বাংলাদেশের স্বাধীনতা যুদ্ধ দলিলপত্র (দ্বিতীয় খণ্ড)/১২৭
| শিরোনাম | সূত্র | তারিখ |
| নির্বাচনের মাধ্যমে দাবী আদায় না হলে আবার আন্দোলন শুরু হবেঃ শেখ মুজিব |
দ্য পিপল | ১৮ অক্টোবর, ১৯৭০ |
BALLOT BATTLE MY LAST FIGHT TO SECURE RIGHTS
OF EAST BENGAL
SHEIKH MUJIBUR RAHMAN'S SPEECH AT DOLAIKHAL
On October 17, 1970.
Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, the Awami League Chief while addressing a compact gathering of over a lakh of cheering people at Dolaikhai area yesterday declared that the ensuing “ballot battle” would be his last fight to achieve the rights of Bengal through peaceful means.
Launching his first election campaign in the old city from where he is contesting for a National Assembly seat. Sheikh Mujib reaffirmed his determination to nationalize banks and insurance companies, which have been serving the interest of the monopoly capital of West Pakistan and which have done a positive harm to the small traders of Bengal by refusing them due facilities.
Sheikh Mujib said that Bonus Voucher system had destroyed the small traders of Bengal and he assured that he would safeguard the interest of the small business from the devouring grip of the big business and monopoly capital of West Pakistan.
Turning to election he said that although he was seeing votes like all other parties, power was not the motto of his politics like those seasonal politicians who instead of suffering the pains of imprisonment had slaughtered the people of Bengal by joining hands with the vested interests.
He said that if he had any greed for power, he could become the Prime Minister of the country immediately after his release from the prison and if he wanted to be the Governor of Bengal he could occupy that chair even without suffering the long days of imprisonment. But no amount of allurement could ever deviate him from his devotion to the cause of the people of Bengal.
In a voice resonant with emotion, he asked the people to pray to Almighty to allow him an endurance to serve the cause of Bengal even at the cost of his life. He said that he had nothing left with him except his humble life to offer to the people in exchange of their immense love and affection and unprecedented sacrifices that saved him from being hanged.
Amidst thunderous ovation Sheikh Mujib declared that if the six-point demands were not fulfilled through election, he would again call the heroic people of Dacca to join him in the struggle and give blood once again.
While explaining the reason for contesting from the city constituency, he said that it was the people of Dacca who contributed the maximum blood for his release and it was in the Dacca Central Jail where he had spent 10 years of his youthful days. He claimed to be more “Daccaiya” than Khawaja Khairuddin, who incidentally happens to be of Kashmiri origin. The Sheikh claimed that lie had established blood'-relation with the local people with whom he had spent the best part of his life. IIc promised to give due consideration to them as for the local problems, particularly the provision of an alternative drainage against the sealed Dolaikhal and home for the uprooted destitute.
Sheikh Mujib said that crores of rupees were being drained in Bengal lo defeat the Awami League in the next election and conspiracies were still being hatched by the vested interests to defer the transfer to the elected representatives of the people in the same old style that was adopted in 1954 after the historic victory of the United Front.