6 points Movement

Background & Aftermath

HIS 103: Emergence of Bangladesh

Asif Basar (MAB2)
Department of History and Philosophy
North South University
Background
Six Point Program was evolved through different phases of
history. The first Grand Convention of Awami League was
held in Dhaka in November, 1950 in which some prominent
Awami League leaders propagated the message of true
federal states. Their constitutional proposals support the
first report of the BPC (Basic Principles Committee)
provided for a 'United States of Pakistan' with only defense
and foreign affairs in the hands of the federal government.
On the subject of taxation, it was suggested by the Awami
Convention that center only could impose taxes under some
specified heads with the consent of the province. It also said:
(a) a United States of Pakistan, consisting of the Eastern and
Western regions with a parliament elected under a joint
electorate system;
(b) Only Defence and Foreign Affairs to be the central subjects
provided that (i) two units of Defence Forces with two Regional
General Officers Commanding in the East and the West under
Supreme Command at the Federal Capital; (ii) the Regional
Defense Force raised from and manned by the people of the
respective regions, (iii) a Regional Foreign Affairs office in the
Eastern Region; and
(c) the Federal Government to impose taxes only on some
specified items; new items for taxation could be added with the
consent of the regions. The proposed Constitution also called
for the establishment of "a sovereign Socialist Republic” of
Bengalis and for the recognition of Bengali as a state language.
The six points of Awami League (AL), which led to the breakup
of Pakistan in 1971 were more or less the reformulation of this
proposal.
In the famous 21-Point Program of United Front, a full
provincial autonomy on the basis of the Lahore
Resolution was demanded by giving center only
defense and foreign affairs. The demands in the Six
Point Formula were, therefore, based on the earlier
proposals evolved through different phases in the
history of East Pakistan.
The demand of autonomy rightly reflected in the 21
points election manifesto of United front in 1954. In
the point 19, the United Front stated:

“East Bengal will get complete autonomy according to

the Lahore Resolution. Our defense, currency and
foreign policy will be joint subjects with the Center.
Army headquarters will be in West Pakistan and
Naval headquarters are to be set up in East Pakistan,
so that this wing can become strong to safeguard her
Historian Salahuddin Ahmed supports the view that the main
source of the inspiration of the Six-Point Program lies on the
original concept of Pakistan that it would consist of
‘Independent Muslim States'.

He quotes Sir Hussain Suhrawardy saying that in 1942 Mr.

Jinnah envisages the course followed in the evolution of the
Union of the Commonwealth of Australia and the Dominion of
Canada. The Muslim States will first function as separate and
independent within the British Commonwealth of Nations;
and, if and when found feasible, confederate as equal partners
by mutual consent with other parts of India and with other
Dominions.
He further quotes, on the eve of the Partition of India, even the
British authorities believed that the units of Pakistan would be
administratively and financially autonomous. On 5 February,
1946, Sir D. Monteath wrote to Lord Pethick-Lawrence as
would seem more probable, Western and Eastern Pakistan
exist as separate Units administratively and financially, but
united by something like a treaty arrangement for policy
purposes
The 1965 Indo-Pak war also contributed in formulating Six
points Program. The 1965 Indo-Pak War came as an eye-
opener for the Bangalis because during the War, East Pakistan
became completely isolated from the rest of the world.
What is 6 Points program?
The historic Six-Point Demand or the Six-Point Formula
has been widely credited as the "charter of freedom" in
Bangladesh's struggle for self-determination from West
Pakistan's domination. Indeed, the six-point movement in
1966 was the turning point in our quest for
independence. On June 7 in 1966 the Awami League called
a countrywide hartal in the then East Pakistan to press
home the six-point demands. Sheikh Mujibur Rahman
along with many others was arrested. Since then 7th June
is observed as the historic six-point day.
The Awami League Council meeting at Dhaka in February,
1966 proved to be a famous platform where Six Point Formula
for autonomy of East Pakistan was adopted. In the same
meeting Sheikh Mujib was also elected as the President of the
Awami League. It was presented publically in March, 1966 in
Lahore before an all political parties meeting.

