ASSIGNMENT

Course: History of the Emergence of Independent

Bangladesh (119)

Submitted to: Rubel Parvez

Submitted by

Name: Shayla Akter

ID: 1914 2210 31

Submission Date: 26th October 2021

Department of English
University of Information Technology & Science
Sheikh Mujib, shortened as Mujib, was the founder of independent Bangladesh. He was the
former President of Bangladesh and later became the Prime Minister of Bangladesh for four
years, from 1971 to 1975. However, Mujib was assassinated on August 15, 1975. Sheikh Mujib
was the man who united the whole of Bangladesh to fight against the then oppressive West
Pakistan. He is the man who worked behind the independence of Bangladesh. His popularity and
contribution to the country, for the people, named him “Bangabandhu,” which means “Friend of
Bengal" in English terms. Indeed, Mujib was an altruistic friend of all Bangladeshis.

Siraj-ud-Daula was the last independent Nawab of Bengal. He was born in 1733 and died on July
23, 1757. The end of his reign marks the end of the independent rule in India and beginning of
the company’s rule that continued unabated over the next two hundred years.

The same thing does not happen twice in history. However, the similarity of one event with
another is found. There is a lot of similarity between the Palashi disaster and the Bangabandhu
assassination. It is not only about the events, but also about the causes.

The time interval between these two tragic events is 218 years. The last Nawab of Bengal, Siraj-
ud-daula, was killed on 23 June 1757 at Murshidabad, the capital of Bengal, after the disaster of
Palashi. On 15 August 1975, Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, the father of independent
Bangladesh, was killed in Dhaka, the capital of Bangladesh. These two twists and turns
happened not to win the war; Through conspiracy.

The East India Company had a greedy eye on the resources of Bengal. However, it was not easy
for them to subdue Siraj-ud-daula, the Nawab of Bengal; Fighting was not even in the
imagination. The strength of the East India Company was insignificant to the military might of
Bengal. So the foreign banners, who failed to get more and more unregulated trade facilities,
proceeded to conspire. They were not unknown - Mir Jafar, Ghaseti Begum, Yar Latif,
Rajballav, Umichand, Raydurlav, Jagatshetra were unhappy with the young Nawab Siraj-ud-
daula. Robert Clive (then Colonel), the head of the company, contacted the intruders. These
ambitious people joined hands with the English in greed; Twist the conspiracy.
The defeated Pak-US clique in independent Bangladesh also knew that Khandaker Mushtaq,
Taheruddin Tagore, Mahbubul Alam Chashi, Rashid, Farooq, Dalim, Nur and others were
unhappy with Bangabandhu for various reasons. Like the palace conspiracy in Murshidabad, a
circle formed around Khandaker Mushtaq in independent Bangladesh. It is an open secret today
that these ambitious people are in contact with the Pak-US clique defeated in the war. This is
how the blueprint for the assassination of Bangabandhu was made.

What a wonderful match between these two events in history! The betrayal of the 'near ones' led
to the defeat of the Bengali forces at Palashi by a small force and the tragic death of the Nawab.
Similarly, Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib and his family were killed at the hands of some
misguided army personnel due to the betrayal of the people close to them. Mir Jafar Ali Khan, a
relative and general of Nawab Siraj-ud-daula, the chief of treachery in the Palashi incident; And
the mastermind of the August 15 conspiracy was Bangabandhu's 'friend' and influential minister
Khandaker Mushtaq Ahmed.

The difference between these two tragic events in history is that the British forces went straight
to battle at Palashi. And in the conspiracy of 15 August, the foreign powers shook the machine
from afar; Those are still out of reach today. However, the issue of foreign aid and support is no
longer a secret. Evidence of this can be found in a recent analysis of US State Department
documents. It is understandable that no one could have shown such audacity without
international help and support. Besides, the support of Western and Middle Eastern countries for
the illegitimate government after August 15 is enough to understand that.

Mushtaq's betrayal was not new. It was first published in the absence of Bangabandhu. It is a
proven fact that during the war of liberation in 1971, Mushtaq joined hands with Pakistan
through US diplomats. It is unfortunate that even after this conspiracy, Mushtaq did not have to
stand on the bench in independent Bengal; He did not have to be held accountable. In addition,
get a place in the cabinet. Bangabandhu's confidence in him also remained intact. Bangabandhu
has to pay the ultimate price for believing in this identified conspirator with his family life.
Similarly, the young Nawab Siraj-ud-daula, despite receiving various allegations, believed in Mir
Jafar and paid immeasurable compensation.