Mujib termed the concept of independent Bangladesh ‘premature’: ASM Abdur Rab

Bangla Press Desk : In a rare interview, veteran politician and freedom fighter ASM Abdur Rab has claimed that Sheikh Mujibur Rahman had termed the concept of an independent Bangladesh ‘premature’ after ASM Abdur Rab had handed him the flag of independent Bangladesh on 7 March 1971.

Sharing his recollections of the political tensions and negotiations that took place in the months leading up to Bangladesh’s independence in 1971, Rab said that even after the 1970 elections, leaders of the Awami League, including Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, attempted to negotiate with Pakistan’s military ruler Yahya Khan and political leader Zulfikar Ali Bhutto to maintain a united Pakistan.According to Rab, these efforts faced strong resistance from student groups, youth activists and members of the Swadhin Bangla Nucleus, who opposed any compromise that would keep Pakistan united.

He said the student and youth movements worked to ensure that negotiations with Yahya Khan and Bhutto would not result in a political settlement preserving a single Pakistani state.

Rab also recalled that on 7 March 1971, he handed the flag of independent Bangladesh to Sheikh Mujibur Rahman at Paltan Maidan.

However, he claimed Mujib initially considered the move premature. Rab said he argued that the timing was appropriate and that the demand for independence reflected the will of the people.

He further stated that later that night he and other activists met Sheikh Mujibur Rahman at his residence around 11pm and urged him not to pursue leadership within Pakistan but instead to assume leadership of an independent Bangladesh.

According to Rab, they told Mujib that the people of Bangladesh would not accept any arrangement that kept the country within Pakistan.

Rab also claimed that on 25 March 1971, when Sheikh Mujibur Rahman went to meet Yahya Khan at Ganabhaban, he forcibly attached the flag of independent Bangladesh to Mujib’s vehicle despite Mujib’s reluctance.

He said that during negotiations Mujib raised several demands, including the transfer of Bengali soldiers from West Pakistan to East Pakistan, the introduction of two separate currencies and the establishment of a separate state bank—measures which Rab argued would effectively end the concept of a single Pakistani state.Rab further criticised the post-independence period under Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, alleging that political repression took place and that opposition activists, including members of the Jatiya Samajtantrik Dal, were arrested or targeted.

The remarks reflect Rab’s personal account of the political developments during and after the independence movement and his long-standing criticism of the Awami League leadership during that era.Source: daily Sun

BP/SP