The main exponents of Six Point Formula were Tajuddin

Ahmed, Rehman Sobhan, Nurul Islam and Ruhul Quddus.
Majority of party workers did not know regarding the
formula till the Council Meeting held in February, 1966.
Tajuddin Ahmad Rehman Sobhan Nurul Islam
The program was primarily financed by the rising Bengali
business community and the wealthy owner of the
Pioneer Press, Dacca helped printing the booklet free of
cost.
Add a Slide Title - 1
The East Pakistanis welcomed the Six Points Program whole
heartedly and it gained immense kind of support for a variety
of reasons. Firstly, it challenged the political and economic
monopoly of West Pakistan.
Secondly, the East Pakistan’s export earnings would no longer
be exploited and manipulated for the growth of the
industrialization of West Pakistan.
Thirdly, foreign aid would no longer be monopolized for West
Pakistan only.
Fourthly, the East Pakistan would no longer remain an inferior
and sub-ordinate market for West Pakistani products.
Finally, the end of Economic priorities determined for the
advantage of West Pakistan only.
The Narration of 6 points
It is interesting to note that Sheikh Mujib tried to trace analogy
between the Lahore Resolution and Six Point Program by
placing it in the same month and venue. In March, 1966 he was
in Lahore, the same month and the same city where the famous
Lahore Resolution was presented by Sher-e-Bangla Fazlul Huq
and adopted in 1940. In a meeting when various political parties
were present, he placed the Formula claiming to have been
based on the principles of the Lahore Resolution, to save
Pakistan from disintegration. He distributed the few hundred
copies of the booklets of Six-Point Program which he carried
with him from East Pakistan.
Sheikh Mujib announcing the Six Points in Lahore
The All Party Subject
Committee rejected the
proposal of Sheikh Mujib. On
the following day, the
newspapers of West Pakistan
published reports on the Six-
point Program, and Sheikh
Mujibur Rahman was
projected as a separatist.
Consequently Sheikh Mujib
decided to abandon the
conference.
 Point 1:
Pakistan shall be a Federal State. There shall be a
parliamentary government formed by a legislature
elected on the basis of universal adult franchise.
 Point 2:
The federal government should deal with only two
subjects: Defense and Foreign Affairs, and all other
residuary subjects shall be vested in the federating
states.
 Point 3:
There shall be two separate but easily convertible
currencies for the two wings of Pakistan. Or alternatively,
there may by a single currency with the provision that the
Federal Bank shall take adequate measures to stop the
siphoning off from East Pakistan to West Pakistan.
 Point 4:
The power of taxation and revenue collection shall be
vested in the federating units and the center will have
no such power on the issue. The federation will be
entitled to share the taxes with the state to meet its
expenditures.
 Point 5:

Separate accounts shall be maintained for the foreign

exchange earnings of the two wings. The foreign exchange
earned from foreign trade shall be under the control of the
respective wings. The federating units shall be
independent in conducting trades with foreign countries.
 Point 6:
The federating provinces shall be able to raise para-militia
or para-military forces for their own defenses.
Ammunition manufacturing units as well as the Naval
headquarter should be located in the East Pakistan.
Aftermath

The opposition leaders of West Pakistan looked at Mujib's

Six-point Program 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.
Reactions of the political leaders to the six-point plan
and Sheikh Mujibur Rahman's response

The mainstream political leaders of the opposition

parties in Pakistan were not even willing to discuss the
merits or demerits of the proposed six-point formula
for ensuring greater provincial autonomy for the
eastern province of Pakistan. It is also really appalling
to recall that the non-Awami League delegates from
the then East Pakistan did not endorse the six-point
demand initially.
Instead of endorsing or discussing the six-point formula,
the self-declared champions for restoration of democracy in
the then Pakistan had deliberately launched a hateful
propaganda campaign against Sheikh Mujibur Rahman,
the chief sponsor and proponent of the six-point plan.

In her celebrated book, Pakistan: Failure in National

Integration , Dr. Rounaq Jahan concisely summarized the
hostile reactions of other political parties to the six-point
formula:
"The six-point demand not only split the Awami League
but also made it difficult for the East Pakistan wing to form
an alliance with any other West Pakistan-based party.
The CML (Council of Muslim League) decried the six points
as a demand for confederation, not federation; the
Jama'at-i-Islami branded it as a separatist design; the
Nizam-i-Islam rejected it as a unilateral, dictatorial move
on Mujib's part; and the NAP (National Awami Party)
dismissed it on the grounds that it was parochial and did
not include any measures to free East Pakistan from
imperialists agents."
In the press conference at
Lahore, Sheikh Mujibur Rahman
said that since the proposed six-
point demand was not at all
designed to harm the common
people of West Pakistan, the
question of demanding a genuine
"provincial autonomy" for East
Pakistan based on the six-point
formula "should not be
misconstrued or dismissed as
provincialism."
He pointed out that the 17-day war between Pakistan and
India in September 1965 had made it crystal clear to the
"East Pakistanis" that the defense of East Pakistan
couldn't be contingent upon the mercy or courtesy of
West Pakistan. He said that instead of relying on West
Pakistan for its protection, East Pakistan -- a land located
one thousand miles away -- should be made self-
sufficient for defending itself from external aggression.
However, the ruling circle of Pakistan was not at all interested
in dealing or negotiating with the Awami League on the issue of
provincial autonomy even though Sheikh Mujibur Rahman had
publicly stated that he was willing to negotiate his six-point
plan with anyone in good faith, provided a meaningful
autonomy was ensured for East Pakistan.

Monaem Khan, the infamous governor of East Pakistan, had

publicly stated that "as long as I remain as the governor of this
province, I will see to it that Sheikh Mujibur Rahman remains in
chains." Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto had openly challenged Sheikh
Mujibur Rahman to a public debate at Paltan Maidan in Dhaka
on the strengths and weaknesses of the proposed six-point
formula.