You may vandalise his statue, but Bangabandhu remains immortal
By Hiren Pandit
If Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman had not been born, the birth of independent Bangladesh and the Bengali nation would not have been possible. Bangabandhu shared the future outline of his vision for Bangladesh with loved ones and close journalists. When asked how long he planned to stay in power, he would laugh and say, “The people of Bengal as long as they want. But I hope they won’t ask me to step down immediately because I did not come to be in power. I have come with the mandate of forming an independent, non-sectarian Sonar Bangla.
I should not relinquish power until that Bengal is formed.” When asked about his desired lifespan, he mentioned that Mahatma Gandhi wanted to live for 125 years, but he did not aspire to live such a long life. He stated that his parents lived long lives, which was sufficient for him. Bangabandhu expressed his wish to establish the foundation of an independent, exploitation-free, non-communal Bangladesh in the subcontinent. However, he also expressed concerns about the intentions of Western imperialist forces and anti-independence reactionary forces, saying, “I don’t know how long the Western imperialist forces and the anti-independence reactionary forces of the country will let me live. I suspect that a bullet is constantly following me.”
Bangabandhu used to say, “I am the Prime Minister of a democratic country. Is it appropriate for me to live in an iron house like a dictator? Was Lakhinder able to live in an iron house? The snake is in my house.” Bangabandhu used to say, “I believe in socialism also, a nationalist. But now, it is not possible to establish full socialism in Bangladesh. If all large, medium, and small industries are nationalized now, the government treasury will not be able to fill the money to cover the loss of unprofitable industries. The paper notes should be released in the market. The resulting inflation will endanger the country’s economy.”
Bangabandhu had a golden dream of changing Bangladesh’s socio-economic and political system. If that dream had succeeded, if an assassin had not killed him, if the brutal murder of August 15 had not taken place, today’s Bangabandhu’s Bangladesh would have been a better and cleaner country than Singapore and Malaysia welfare country free from exploitation and corruption.
Sheikh Hasina is relentlessly trying to build the Bangladesh of her father’s dream. Bangabandhu returned to national life through his daughter from 1996 to 2001 and from 2008 to now, realizing his dream has come a long way. So, his aspiration is towards Bangladesh, which would have been built long ago had he lived. If Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman had not been killed on August 15, Bangladesh would have become a developed country like Malaysia, Thailand, and Singapore today.
We are still aware of every moment of the deep depression that the nation plunged into after his death. 15 August 1975 is a painful and shameful chapter in the life of the Bengali nation. On this day, with the direct and indirect support of the anti-independence conspirators at home and abroad, the father of the Bengali nation, Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, the greatest Bengali of a thousand years, was martyred with his family at his residence in Dhanmondi by some misguided members of the army. Fortunately, Bangabandhu’s daughter, the current Prime Minister, Sheikh Hasina, and her younger sister, Sheikh Rehana, survived because they were out of the country.
All those who were killed that day were very good people. According to the document released by the United States, “Many true patriots and honest people were brutally killed on August 15. Their administrative skills may be questioned, but their patriotism and integrity are unquestionable.”
He referred to the establishment of Bangladesh in 1971 as the first revolution, and three years later, on January 25, 1975, Bangabandhu launched a new political and economic system, which he named the second revolution. The second revolution included changes such as transitioning from a parliamentary system to a presidential system, abolishing all parties and forming a national party called Bangladesh Krishak Sramik Awami League (BAKSAL), permitting four national daily newspapers, upgrading subdivisions to districts, appointing public representatives for district administration, promoting cooperative agricultural production, implementing land management reforms, establishing rural health complexes, decentralizing administration, and reforming the judicial system.
The law-and-order situation improved after Bangabandhu’s second revolution program. Prices of commodities decreased, political stability improved, economic conditions bettered, and the production of various crops and products increased in rural areas. In 1974-75, the country’s gross income growth rose to 6.5-7.0 percent, also achieved in the fiscal year 2015-16. Despite this progress, opponents continued to spread misinformation about BAKSAL and create confusion in the public mind, which ultimately led to Bangabandhu’s assassination.
