The party leadership and unite the factions. As she was under age at the time she could not take part in the 1981 presidential elections that followed the assassination of President Ziaur Rahman . Throughout the following nine years of military rule by Lieutenant General Hussain Muhammad Ershad the Awami League participated in some polls but boycotted most as Ershad did not believe in democracy. On 7 May 1986, Awami League participated in
15943-516: The party played the leading role in achieving the independence of Bangladesh . It is also one of the two most dominant parties in the country, along with its archrival Bangladesh Nationalist Party . The party was founded as the East Pakistan Awami Muslim League ( Urdu : آل پاکستان عوامی مسلم لیگ ) in 1949 by the Bengali nationalists Abdul Hamid Khan Bhashani , Yar Mohammad Khan and Shamsul Huq , and joined later by Huseyn Shaheed Suhrawardy who went on to become Prime Minister of Pakistan . It
16092-469: The party since 1981. Amongst the leaders of the Awami League, five have become the President of Bangladesh , four have become the Prime Minister of Bangladesh and one became the Prime Minister of Pakistan . East Pakistan Awami Muslim League was formed as a breakaway faction of the Muslim League in 1949, within two years of the formation of Pakistan. The word Muslim was dropped in 1953 and it became
16241-471: The party suffered the assassination of several key members. Popular young leader Ahsanullah Master , a member of parliament from Gazipur, was killed in 2004. This was followed by a grenade attack on Hasina during a public meeting on 21 August 2004, resulting in the death of 22 party supporters, including party women's secretary Ivy Rahman , though Hasina lived. Finally, the party's electoral secretary, ex finance minister, and veteran diplomat Shah M S Kibria ,
16390-406: The police were accused of repression while charging protesters. In March, senior Bengali political leaders were attacked whilst leading protests demanding that Bengali be declared an official language in Pakistan. The leaders included A. K. Fazlul Huq , the former Prime Minister of undivided Bengal. Amidst the rising discontent in East Bengal, Jinnah visited Dhaka and announced that Urdu would be
16539-465: The polling station and cast their votes. The opposition and one of the most popular parties (BNP) boycotted the election for removing the caretaker government (neutral government) system from the constitution after completion of 5 years tenure. With 21 people dead due to the violence during election, along with further human rights abuses and an absence of opposition, this was one of the controversial general elections in Bangladesh's history. This election
16688-718: The popular student-lead uprising against former Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina . The party chairman is Sayed Farooq Rahman 's elder son Sayed Tariq Rahman who lives and is based in Sydney. The vice-chairman of the Bangladesh Freedom Party is Farooq's younger son Sayed Zubair Farooq who is a Doctoral graduate in Behavioral Economics and ethical banking from the University of Technology Sydney , chief executive of Unity Grammar College , an Islamic private school in Australia, he
16837-431: The previous winter. It transpired that a newly married couple travelling to their home in a taxi had been waylaid on the outskirts of the town. The bridegroom and the taxi driver were hacked to death and their bodies thrown in the river. The bride, who was carried off to an isolated cottage, was repeatedly raped by her abductors. Three days later her mutilated body was found on the road near a bridge. Confessing to his part in
16986-537: The provinces of Pakistan. After the so-called Agartala Conspiracy Case , and subsequent end of the Ayub Khan's regime in Pakistan, the Awami League and its leader Sheikh Mujib reached the peak of their popularity among the East Pakistani Bengali population. In the elections of 1970, the Awami League won 167 of 169 East Pakistan seats in the National Assembly but none of West Pakistan's 138 seats. It also won 288 of
17135-430: The regime of Hussain Muhammad Ershad . After the restoration of democracy amidst mass uprising in 1990, the Awami League emerged as one of the principal players of Bangladeshi politics. The party formed governments winning the 1996 , 2008 , 2014 , 2018 and 2024 general elections. Throughout its tenure as the ruling party from 2009 to 2024 under Sheikh Hasina, Bangladesh experienced democratic backsliding and
17284-618: The removal of Bengali script from currency and stamps, which were in place since the British Raj . The movement reached its climax in 1952, when on 21 February, the police fired on protesting students and civilians, causing several deaths. The day is revered in Bangladesh as the Language Movement Day . In memory of the deaths, UNESCO declared 21 February International Mother Language Day in November 1999. Although, East Pakistan had
