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Legacy of violence


Published : 25 Apr 2020 09:17 PM | Updated : 04 Sep 2020 04:28 PM

With the assassination of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, the founder of Bangladesh, Bengali lost their hard earned (at the cost of life and blood) independence. Split among the pro-liberation forces made it happen so fast. If Bangabandhu put himself on the top of all the constitutional organ of the country without holding the post of prime minister or president, and if he allowed Tajuddin to be the head of the state, who led the liberation war as the prime minister of the revolutionary government in exile, Bangabandhu would have been able to keep himself on the buffer zone. He could have been the last resort for any national crisis including the constitutional problem. 

Bangabandhu himself was not willing to become the Prime Minister or President of the country which he himself made it. It was Sheikh Fazlul Haque Moni who made him understand that the global recognition would be late without having him (Bangabandhu) as the head of state. Moni asked Bangabandhu to build this country the way he always dreamt of. Bangabandhu was convinced with that and took the responsibility to build his nation in his own hand.

Alternatively, if Tajuddin Ahmed was made President and Sirajul Alam Khan Secretary, Abdur Razzak Organiging Secretary of Bangladesh Awami League, JASOD would not have been created, pro-liberation forces could get united and the defeated pro-Pakistani anti-liberation forces would not get any room to organize. However, under the direct guidance of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, Mr. Sirajul Alam Khan and Abdur Razzak had organized the pro-liberation forces. For few years Sheikh Moni was detouched from politics. At that time he was working with daily Ittefaque at its Editorial section. But Sirajul Alam Khan and Abdur Razzak were working constantly to motivate the leaders of Students League. Abdur Razzak was moving throughout the country for organizing party members and Sirajul Alam Khan was motivating them calling them in Dhaka.

When the mass movement started in 1969, Sheikh Moni again came to scene but by that time Sirajul Alam Khan and Abdur Razzak had earned there significance in the party. Sheikh Moni was not bothered about their importance in the party. He knew how to make short cut in politics. He used all his family relatives to create conspiracy against Tajuddin Ahmed. It was learnt that they were successful to convince Bangabandhu that Tajuddin Ahmed do not want him return home. It was not clear that whether Bangabandhu had believed him or not but he removed Tajuddin Ahmed from his cabinet.

Moni convinced Bangabandhu that as US Secretary of State Dr Henry Kissinger is coming in Bangladesh, pro-Moscow leader Tajuddin should not be kept in the office so that new relation with USA could easily be established.

Sheikh Moni had some reservations with Sirazul Alam Khan. During his speech in the first congress of the Bangladesh Awami Jubo League in 1972, Sheikh Moni for the first time publicly raised question about Sirajul Alam Khan. He knows that he would not be able to control Sirajul Alam Khan ultimately as he has mysterious movement. About Tajuddin Ahmed, he thought he is too big to control as he had experience to led the war of liberation and entire Awami League and the mainstream freedom fighters were under his (Tajuddin’s) direct control as he dealt with them during the nine month of liberation war. So he removed Tajuddin through Bangabandhu and he refrained Bangabandhu from attending the Student League conference headed by A S M Abdur Rob at Palton.

 Bangabandhu was trying to unite the two groups of the Student League. But it was alleged that Sheikh Moni didn’t allow that to happen. And thus he put the party unity in the eye of the storm. Pro-liberation forces were divided. And for their survival, both the groups were pulling more supporters to join them. Amidst this, anti-liberation forces got the room and started taking hold in the politics.

Sheikh Moni was determined to occupy the position of Bangabandhu. But some of his associates in Jubo League advised him to give Tajuddin Ahmed a chance saying that after Tajuddin, he (Sheikh Moni) would be the main leader of the country. But Sheikh Moni outright rejected that proposals. He told them that once Tajuddin Ahmed become prime minister, administration will completely go under his control and he will have nothing to do. It could happen in the power politics, but not in the ideological politics. Awami League was completely an ideology based party and the independent Bangladesh was founded upon some ideals. His associates didn’t expressed solidarity with Sheikh Moni. Bangladesh Awami League had lost its chain of command in that way. Awami League became completely friendless. Lack of unity in the party and the local and international conspiracy were gaining momentum.

The anti-liberation forces in army and in the society became active and planned the devilish political killing on August 15th in which the main source of inspiration of the independence, Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman was assassinated. Bengali lost their independence again.

General Ziaur Rahman realized the price of his every effort and he was behind all the conspiracy. Khondker Mustaq could not understand that it was the first phase. It was beyond the expectations of Khandker Mustaq that the brokers of Pakistan and the local agents of the anti-liberation forces, who were defeated in the war of liberation, had much earlier selected general Zia as their leader.