Bangabandhu was focused on establishing a non-discriminatory society and a welfare state. He advocated for a secular society and fought against corruption throughout his life. He believed that independence meant changing the flag and renaming the country and achieving cultural independence and ethical idealism. Bangabandhu set up the Bangladesh Planning Commission, responsible for formulating the country’s first five-year plan, which prioritized specific sectors of the economy for development. Less than a year and a half after independence, in November 1973, the first five-year plan was formulated, emphasizing socio-economic and political commitment in planning.
The planning strategy prioritizes creating a non-discriminatory society without hampering productive activities. To stabilize the fragile war-torn economy, particular importance is given to safeguarding the interests of small and landless farmers through land reform in the agricultural sector and developing cooperative farming systems. The plan in the industrial sector is to keep large industrial establishments under state ownership and establish small and cottage industries under private ownership. In international trade, emphasis has been placed on the private management of small businesses, particularly on state and co-operative-owned enterprises. In addition to the general objectives, the development plan also formulates a sector-wise development framework. The development philosophy in the agricultural sector aims to transform traditional agriculture into modern agriculture to achieve sustainable growth. This will increase income in the farming sector, and employment will grow among the rural population, accelerating income distribution by reducing rural poverty.
Export income will increase by boosting domestic agricultural production and improving foreign exchange reserves and nutritional security through increased production of grains, fish, animal products, fruits, vegetables, and sugar. The father of the nation considered every sector of the economy with due importance in his development thinking and formulated development plans. He constantly encouraged people to contribute to national development by efficiently implementing the plans. On 15 January 1975, he said in his first police week speech, ‘Life is very transient – we must remember this. Neither I nor any of you will take anything with us after death except a few yards of cloth. But why do you exploit and torture people? If you oppress the poor, you will have to answer to Allah. So, I request that you and all government employees serve those whose money runs our family. For those whose money we are running today, take care that they don’t suffer.’
Bangabandhu always dreamed of making Bangladesh a self-respecting nation. From that thought, he said, “You have to be self-sufficient. Just as a man who begs has no honor, a nation who begs has no honor. I don’t want to lead a nation of beggars. I want my country to be self-sufficient and must work hard.” In this context, Bangabandhu’s speech at the Military Academy on January 11, 1975, can be recalled: “You need to remember one thing now. When we have the country, when we have the soil, when we have the golden people of Bangladesh, then we will get everything. If we can create a golden boy, then inshallah, my dream of Golden Bengal will happen one day. I may not be able to see it, but it will happen.”
However, Bangabandhu laid the foundation for Bangladesh’s progress, and Prime Minister Bangabandhu’s daughter, Sheikh Hasina, is taking it forward. Still, she could not complete all the tasks due to some conspiracy. Sheikh Hasina, the successor of her father’s development ideas, was taking Bangladesh to a unique height at the national and international levels. Bangladesh has emerged as a role model for many countries in the world.
The reconstruction work was described in the 1972-1973 budget. In this reconstruction, many friendly countries helped with Bangabandhu’s call, which did not require repayment. These aid donor countries were India (Soviet Union), Russia, the United Kingdom, Canada, Japan, Germany, Sweden, Denmark, and the Netherlands. Bangabandhu’s goal was to achieve self-sufficiency in food production as soon as possible. Besides, the budget of 1972-73 gave importance to the education sector after rehabilitation. Bangabandhu’s thoughts and efforts aimed to alleviate the suffering of the poor people of Bengal, provide food, clothing, education, good health, and employment for all, and build a society without discrimination. The killing of Bangabandhu and his family on August 15 is one of the most heinous, barbaric, and brutal murders in the history of human civilization. It wasn’t just murder. There were also conspiracies to stall the progress of the newly independent nation forever. A promising politician who devoted his entire life to the service of his nation was killed so brutally that people of our country still cry and say, “You can kill Bangabandhu, but you cant create Bangabandhu.”
The author is a columnist and a research fellow based in Dhaka, Bangladesh.
Views are personal and IAR neither endorses nor is responsible for them