17433-554: The restoration of democracy in Pakistan. On 5 December 1963, Huseyn Shaheed Suhrawardy was found dead in his hotel room in Beirut , Lebanon. His sudden death under mysterious circumstances gave rise to speculation within the Awami League and the general population in East Pakistan that he had been poisoned. The 6-point demands , proposed by Mujib, were widely accepted by the East Pakistani populace, as they proposed greater autonomy for
17582-538: The rigged elections. Ershad let Farooq stand to give himself credibility.” On 10 August 1989, activists and leaders of Freedom Party allegedly launched an attack at Sheikh Hasina's the then residence in Dhanmondi's Road 32. Around 14 members of the Bangladesh Freedom Party lead by a certain Kajol and Kobir attacked Sheikh Hasina's residence by hurling a bomb and firing gunshots, as stated in the case referred to court. They chanted
17731-530: The rise of the Bengali nationalist and self-determination movement in East Pakistan , which resulted in the independence of Bangladesh . The war began when the Pakistani military junta based in West Pakistan —under the orders of Yahya Khan —launched Operation Searchlight against East Pakistanis on the night of 25 March 1971, initiating the Bangladesh genocide . In response to the violence, members of
17880-482: The same time as a local high tide , killing an estimated 300,000 people. A 2017 World Meteorological Organization panel considers it the deadliest tropical cyclone since at least 1873. A week after the landfall, President Khan conceded that his government had made "slips" and "mistakes" in its handling of the relief efforts due to a lack of understanding of the magnitude of the disaster. A statement released by eleven political leaders in East Pakistan ten days after
18029-409: The slogan “Farooq-Rashid Zindabad” as they left the place. Following the incident, Zahurul Islam, a security guard of the residence, filed two cases with Dhanmondi Police Station, one for plotting to kill Hasina and other for hurling and possessing a bomb. In 1997, eight years after the attack, Bangladesh's Criminal Investigation Department's (CID) pressed charges against 19 people, including leaders of
18178-474: The sole state language of Pakistan given its significance to Islamic nationalism in South Asia. The announcement caused an emotional uproar in East Bengal, where the native Bengali population resented Jinnah for his attempts to impose a language they hardly understood on the basis of upholding unity. The resentment was further fuelled by rising discrimination against Bengalis in government, industry, bureaucracy and
18327-470: The state of Bangladesh on 26 March 1971 . Most Bengalis supported this move, although some Islamists and Biharis opposed it and sided with the Pakistan Army instead. Pakistani President Agha Muhammad Yahya Khan ordered the Pakistani military to restore the Pakistani government's authority, beginning the civil war. The war led a substantial number of refugees (estimated at the time to be about 10 million) to flood India's eastern provinces . Facing
18476-519: The station and also read the Declaration on 27 March 1971. He broadcast the announcement of the declaration of independence on behalf of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman: This is Swadhin Bangla Betar Kendra. I, Major Ziaur Rahman, at the direction of Bangobondhu Mujibur Rahman, hereby declare that Independent People's Republic of Bangladesh has been established. At his direction, I have taken the command as
18625-490: The subject of his mission very cautiously. 'I was meeting the Deputy Chief of Army Staff and a Major General. If I bluntly told him that I wanted to overthrow the President of the country straightaway like that there was a very good chance that he would have arrested me with his own guards, there and then, and put me in jail. I had to go about it in a round-about way'. Farook continued: 'Actually we came around to it by discussing
18774-611: The temporary Head of the Republic. In the name of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, I call upon all Bengalees to rise against the attack by the West Pakistani Army. We shall fight to the last to free our motherland. Victory is, by the Grace of Allah, ours. Joy Bangla. The Kalurghat Radio Station's transmission capability was limited, but the message was picked up by a Japanese ship in the Bay of Bengal . It
18923-465: The then East Bengali Nurul Amin in a landslide margin. Amin was defeated in his home Nandail constituency. Khaleque Nawaz Khan created history at age 27 by defeating the sitting prime minister and the Muslim League was wiped from the political landscape of the then East Pakistan. A. K. Fazlul Huq assumed the office of Chief Minister of East Bengal and drew up a cabinet containing many of the prominent student activists that were leading movements against
