পাতা:বাংলাদেশের স্বাধীনতা যুদ্ধ দলিলপত্র (একাদশ খণ্ড).pdf/২১০

185 বাংলাদেশের স্বাধীনতা যুদ্ধ দলিলপত্র : একাদশ খন্ড You are the masters of the country and we are engaged in your service in defending your human rights and sovereignty. The threat to your human rights and sovereignty emanates from the vile motive of the military junta in West Pakistan to occupy Bangladesh as a colony in flagrant violation of the United Nation's Charter of Human Rights and on Genocide and violation of the concept of Pakistan explicitly enunciated in the Lahore Resolution of the 23rd March 1940 which envisaged two (Two ) Independent and Sovereign states, one in the West and one in the East of the sub-continent. This concept was endorsed by the people in the General Elections of 1946 and was never amended . The people of Bangladesh have been consistently striving, constitutionally, to free themselves from the evils of colonialism, practiced with the support of mercenary forces drawn from West Pakistan primarily West Punjag. Eventually, at the first ever General Elections held in Pakistan, on the 7" December 1970 , under the bayonets of General Yahya's Martial Law administration, the people of Bangladesh gave 99% of the scats from Bangladesh and 80% of the votes to Banglabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman and his Party -the Awami League - which stood for freeing Bangladesh from colonialism and freeing Pakistan from inequities. Awami League also secured absolute majority of the seats in the Parliament. Our freedom loving people maintained absolute peace and the election was universally hailed as very fairly and freely held. But the results came as a surprise to the military junta who had miscalculated that the Awami League would at best obtain 60% of the seats from Bangladesh and the remaining 40% would be their lackeys with whose help they would have a pliabe majority. Then what happened 2 Mr. Bhutto came handy. In utter disregard of democratic practice and electoral obligations, he refused to attend the National Assembly Session called for the 3rd March 1971 at Dacca and threatened violence and disorder of the session was not postponed . His threat was respected by military regime. Public resentment against this uncalled for postponement brought bullets on them . The people of Bangladesh then resorted to non-violent non-cooperation of the regime which led to a peaceful transfer of defector power to the peoples representatives. Mr. Bhutto propounded his formula that power be transferred separately to the majority parties in West Pakistan and in what was then East Pakistan. This was a clear indication that a parliamentary majority based on Bengalis was not acceptable to those who matter in West Pakistan and indeed, accepted that there are two separate nations- one in West Pakistan and the other in the East in Bangladesh . With mounting socio-economic problems, in the face of political uncertainty, affecting the life and future of millions in the country, the spokesmen for the country Sheikh Mujibur Rahman and the Awami League wanted a speedy political solution of the deadlock and suggested a formula on the basis of Bhutto's suggestion on the separate transfer of power. General Yahya agreed to the formula and to Awami League's suggestion for interim arrangements for the Federal Centre (this he has admitted in his broadcast of the 26th March 1971). But the colonial rulers from West Pakistan did not want power and democratic rights to be given to the people of Bangladesh . Bhutto was subtly used to quibble over the trade and commerce arrangements and power for fighters - (Illegible ) - which the people of Bangladesh had given an emphatic mandate during the General Elections which no public representative could ignore. While the talked dragged on, Boeings and ships brought troops round the