Lecture 11

THE RISE OF
BENGALI POLITICS
A N D AWA M I L E A G U E
HIS 103: Emergence of Bangladesh

Instructor: Mab2
Pakistan After Independence
Name : Dominion of Pakistan
Creation : 14th August, 1947
Total Area : 10,25913 Sq Km
Capital : Karachi (till 1959)
Number of Provinces : 5 (East Bengal, Sindh, Punjab,
Baluchistan & NWFP)
Total Population : 75 Million
East Pakistan 42 Million
West Pakistan 33.7 Million
Major Language : Bengali, Punjabi, Sindhi and Urdu
Head of State : Governor General
Head of Government : Prime Minister
Provincial head : Provincial Prime Minister/ Chief
Minister
Main Political Party : Muslim League
Head Quarter of Armed Forces : Rawalpindi
Currency : Pakistani Rupee
Main Export items : Jute, Tea, Textile
Main Import Items : Machineries, arms, food and
medicine.
The first cabinet of Pakistan took oath on 15th August 1947. It included
the following members:
Liaquat Ali Khan Prime Minister, Minister for Foreign Affairs and Defense
I.I. Chundrigar Minister for Commerce, Industries and Works
Sardar Abdur Rab Nishtar Minister for Communications
Raja Ghazanfar Ali Minister for Food, Agriculture and Health (In December
he was shifted to Evacuee and Refugee Rehabilitation).
Jogendra Nath Mandal Minister for Labour and Law
Ghulam Muhammad Minister for Finance
Fazlur Rahman Minister for Interior, Information and Education
Muhammad Ali Jinnah Liaquat Ali Khan
I. I. Chundrigar Abdur Rab Nishtar Raja Ghazanfar Ali Jogendra Nath Mandal Ghulam Muhammad Fazlur Rahman
The general election of the East Bengal Legislative Assembly
was due in 1951, but it was withheld until 1954. Delaying the
general elections under various pretexts only confirmed the
organizational weakness of the Muslim League. It also denied
the democratic rights of the people of East Pakistan to choose
their own representations. Pakistan was their rallying cry. But
after the achievement of Pakistan, the Muslim League failed to
transform itself and respond to the challenge offered by the
Partition.
Consequently, the Muslim League became incapable of
holding on those elements who joined the League in order to
achieve the common goal— Pakistan.
Thus we find the gradual disintegration of the Muslim

