Bangladesh
6-Point Day Today is historic 6-Point Day
Own Correspondent, Dhaka, June 7: Today, June 7, is the historic 6-Point Day. On this day in 1966, a nationwide mass movement was started in support of the 6-point demand for the Charter of Liberation of the Bengali Nation declared by Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman.
During the strike called by Awami League on this day, 11 Bengalis including Manu Mia, Shafiq and Shamsul Haque were martyred by the then police and EPR in Tongi, Dhaka and Narayanganj. From then on, under the leadership of Bangabandhu, in the course of uncompromising struggle, the subjugated Bengali nation advanced towards the mass uprising of 1971.
Like every year, the day will be celebrated with due dignity through various programmes. Other organizations including Awami League have taken detailed programme on the occasion of this historic day.
Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman raised six points in the subject committee of the conference held in Lahore on February 5, 1966 centering on the Tashkent Agreement and requested the concerned parties to take necessary steps to get it included in the agenda of the conference the next day.
But the organizers did not pay attention to this demand of Bangabandhu in this conference. They reject this claim. In protest, Bangabandhu did not attend the conference but raised six points while staying in Lahore.
With this, Bangabandhu was identified as a 'separatist leader' in various newspapers of the then West Pakistan. Later, on his return to Dhaka, Bangabandhu on March 13 approved the 6-point and other detailed programs of the party in this regard in the executive parliament of the Awami League.
The main point of the 6-point was that all powers except defence and foreign affairs would be in the hands of the provincial government. East Bengal and West Pakistan will have two separate and easy exchangeable currencies. The two regions will have separate accounts of foreign exchange earned, with the provincial government having the responsibility of levying and collecting taxes, duties and setting up a paramilitary force and naval headquarters here to reduce the defence risk in East Bengal.
The then military ruler of Pakistan Ayub Khan was disturbed by the 6-point demand declared by Bangabandhu. He threatened that if the 6-point is exceeded, the answer will be given in the language of arms.
Meanwhile, the central leaders of the Awami League, including Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, toured the whole of East Bengal to convey the 6-point programme to the people and termed the 6-point programme as a demand for the survival of Bengalis. As a result, the ruling party harassed Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman and other leaders in various ways. Bangabandhu was arrested while campaigning for 6 points in Jessore, Mymensingh and Sylhet.
