SIX-POINT PROGRAM AND THE

BIRTH OF BANGLADESH
WHAT?

 Six-point Program a charter of

demands enunciated by the AWAMI
LEAGUE for removing disparity
between the two wings of Pakistan
and to put an end to the internal
colonial rule of West Pakistan in
East Bengal.

 Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, the Awami

League President unfolded a Six-
Point Program on 13 February,
1966.
 BACKGROUND

 The leaders of the opposition parties of West

Pakistan convened a national convention at
Lahore on 6 February 1966 with a view to
ascertain the post-Taskent political trend.

 Bangabandhu reached Lahore on 4 February

along with the top leaders of Awami League, and
the day following he placed the Six-point charter
of demand before the subject committee as the
demands of the people of East Pakistan.
 He created pressure to include his proposal
in the agenda of the conference. The subject
committee rejected the proposal of
Bangabandhu.

 On the day following, the newspapers of

West Pakistan published reports on the Six-
point Programme, and Sheikh Mujibur
Rahman was projected as a separatist.
Consequently Sheikh Mujib abandoned the
conference.
 The Six-point Programme along with a proposal
of movement for the realisation of the demands
was placed before the meeting of the working
committee of Awami League on 21 February
1966, and the proposal was carried out
unanimously.

 A booklet on the Six-point Programme with

introduction from Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur
Rahman and Tajuddin Ahmad was published.
 Another booklet titled Amader Banchar Dabi:
6-dafa Karmasuchi (Our demands for
existence: 6-points Programme) was
published in the name of Sheikh Mujibur
Rahman, and was distributed in the council
meeting of Awami League held on 18 March
1966.
SIX-POINT PROGRAMS
 This program aimed at securing the
Provincial Autonomy for East Pakistan.
 It was the most vigorous political move till
then to achieve the self-rights of the Bengalis
in Pakistan
THE INDO-PAKISTAN WAR OF 1965
 The 1965 War between India
and Pakistan
 Left East Pakistan quite
helpless exposing the military
vulnerability of the province
and the indifference of the
Pakistani rulers to the defense
of the region.
SIX-POINT AND THE PEOPLE OF EAST
PAKISTAN
 The people of East Pakistan supported it
wholeheartedly.
 Rounak Jahan commented that although Six-
Point Demand movement was short –lived, it
influenced heavily the subsequent history of
Pakistan guiding the political course in East
Pakistan. It impacted upon the election of
1970 and eventually the Liberation War of
1971.
BACKGROUND OF THE MOVEMENT
 Administrative Disparity – Representation
from East Pakistan was bare minimum from
the highest level to the lowest clerks.
 During Ayub regime there were 62 Ministers
of whom only 22 were Bengalis. These
ministers were given only low key ministries.
DISPARITY
 Economic causes
 The Head-quarters of all the financial
institutions were in West- Pakistan. Hence all
the capital were shifted there
 East Pakistan contributed more to the
exchequer than West Pakistan but got less in
return.
DISPARITY
 Disparity in Development Budget for
example from 1960-65 East Pakistan
received 970 crores while for the same
period West Pakistan received 2150 crores
 Military service – all the head quarters of the
three services were in West Pakistan
 Most military personnel were from WP
 Helpless situation in 1965.
SIX- POINT
 1. The constitution should provide for a
federation of Pakistan in the true sense on
the basis of the Lahore Resolution and for
a Parliamentary form of government
based on the supremacy of a duly elected
legislature on the basis of universal adult
franchise
 2. The Federal Government shall deal with
only two subjects, defense and foreign
affairs while the residuary subjects were
to be vested in the federating states.
SIX- POINTS
 3. There should be either two separate
freely convertible currencies for the
two wings or one currency with two
separate Reserve Banks to prevent
inter-wing flight of capital.
 4.The power of taxation and revenue
collection shall be vested in the
federating units. The Federal
Government will receive a share to
meet its financial obligations.
SIX-POINT
 5. Economic disparities between the two
wings shall be made to disappear through
series of economic,fiscal and legal reforms.
 6. A militia or para-military force must be
created in East Pakistan, which at present
has no defence of its own.
GENERAL COMMENT ON SIX- POINT
 The six-points programme went further than
the other political demands made earlier. It
gave the Federal Government only two
subjects defence and foreign affairs and not
currency. It demanded a Parliamentary form
of government where the members of the
legislature would be elected on the basis of
the universal adult franchise. This clause
gave East Pakistan
SIX-POINT
 Advantage over West Pakistan as the
population in East Pakistan was larger than in
West.
 Point four in the six-points which demanded
that the power to tax and collect revenue
should be with the federating units was also
a departure from previous demands.
REACTION TO SIX-POINT
 The press in West Pakistan described it as
cessasionist agenda.
 President Ayub remarked that it is the
conspiracy for establishing a Hindu-
dominated United Bengal. On 15 March he
observed that it is intended to destroy
Pakistan.
 Even the leading political parties of East
Pakistan was against it.
REACTION
 4.
Maulana Bhasani of NAP
described it as a ploy of
the Western Imperialist
and questioned its
economic viability.
REACTION
 The opposition leaders of West Pakistan
looked at Mujib's Six-point Programme as a
device to disband Pakistan, and hence they
rejected his proposal outright.

 The Ayub government projected Sheikh Mujib

as a separatist and later instituted
the AGARTALA CONSPIRACY CASE against
him. He was arrested and put on trial.
REACTION
 The case led to widespread agitation in East
Pakistan culminating into the mass uprising of
early 1969. Under public pressure, the
government was forced to release Mujib
unconditionally on 22 February 1969.

 It is widely credited as the “Charter of Freedom”.

 It was more radical than previous demands for

autonomy because it no longer advocated a
federal structure for Pakistan. Instead, it
demanded a confederation of two separate units.
SIGNIFICANCE
 Thunderous expression against
oppression.
 Final expression of Bengali nationalism

 Demand for autonomy

 Expression to become self-reliant.

 Total opposition and final movement

against Government of Pakistan.
 Awareness of the value of democracy.


SIGNIFICANCE
 Increased the popularity of Awami League
 Impact upon the 1970 Election.
 Seed to the eventual independence of
Bangladesh.
 ROAD TO LIBERATION
 Eleven Point Movement 1968-69
 Agartala Conspiracy
 Mass Uprising, 1969
 Election of 1970

 END OF PAKISTAN
END OF PAKISTAN
 Election of 1970
 Non- Cooperation Movement 1970

 War of Liberation of 1971

 Sectors based War.

 Victory Day 16 December,1971.

 THANKS!