League and formation of new parties at its expense.
Furthermore, the issues of the state language and political
autonomy led to the formation of regional parties, such as the
Awami Muslim League and the Krishak Sramik Party.
The cleavage was precipitated by the efforts of the League
leaders to impose 'Urdu' as Pakistan's national language. The
tactless language policy was compounded by the unequal
distribution of resources between East and West Pakistan. In
fact, the political subjugation and cultural repression of
Bengalis caused widespread resentment in the Eastern
province of Pakistan, and encouraged a separatist tendency
that eventually culminated in a campaign for full autonomy.
The Foundation of Awami Muslim League
History took a new turn for East Bengal on June 23, 1949.
Some courageous men namely— Moulana Abdul Hamid
Khan Bhashani, Yar Mohammad, Shawkat Ali, Shamsul
Haque, Sheikh Mujibur Rahman and, of course, Huseyn
Shaheed Suhrawardy — took the initiative to destroy
Muslim League’s hegemony from East Pakistan. The goals
were to set a democratic alternative for both wings of
Pakistan and ensure a pluralistic politics.
Rose Garden
The new party was named East Pakistan Awami Muslim
League. It was established with Maulana Abdul Hamid
Khan Bhasani as President, Ataur Rahman Khan,
Sakhawat Hossain and Ali Ahmed Khan as vice-
presidents, Shamsul Hoque as General Secretary, Sheikh
Mujibur Rahman, Khondakar Mostaq Ahmed and AK
Rafiqul Hussain as Joint Secretaries, and Yar
Mohammad Khan as Treasurer.
Abdul Hamid Khan Bhashani Huseyn Shaheed Suhrawardy
Shawkat Ali Yar Mohammad Khan
Shamsul Huq Sheikh Mujibur Rahman
Abdul Hamid Khan Bhashani
▪ Born in 1880 at village Dhanpara of Sirajganj district.
▪ Between 1907 and 1909, Bhashani attended the famous
Islamic University of Deoband, where he received
theological training. Deoband was widely regarded as a
centre with progressive leanings.
▪ First Political involvement- National Party of
Chittaranjan Das in 1917 and in 1919 he Joined Indian
National Congress. During this period he became
involved in NON-COOPERATION MOVEMENT and KHILAFAT
MOVEMENT
▪ Bhashani is regarded as the proponent of anti-
imperialist, non-communal and left-leaning politics in
East Paksitan.
▪ Gained Popularity through his Peasant Movement in
Santosh, Tangail during the great depression period of
1937.
▪ Bhashani led the successful campaign in Sylhet
referendum during 1946 and managed Sylhet to
become a part of East Pakistan.
▪ After Partition, Bhashani returned to East Bengal (East
Pakistan). Here, he led a mass campaign in the 1950s in
favor of regional autonomy and Bengali self-
determination. This campaign was to play a key role in
the Maulana’s journey towards the secularization of
politics, for the momentum which the movement for
autonomy gained decisively demonstrated that the hold of
the Muslim League and of Pakistan’s rulers over the
minds of the population in East Bengal was weakening,
and that secularization was truly possible.
Huseyn Shaheed Suhrawardy
▪ Was born on 8 September 1892, in the town of Midnapore,
now in West Bengal.
▪ Education at St. Xavier's College, Calcuta University and
Oxford University, UK.
▪ Started his practical political life as a labour leader in
Calcutta, within a short period of time he succeeded in
organising as many as 36 trade unions.
▪ Political Affiliation- Swaraj party (1921-1926), All India
Muslim League (1937-1947). In 1946, Suhrawardy
established and headed a Muslim League government in
Bengal
▪ On the eve of the 1947 partition Suhrawardy envisioned
the establishment of a state in Eastern India comprising the
whole of Bengal and Assam and the adjoining districts of
Bihar. This came to be known as his scheme for Greater
Independent Bengal. His collaboration with some Bangali
Hindu leaders, namely, Sarat Chandra Bose, Kiran
Shankar Roy and Satya Ranjan Bakshi initiated a move
for a United Independent Bengal as a third dominion
alongside India and Pakistan. However, the project was not
successful.
Contribution of Awami Muslim League
From the very inception the Awami League has been a
secular and non-communal party. As a mark of its secular
posture, the term 'Muslim' was deleted from the name of
the party at its third council meeting held on 21-23
October 1953. The party opened front organisations
among the students, labourers, peasants, youths and women
after inception.
The Awami Muslim League was the first opposition party

in the then Pakistan. At its birth the party adopted a 42-
point program with a special emphasis on the demand for
provincial autonomy.
Recognition of Bangla as one of the state languages of
Pakistan, one man one vote, democracy, framing of a
constitution, parliamentary form of government and
removal of disparity between the two wings had been the
major demands of Awami Muslim League during the initial
stage of the Pakistani rule.
In the 1948-56 language movement, the Awami League

and its student front, Chhatra League (established in
January,1948), played an important role in the formation
of the 'All Party Central Language Action Committee’.
In 1957, the Awami League faced a serious organisational
crisis resulting in a split in the party on the issue of
foreign policy. Suhrawardy and Maulana Bhasani
differed fundamentally on the issue of Pakistan foreign
policy. While Suhrawardy favoured strong links with the
West, particularly with America, Bhasani was in favour of
a non-aligned foreign policy. The division came to surface
at the Kagmari Conference (Tangail) of the party (7-8
February 1957).
On March 18, Maulana Bhasani resigned from the
Awami League and from the position of president of the
party. In the spree of resignations, Bhasani was soon
followed by 9 out of 37 members of the party's working
committee. This eventually led to the formation of a new
party named the National Awami Party with Maulana
Bhasani as its president.

Lecture 11

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

Lecture 11

Uploaded by

Document Information

Copyright

Available Formats

Share this document

Share or Embed Document

Sharing Options

Did you find this document useful?

Is this content inappropriate?

Copyright:

Available Formats

Lecture 11

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

THE RISE OF

HIS 103: Emergence of Bangladesh

Thus we find the gradual disintegration of the Muslim

The Awami Muslim League was the first opposition party

In the 1948-56 language movement, the Awami League

You might also like

Pfad - The Proxy pFad of © 2024 Garber Painting. All rights reserved.