The Six Points: The Charter of Freedom for Bengalis

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On February 5, 1966, in Lahore, a conference of all opposition parties of Pakistan was held. Following the unresolved India-Pakistan war, President Ayub Khan faced public outrage in West Pakistan after signing the Tashkent Peace Agreement in January. The opposition parties aimed to form a united front to oust Ayub Khan, and the Lahore conference was part of this preparation. Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, the General Secretary of the East Pakistan Awami League, was invited to this meeting. Before departing for Lahore on February 4, he announced in Dhaka that he would raise the demand for full autonomy.

“Autonomy” had been a recurring demand since the creation of Pakistan. The United Front’s 21-point agenda in the 1954 elections included the demand for autonomy. In 1957, at the Kagmari Conference, Maulana Bhashani raised the demand for autonomy and bid farewell to West Pakistan. However, after Ayub Khan’s military rule began in 1958, all such demands were silenced. After his visit to China in 1963, Bhashani’s stance became “No Disturb Ayub.”

In this context, the death of Suhrawardy gave Sheikh Mujib the opportunity to make independent decisions. Without informing the old guard of the Awami League, he secretly prepared a comprehensive autonomy plan with the help of trusted Bengali economists, bureaucrats, and lawyers. He took this plan to Lahore, accompanied by Tajuddin Ahmad, Abdul Malek Ukil, Nurul Islam Chowdhury, ABM Nurul Islam, and Mohammad Yusuf Ali.

At the conference, other politicians were solely focused on ousting Ayub Khan to seize power. Their goal was not to fight for autonomy or the rights of the people. When Sheikh Mujib presented his autonomy plan, the “Six Points,” the greedy politicians were startled. They refused to consider or discuss the Six Points, leading the Awami League to sever ties with the conference and walk out. On February 11, Sheikh Mujibur Rahman announced the Six Points program at a press conference in Lahore and returned to Dhaka the same day.

While the first of the Six Points demanded a federal state structure, the subsequent points outlined a loose confederation rather than a federation. Except for defense and foreign policy, all powers would rest with the provinces. Each province would have its own currency, taxation authority, direct foreign trade, control over foreign aid, and the power to form its own militia. It was akin to a minimal agreement between several independent states.

The Pakistani ruling class and other political leaders understood that the Six Points were essentially a demand for independence. However, the language and structure of the demands were so coherent that they could not directly accuse it of “secessionism” or take legal action. When presenting the Six Points, Sheikh Mujib told Professor Muzaffar Ahmad and Ruhul Quddus, “This is not really six points. It’s one point, just phrased differently.”

After the Six Points were made public on February 11, MA Aziz, Abdullah al Harun, and MA Hannan of the Chittagong District Awami League issued the first statement in support on February 13. On February 14, the central committee of the Chhatra League (Student League) also expressed support. A storm erupted over the Six Points. On February 15, Jamaat-e-Islami and the Council Muslim League issued statements criticizing and rejecting the demands. On February 25, Sheikh Mujibur Rahman began a public campaign in support of the Six Points at a rally in Chittagong’s Laldighi Maidan. On March 14, he garnered public support for the Six Points at a rally in Sylhet. Notably, the Six Points had not yet been formally adopted as the Awami League’s program.

On March 14, President Ayub Khan, at a rally in Chittagong’s stadium, venomously declared that the program, which threatened Pakistan’s unity, would not be tolerated. On March 18, at the Convention Muslim League’s council meeting, he threatened civil war and called for action against those creating divisions.

On March 18, the Awami League’s provincial council meeting was held. Despite opposition from the old guard, the Six Points were adopted as the party’s program, thanks to the strong support of most district leaders and the Chhatra League. At this meeting, Sheikh Mujibur Rahman was elected President, and Tajuddin Ahmad became the General Secretary of the provincial Awami League, solidifying the position of the Six Points supporters within the party. Earlier, on March 15, the Karachi Awami League had also expressed support.

On April 7, Maulana Bhashani announced that he did not support the Six Points, as they did not include demands for liberation from exploitation. Leaders of Bhashani’s National Awami Party (NAP) criticized the Six Points as a CIA document and even accused it of being a plan by Ayub Khan’s secretary, Altaf Gauhar, to disrupt opposition unity. On July 18, at a press conference, Bhashani again opposed the Six Points, stating, “Autonomy does not mean secession. If necessary, I will shed the last drop of my blood to protect Pakistan’s unity. I did not support the Six Points before, and I do not support them now.”

Despite opposition from the Pakistani government, right-wing, and left-wing political parties, Sheikh Mujib decided to take the Six Points to the people, explaining the demands and exposing Pakistani exploitation. He began a mass contact program in district towns: Pabna on April 8, Bogura on April 9, Rangpur on April 10, and Jessore on April 15. On April 13, he held a meeting with Chhatra League leaders at his residence. Since most of the old guard Awami League leaders were pro-Pakistan, he instructed the Chhatra League leaders to take over the party committees in each district to strengthen the Six Points movement.

Meanwhile, the Pakistani government launched a “Capture Mujib” campaign. He was arrested in Jessore on April 18, released on bail, rearrested in Dhaka on April 21, released on bail in Sylhet, and then arrested again in Mymensingh. Within weeks, Sheikh Mujib was arrested and released eight times. Each time he was released, he continued his public campaign in support of the Six Points.

On the night of May 8, shortly after a rally in Narayanganj, Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, Tajuddin Ahmad, Khondaker Mostaq, MA Aziz, Zahur Ahmad Chowdhury, and many other leaders and activists were arrested under the Defense of Pakistan Rules. The Awami League and Chhatra League organized workers and called for a strike on June 7 to demand the release of prisoners and support for the Six Points. Despite the leaders being in jail, young student leaders like Sirajul Alam Khan, Sheikh Fazlul Haque Moni, and Abdur Razzak led an unprecedented response to the strike. According to government figures, 10 people were killed in police brutality. This strike marked the beginning of workers in Tejgaon, Tongi, and Adamjee joining the Awami League, whereas previously, labor politics had been dominated by leftist parties.

While others were eventually released, Sheikh Mujib remained in jail for a long time. He was finally released on February 22, 1969, following a massive popular uprising. During his nearly three years in jail, including the Agartala Conspiracy Case, the fire of the Six Points spread everywhere. From cities to villages, from professionals to farmers and workers, people realized in simple terms that Bengal was a colony of Pakistan. The only goal was to free this colony and achieve the right to self-determination.

References:
1. Karagarer Rojnamcha (Prison Diaries) by Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, 2017.
2. Bangalir Jatiyotabadi Sangram Muktijuddhe Chattogram by Dr. Mahfuzur Rahman, 1993.
3. Bangladesher Chhatra Andoloner Itihas, 1830 theke 1971 by Dr. Mohammad Hannan, 2006.
4. Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib by Mozharul Islam, 1974.
5. Ami Sirajul Alam Khan: Ekti Rajnaitik Jibanalekhya by Shamsuddin Payara, 2020.