বাংলাদেশের স্বাধীনতা যুদ্ধ দলিলপত্রঃ পঞ্চদশ খণ্ড
dissolved. This was expected to provide a strong incentive for members to arrive at a compromise —to compromise, it was hoped, on the demand for autonomy to the extent considered necessary by the ruling minority. If such a compromise were not arrived at, the president could refuse to authenticate. Apart from this, Yahya calculated that on party would get a clear majority in the eastern wing. In other words, that the Bengali majority would be fragmented, leaving him enough room to manipulate and manoeuver. This was a technique effectively used by the ruling minority in the fifties, and Yahya was encouraged to feel that this could serve him equally well. He was encouraged also b reports of the elderly Bengali politicians, like Hamidul Haq chowdhury, that Awami league would not win a strong majority.
As the pre-election campaign went on, it began to be increasingly calear that Awami league seemed to be emerging as a party with near universal support. Other parties began to sense that a groundswell was developing which was likely to give Awami league a sweeping majority. They, therefore, began to urge postponement of elections.
The occurrence of floods around august, provided an opportunity for leaders of different parties to press for postponement of the election date, which was October 5 1970. They felt that postponement of the elections might give them a chance to make up some ground. Their efforts to secure a postponement were successful. The date of the election was shifted from October 3 to December 7, 1970. The postponement, however acted in favor of the Awami league. The larger time enabled Sheikh Mujib to embark on a more extensive tour and personally to reach people in all parts of Bangladesh. Also, during this period, and event occurred which had a special impact upon the people and ultimately upon the election results, namely, the cyclone and tidal bore of November 1970, which swept the coastal areas of Bangladesh.
The magnitude of devastations and the death toll made it into a disaster which attracted headlines all over the world. The inaction displayed by Yahya and central Government was noticed both in the country and outside. Yahya stopped in Dacca on his return journey from China just after the cyclone, but did not stay back. Relief operations launched by the Government were slow and inadequate. This also provided Sheikh Mujib and Awami League with an opportunity to demonstrate both the capabilities in meeting such a situation and also to ventilate the sense of outrage felt by the Bengali people against the central Government.
Other parties again raised and chorus for postponement. The Awami League had voiced in the strongest possible terms, its opposition to such a postponement move. Indeed, Sheikh Mujib characterized such efforts at postponement as a conspiracy to obstruct transfer of power and warned that any such move would be resisted by the people. He stated that a million lives had already been lost and, if necessary, Bangalees would sacrifice a million more to frustrate the conspirators and to seize power, so that the people could be masters of their own destiny.
In the face of this situation, Yahya held back from further postponement. Only elections in the cyclone-affected areas (involving 17 seats) were postponed. Elections proceeded in accordance with the original schedule on December 7, 1970, in other places.