19072-466: The total 21,795,337 votes, 4.64% of the total, coming third out of the twelve other Presidential Candidates . The Oxford -trained lawyer, Kamal Hossain , who was Mujib ’s law minister, and later foreign minister, told Salil Tripathi , a journalist, “The impunity with which Farooq operated was extraordinary. When he returned to Bangladesh, the government facilitated him and President Hussain Muhammad Ershad, who wanted some candidate to stand against him in
19221-459: The two most easterly branches of the Indo-European languages . Bengali speakers constituted over 56% of Pakistan's population. The government stand was widely viewed as an attempt to suppress the culture of the eastern wing. The people of East Bengal demanded that their language be given federal status alongside Urdu and English. The Language Movement began in 1948, as civil society protested
19370-555: The two wings along with the President General Yahya Khan met in Dacca to decide the fate of the country. After their discussions yielded no satisfactory results, Sheikh Mujibur Rahman called for a nationwide strike . Bhutto feared a civil war, therefore, he sent his trusted companion, Mubashir Hassan . A message was conveyed, and Rahman decided to meet Bhutto. Upon his arrival, Rahman met with Bhutto and both agreed to form
19519-403: The violence focused on the provincial capital, Dacca, it also affected all parts of East Pakistan. Residential halls of the University of Dacca were particularly targeted. The only Hindu residential hall— Jagannath Hall —was destroyed by the Pakistani armed forces, and an estimated 600 to 700 of its residents were murdered. The Pakistani army denied any cold-blooded killings at the university, but
19668-430: The war against the Pakistan Army throughout 1971. Leader Sheikh Mujib was arrested by the Pakistan Army on 25 March 1971, but the Bangladeshi people continued the fight to free themselves for nine months. After victory on 16 December 1971, the party formed the national government of Bangladesh. In 1972, under Sheikh Mujib, the party name was changed to "Awami League". The new government faced many challenges as they rebuilt
19817-515: The war. It helped turn world opinion against Pakistan and encouraged India to play a decisive role", with Indian Prime Minister Indira Gandhi saying that Mascarenhas' article led her "to prepare the ground for India's armed intervention". Sheikh Mujibur Rahman was arrested by the Pakistani Army. Yahya Khan appointed Brigadier (later General) Rahimuddin Khan to preside over a special tribunal prosecuting Rahman with multiple charges. The tribunal's sentence
19966-602: The word "Muslim". In the run-up to the 1954 East Bengal Legislative Assembly election , the Awami League took the lead in negotiations in forming a pan-Bangla political alliance including the Krishak Praja Party , Nizam-e-Islam and Ganatantri Dal . The alliance was termed the Jukta Front (United Front) and formulated the Ekush Dafa , or 21-point Charter, to fight for establishing rights in East Pakistan. The party also took
20115-417: The worst floods ever, and the government handled the crisis satisfactorily. It also had significant achievements in containing inflation, and peacefully neutralising a long-running leftist insurgency in south-western districts dating back to the first AL government's time. However, rampant corruption allegations against party office bearers and ministers as well as a deteriorating law and order situation troubled
20264-414: Was a mastermind behind the military coup of Mujib . Colonel Farooq also sought the guidance of a Muhajir Sufi Peer from Bihar who has settled down in Chittagong as stated in Bangladesh: A legacy of blood by Anthony Mascarenhas : " Farook decided to seek celestial sanction for his terrible purpose. He sought out in the crowded Hali Shaar quarter of Chittagong a Bihari holy man who would have
20413-463: Was consistently described as authoritarian , dictatorial and fascist . It was finally overthrown with the Student–People's uprising in August 2024. Since then, the party remained underground. Sheikh Hasina, the former prime minister of Bangladesh, and Obaidul Quader , currently have been serving the president and the general secretary of the party, respectively. Sheikh Hasina , has headed
20562-504: Was established as the socialist Bengali alternative to the domination of the Muslim League in Pakistan and over centralisation of the government. The party quickly gained a massive popular support in East Bengal (later named East Pakistan ) and eventually led the forces of Bengali nationalism in the struggle against West Pakistan 's military and political establishment. The party under
