Class 12 - 6 points Movement

Background, the role of Sheikh

Mujibur Rahman & Aftermath

HIS 103: Emergence of Bangladesh

Department of History and Philosophy
North South University
Nov 09, 2019
• Six-point Programme - A Charter of Demands enunciated
by the Awami League for removing disparity between the
two wings of Pakistan and to put an end to the internal
colonial rule of West Pakistan in East Bengal.
• The Indo-Pak War of 1965 ended with the execution of
Taskent Treaty. To the old grievances of economic disparity
added the complain of negligence and indifference of
central government towards the defence of East Pakistan.
Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman was vocal on this
issue.
• The leaders of the opposition parties of West Pakistan convened a
national convention at Lahore on 6 February 1966 with a view to
ascertain the post-Taskent political trend. Bangabandhu reached
Lahore on 4 February along with the top leaders of Awami League,
and the day following he placed the Six-point charter of demand
before the subject committee as the demands of the people of East
Pakistan.
• He created pressure to include his proposal in the agenda of the
conference. The subject committee rejected the proposal of
Bangabandhu. On the day following, the newspapers of West
Pakistan published reports on the Six-point Programme, and Sheikh
Mujibur Rahman was projected as a separatist. Consequently Sheikh
Mujib abandoned the conference.
• The Six-point Programme along with a proposal of
movement for the realisation of the demands was placed
before the meeting of the working committee of Awami
League on 21 February 1966, and the proposal was carried
out unanimously. A booklet on the Six-point Programme with
introduction from Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman and
Tajuddin Ahmad was published.
• Another booklet titled Amader Banchar Dabi: 6-dafa
Karmasuchi (Our demands for existence: 6-points
Programme) was published in the name of Sheikh Mujibur
Rahman, and was distributed in the council meeting of
Awami League held on 18 March 1966.
What is Six-Points program?
The historic Six-Point Demand or the Six-Point Formula has
been widely credited as the “Charter of Freedom" in
Bangladesh's struggle for self-determination from West
Pakistan's domination. Indeed, the six-point movement in
1966 was the turning point in our quest for independence.

On June 7 in 1966 the Awami League called a countrywide

hartal in the then East Pakistan to press home the six-point
demands. Sheikh Mujibur Rahman along with many others
was arrested. Since then 7th June is observed as the historic
six-point day.
The Awami League Council meeting at Dhaka in February, 1966
proved to be a famous platform where Six Point Formula for
autonomy of East Pakistan was adopted. In the same meeting
Sheikh Mujib was also elected as the President of the Awami
League. It was presented publically in March, 1966 in Lahore
before an all political parties meeting.

The main exponents of Six Point Formula were Tajuddin Ahmed,

Mujibur Rehman, and Ruhul Quddus. Majority of party
workers did not know regarding the formula till the Council
Meeting held in February, 1966.
The program was primarily financed by the rising
Bengali business community and the wealthy owner
of the Pioneer Press, Dacca helped printing the
booklet free of cost.
Add a Slide Title - 1
The East Pakistanis welcomed the Six Points Program whole heartedly
and it gained immense kind of support for a variety of reasons.
Firstly, it challenged the political and economic monopoly of West
Pakistan.
Secondly, the East Pakistan’s export earnings would no longer be
exploited and manipulated for the growth of the industrialization of
West Pakistan.
Thirdly, foreign aid would no longer be monopolized for West
Pakistan only.
Fourthly, the East Pakistan would no longer remain an inferior and
sub-ordinate market for West Pakistani products.
Finally, the end of Economic priorities determined for the advantage
of West Pakistan only.
 The Six-Point demands included the following:
• 1. Pakistan would have a federal structure of government based on
spirit of the Lahore Resolution of 1940, with a parliament elected on
the basis of universal adult franchise;

• 2. The central government would have authority only in defense and

foreign affairs and all other subjects would be handled by the
federating units of the state of Pakistan;
• 3. There would be two freely convertible currencies for the two wings of
Pakistan. Or alternatively, there may by a single currency with the provision
that the Federal Bank shall take adequate measures to prevent that transfer
of resources and flight of capital from East Pakistan to West Pakistan.

• 4. The power of taxation and revenue collection would be vested in the

federating units. The federation will be entitled to share the taxes with the
state to meet its expenditures.
• 5. There would be two separate accounts for foreign exchange reserves for
the two wings of Pakistan. The foreign exchange earned from foreign trade
shall be under the control of the respective wings. The federating units
shall be independent in conducting trades with foreign countries.

• 6. East Pakistan would have a separate militia or paramilitary force as a

measure of its security. Ammunition manufacturing units as well as the
Naval headquarter should be located in the East Pakistan.
Aftermath

The opposition leaders of West Pakistan looked at Mujib's

Six-point Program as a device to disband Pakistan, and
hence they rejected his proposal outright. The Ayub
government projected Sheikh Mujib as a separatist and
later instituted the Agartala conspiracy case against
him. He was arrested and put on trial.
Reactions of the political leaders to the six-point plan
and Sheikh Mujibur Rahman's response

The mainstream political leaders of the opposition

parties in Pakistan were not even willing to discuss
the merits or demerits of the proposed six-point
formula for ensuring greater provincial autonomy for
the eastern province of Pakistan. It is also really
appalling to recall that the non-Awami League
delegates from the then East Pakistan did not endorse
the six-point demand initially.
Instead of endorsing or discussing the six-point
formula, the self-declared champions of restoration of
democracy in the then Pakistan had deliberately
launched a hateful propaganda campaign against
Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, the chief sponsor and
proponent of the six-point plan.

The hostile reactions of other political parties to the

six-point formula:
 The six-point demand not only split the Awami League
but also made it difficult for the East Pakistan wing to
form an alliance with any other West Pakistan-based
party.
 The CML (Council of Muslim League) decried the six
points as a demand for confederation, not federation;
 the Jama'at-i-Islami branded it as a separatist design;
 The Nizam-i-Islam rejected it as a unilateral, dictatorial
move on Mujib's part; and
 The NAP (National Awami Party) dismissed it on the
grounds that it was parochial and did not include any
measures to free East Pakistan from imperialists agents."
 In the press conference at Lahore, Sheikh Mujibur Rahman said
that since the proposed six-point demand was not at all
designed to harm the common people of West Pakistan, the
question of demanding a genuine "provincial autonomy" for
East Pakistan based on the six-point formula "should not be
misconstrued or dismissed as provincialism."
 He pointed out that the 17-day war between Pakistan and India
in September 1965 had made it crystal clear to the "East
Pakistanis" that the defense of East Pakistan couldn't be
contingent upon the mercy or courtesy of West Pakistan. He
said that instead of relying on West Pakistan for its protection,
East Pakistan -- a land located one thousand miles away --
should be made self-sufficient for defending itself from
external aggression.
 However, the ruling circle of Pakistan was not at all interested
in dealing or negotiating with the Awami League on the issue
of provincial autonomy even though Sheikh Mujibur Rahman
had publicly stated that he was willing to negotiate his six-
point plan with anyone in good faith, provided a meaningful
autonomy was ensured for East Pakistan.

 Monaem Khan, the infamous governor of East Pakistan, had

publicly stated that "as long as I remain as the governor of this
province, I will see to it that Sheikh Mujibur Rahman remains
in chains." Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto had openly challenged Sheikh
Mujibur Rahman to a public debate at Paltan Maidan in
Dhaka on the strengths and weaknesses of the proposed six-
point formula.