Knowing the turns of history
We feel proud introducing ourselves as Bengalees, but we are shy to say that we are Muslims. It is really sad and unrealistic. No man can deny his religious identity because after death we will be produced in the Court to Allah to face trial.
Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman writes in his book ‘Ausampta Atmajiboni’ (Unfinished Memoirs) at page No. 47 that we the Bengalees have two identities in us. (The first one is) that we are Muslims, and the other is that we are Bengalees.
We have a proud history beginning from the historic Lahore Resolution, which proposed for two sovereign Muslim States in the eastern, and the north-western parts of India. We must know H.S.Suhrawardy, Abul Hashim and Sarot Boses’s campaign for independent United Bengal in 1946-47, the Language Movement 47-52, the Swadhin Bangla Nucleus Cell 1962, the historic Six points of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, the 11 point movement of the students’ community, the East Pakistan Students League’s super victory in the 1970 DUCSU and Hall Union elections, the Awami League’s sweeping in the 1970 general election, the Sheikh Mujib’s virtual declaration of independence on March 7 in 1971, the Mujibnagar Government on April 17 and the segregation of the country into 11 military zones.
My question is: How many of us know all these?
Ameer Hamzah
Dhaka