20711-408: Was established secular. After the liberation victory, the Awami League attempted to build a secular order and the pro-Pakistan Islamist parties were barred from political participation. The majority of East Pakistani ulama had either remained neutral or supported the Pakistani state, since they felt that the break-up of Pakistan would be detrimental for Islam. Although East Pakistan accounted for
20860-479: Was eventually settled upon. The most common electoral symbol for the party has been a traditional boat , a recognizable and relatable image in riverine Bangladesh. The salutation Joy Bangla ( Bengali : জয় বাংলা ; meaning "Victory to Bengal" or "Long live Bengal") is the official slogan of the Awami League. It was the slogan and war cry of the Mukti Bahini that fought for the independence of Bangladesh during
21009-399: Was further tainted by arrests where dozens of opposition leaders and members were taken into custody. Amid this crackdown of opposition, in 2018, another election was held where BNP and all major opposition parties took part. That election was marred by allegations of widespread electoral fraud, harassment of political opposition and imprisonment of opposition activists. The opposition alleged
21158-469: Was ignored by the ruling (West Pakistani) establishment, rising political discontent and cultural nationalism in East Pakistan was met by brutal and suppressive force from the ruling elite of the West Pakistan establishment, in what came to be termed Operation Searchlight . The Pakistan Army's violent crackdown led to Awami League leader Sheikh Mujibur Rahman declaring East Pakistan's independence as
21307-453: Was initially termed East Bengal and later East Pakistan. Although the two zones' population was close to equal, political power was concentrated in West Pakistan, and it was widely perceived that East Pakistan was being exploited economically, leading to many grievances. Administration of two discontinuous territories was also seen as a challenge. On 25 March 1971, after an election won by an East Pakistani political party (the Awami League )
21456-471: Was never made public, but Yahya caused the verdict to be held in abeyance in any case. Other Awami League leaders were arrested as well, while a few fled Dacca to avoid arrest. The Awami League was banned by General Yahya Khan. The violence unleashed by the Pakistani forces on 25 March 1971 proved the last straw to the efforts to negotiate a settlement. Following these incidents, Sheikh Mujibur Rahman signed an official declaration that read: Today, Bangladesh
21605-399: Was put back by two days, Farook took time off for a quick trip to Chittagong on 2 April to see Andha Hafiz. " It was through all this the 1975 coup d'état had been done, through the coalition of the plethora of anti-Mujib sentiments held amongst people in the country and the army which had risked their lives for a free and independent Bangladesh governed with justice and no corruption. After
21754-598: Was taken by Major Nasser to Dhaka for prosecution after he had confirmed from police records that the thug had been telling the truth. According to Farook, Muzamil offered Nasser 300,000 Takkas for his release. 'Don't make it a public affair,' the Awami Leaguer advised him. 'You will anyway have to let me go, either today or tomorrow. So why not take the money and forget about it?' Nasser, who was affronted by this blatant attempt to bribe him, swore he would bring Muzamil to trial and make him hang for his crime. He handed him over to
21903-445: Was then re-transmitted by Radio Australia and later by the BBC. Awami League The Bangladesh Awami League ( Bengali : বাংলাদেশ আওয়ামী লীগ , lit. 'Bangladesh People's League'), simply known as Awami League ( Bengali: [awɐmiliːg] ), is one of the major political parties in Bangladesh . The oldest existing political party in the country,
22052-535: Was translated into Bengali by Manjula Anwar. The students failed to secure permission from higher authorities to broadcast the message from the nearby Agrabad Station of Pakistan Broadcasting Corporation , but the message was read several times by the independent Swadhin Bangla Betar Kendro Radio established by rebel Bangali Radio workers in Kalurghat. Major Ziaur Rahman was requested to provide security for
22201-450: Was unacceptable to the West Pakistani elite, who believed that it had assimilated considerable Hindu cultural influences. West Pakistanis, in an attempt to "Islamise" the East, wanted the Bengalis to adopt Urdu. The activities of the language movement nurtured a sentiment among Bengalis in favour of discarding Pakistan's communalism in favour of secular politics. The Awami League began propagating its secular message through its newspaper to
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