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Six-Point Programme of Awami League

The Six-point Programme was a charter of demands by the Awami League aimed at addressing economic disparity and political autonomy for East Pakistan. Proposed by Sheikh Mujibur Rahman in 1966, it was rejected by West Pakistani leaders, leading to his arrest and a subsequent mass uprising. The programme gained popular support in the 1970 elections, but failed to achieve its goals due to political tensions and the military crackdown in March 1971.

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0% found this document useful (0 votes)
17 views3 pages

Six-Point Programme of Awami League

The Six-point Programme was a charter of demands by the Awami League aimed at addressing economic disparity and political autonomy for East Pakistan. Proposed by Sheikh Mujibur Rahman in 1966, it was rejected by West Pakistani leaders, leading to his arrest and a subsequent mass uprising. The programme gained popular support in the 1970 elections, but failed to achieve its goals due to political tensions and the military crackdown in March 1971.

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Six-point Programme

Six-point Programme was 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.
The Indo-Pak War of 1965 ended with the execution of Taskent Treaty. To the
old grievances of economic disparity added the complain of negligence and
indifference of central government towards the defence of East Pakistan.
Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman was vocal on this issue.
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 Points

1. The Constitution should provide for a Federation of Pakistan in its true sense
on the Lahore Resolution, and the parliamentary form of government with
supremacy of a Legislature directly elected on the basis of universal adult
franchise.

2. The federal government should deal with only two subjects: Defence and
Foreign Affairs, and all other residuary subjects shall be vested in the
federating states.

3. Two separate, but freely convertible currencies for two wings should be
introduced; or if this is not feasible, there should be one currency for the
whole country, but effective constitutional provisions should be introduced
to stop the flight of capital from East to West Pakistan. Furthermore, a
separate Banking Reserve should be established, and separate fiscal and
monetary policy be adopted for East Pakistan.

4. The power of taxation and revenue collection shall be vested in the federating
units and the federal centre will have no such power on the issue. The
federation will be entitled to a share in the state taxes to meet its
expenditures.

5. There should be two separate accounts for the foreign exchange earnings of
the two wings; the foreign exchange requirements of the federal government
should be met by the two wings equally or in a ratio to be fixed; indigenous
products should move free of duty between the two wings, and the
Constitution should empower the units to establish trade links with foreign
countries.

6. East Pakistan should have a separate militia or paramilitary force.

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. 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 him unconditionally on 22 February 1969.
The Awami League sought public mandate in favour of the Six-point
Programme in the general elections of 1970 in which Sheikh Mujib received the
absolute mandate from the people of East Pakistan in favour of his Six-point.
But Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto refused to join the session of the National Assembly
scheduled to be held on 3 March 1971 unless a settlement was reached between
the two leaders beforehand. Sheikh Mujibur Rahman and his party sat in a
protracted dialogue from 15 March 1971. The dialogue failed to produce any
positive result. The army crackdown of 25 March sealed the fate of the Six-point
including the fate of Pakistan.

Source
History, Six-Point Programme

Common questions

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The rejection of the Six-point Programme by West Pakistani leaders led to increased political tension and division between the two wings of Pakistan. It fueled perceptions in East Pakistan of being treated as a colony and intensified demands for autonomy. The program’s rejection and consequent portrayal of Mujib as a separatist created a significant rise in nationalist sentiment in East Pakistan, culminating in a mass uprising and eventually contributing to the country's path towards independence. The continued refusal to negotiate on these terms exacerbated unrest, leading to the 1971 liberation war .

The economic reforms proposed in the Six-point Programme aimed to alter the relationship between East and West Pakistan by ensuring greater economic autonomy for East Pakistan. These reforms included instituting separate fiscal and monetary policies, introducing dual currencies or safeguards to prevent the capital flight from East to West Pakistan, and granting East Pakistan control over taxation and revenue collection. Additionally, it proposed separate accounts for foreign exchange earnings and emphasized free movement of products between the regions, aiming to establish an equitable economic relationship and curtail West Pakistan's economic dominance .

The Six-point Programme addressed defense concerns by limiting federal control over defense matters, advocating only for a unified policy framework while proposing the establishment of a separate militia or paramilitary force for East Pakistan. This was strategic for ensuring regional security and autonomy, reflecting mistrust in West Pakistan's ability or willingness to protect East Pakistan's interests, especially considering the perceived neglect during conflicts such as the Indo-Pak War of 1965 .

Sheikh Mujibur Rahman sought support for the Six-point Programme by advocating it at national conventions and through publications such as the booklet titled 'Amader Banchar Dabi: 6-dafa Karmasuchi'. He managed to secure the backing of the Awami League and presented the programme at its council meeting. These efforts culminated in the general elections of 1970, where the Awami League received an absolute mandate from the people of East Pakistan, affirming widespread support for the Six-point demands .

The Tashkent Treaty, which ended the Indo-Pak War of 1965, influenced the creation of the Six-point Programme by exacerbating grievances in East Pakistan regarding economic disparity and neglect in national defense matters. Sheikh Mujibur Rahman and the Awami League leveraged these grievances to push for reforms that would address the central government's indifference and promote greater regional autonomy, thereby forming the basis for the Six-point demands .

The general elections of 1970 played a critical role in the context of the Six-point Programme as it provided a democratic platform for the people of East Pakistan to express their support for the proposed reforms. The landslide victory of the Awami League demonstrated overwhelming public endorsement of the Six-point demands, signifying a strong desire for autonomy and restructuring of political power within Pakistan. The election results intensified the political crisis as West Pakistan, under the leadership of Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto, refused to acknowledge the mandate, thus escalated tensions .

The dialogue between Sheikh Mujibur Rahman and Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto failed primarily due to fundamental disagreements on the distribution of power and autonomy proposed by the Six-point Programme. Bhutto's refusal to attend the National Assembly without prior settlement and the rigidity of both leaders on their respective positions led to a stalemate. Additionally, the political atmosphere was charged with mistrust and opposing visions for Pakistan's future, further complicating consensus. The army's decision to crack down on 25 March closed any further dialogue, dooming the negotiation efforts .

The Six-point Programme aimed to establish a true Federal structure in Pakistan with a parliamentary system based on universal adult franchise. It sought to reduce the economic and political disparity between West and East Pakistan by granting more autonomy to East Pakistan. This included limiting federal jurisdiction to only defense and foreign affairs, implementing separation in monetary systems and tax collection powers, and allowing East Pakistan to have its own paramilitary forces. Additionally, the programme proposed two separate foreign exchange accounts and advocated the internal free movement of goods between the two wings .

West Pakistani leaders viewed Sheikh Mujibur Rahman's Six-point Programme as a threat because it aimed to decentralize power drastically, which they interpreted as a step towards separatism and the disintegration of Pakistan. The Ayub government labeled Mujib as a separatist and initiated the Agartala Conspiracy Case against him, arresting and putting him on trial. These actions led to widespread agitation in East Pakistan and eventually to the mass uprising in early 1969, forcing the government to release him unconditionally due to public pressure .

The Agartala Conspiracy Case had a profound impact on Sheikh Mujibur Rahman's political trajectory and the Six-point Programme. Initially, it aimed to discredit him as a leader by portraying him as a conspirator against the state. However, the trial galvanized popular support for Mujib and his demands, turning him into a symbol of resistance and East Pakistan autonomy. The widespread agitation in response to his arrest revealed deep-rooted grievances and mobilized public opinion in favor of the Six-point Programme. Ultimately, the case and Mujib's subsequent unconditional release bolstered his political legitimacy and precipitated the mass movement towards East Pakistan's independence .

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