Historic 6-Point Day today

The historic Six-Point Day, marking the demand for autonomy for then East Pakistan, now Bangladesh, will be observed today.

The ruling Awami League, its associated bodies and like-minded socio-cultural organisations have chalked out different programmes to observe the day this year.

The AL’s programmes include hoisting of the national and party flags atop Bangabandhu Bhaban at Dhanmondi and the central office in the capital and all unit offices across the country in the morning, reported Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha.

Leaders and activists of the AL and its front organisations will place wreaths at the portrait of Bangabandhu at Bangabandhu Bhaban at Dhanmondi in the city.

Besides, the AL will organise a discussion at the city’s Bangabandhu International Conference Centre to mark the day where AL the president and prime minister Sheikh Hasina will chair, a press release issued by the AL said on Tuesday.

AL general secretary and road transport and bridges minister Obaidul Quader, in a statement today urged all district, city, upazila, municipality, union and ward units of the party and its associate and like-minded bodies as well as the people to observe the day across the country in a befitting manner through different programmes in line with the central ones.

On June 7, 1966, AL leader Sheikh Mujibur Rahman launched a massive movement with the focus on the Six-Point Demand, considered the Magna Carta for the self-rule of then East Pakistan’s Bengali population.

Eleven people, including Manu Mian, Shafique and Shamsul Haque, were shot dead by the police and the paramilitary East Pakistan Rifles troops in Dhaka and Narayanganj on June 7, 1966.

They were demonstrating during a general strike called for the release of Sheikh Mujib and other leaders detained for launching the Six-Point Movement against the Pakistani oppression.

Mujib announced his six-point political and economic programme in Lahore on February 5, 1966, aimed at attaining autonomy for the eastern wing of Pakistan amid the exploitation and discrimination by the then Pakistani rulers.

The key point in the six-point demand included creating a constitutional provision for a federation of Pakistan, based on the 1940 Lahore Resolution, in which the federal government would deal with only defence and foreign affairs.

The other demands included introduction of two separate but freely convertible currencies for East and West Pakistan, vesting the power of taxation and revenue collection with the federating units, maintaining two separate accounts for foreign exchange earnings of the two wings and creation of a separate militia or paramilitary force for East Pakistan.

Read More