বাংলার মানুষকে এভাবে ধোঁকা দেবার কারণ কী?
৯ নভেম্বর ১৯৫৫
করাচী
The constituent assembly of Pakistan:
Sheikh Mujibur Rahman (East Bengal: Muslim): Honourable Deputy Speaker, Sir, I have to speak in Bengali and I am very sorry that you do not understand it but still I have to
speak.
(Interruptions)
The Honourable Deputy Speaker does not understand Bengali for which I am sorry. Honourable Speaker, Sir, I thank you for your kindly giving me an opportunity to express myself in Bengali today. – The intention of the amendment moved today by Sardar Amir Azam Khan is not good. Had his intention been good we would have objected to it. We object to it because the intention of amendment is not good. This amendment has been moved only to some of his friends of Karachi and to safeguard their interests. We know it very well that 97 members of Karachi will elect only 13 persons. In my speech I am rather compelled to say to those of my friends of the United Front who have made an extensive tour of East Bengal and declared in different meetings that Karachi still remains the Federal Capital and has been included in the new province of West Pakistan. The people of East Pakistan will come to realise that they have been deceived. The mere fact that we are electing our representatives to West Pakistan Assembly from Karachi proves that Karachi has been included in the new Province of West Pakistan and so it is no more the Federal Capital. How will the Honourable Mr. Fazlul Haq and his friends show their faces to the people of East Bengal? I do not know how they say that Karachi has not been taken away and still remains the Capital of Pakistan. It cannot be denied that deceiving in such a way will not bring any gain to them. I request my friends of the United Front to explain the reasons for deceiving the people of East Bengal in this way. They should admit that Karachi is no more our Federal Capital. You may do what you like, you may make the Capital at Gadap, or take it in the Arabian Sea or in the Bay of Bengal instead of Karachi but I know that the people of East Bengal are aware of this fact. The mere fact that Karachi is electing its own representatives to the West Pakistan Assembly is a helping factor to make the people understand that Karachi no more has the status of the Capital of the Federation. The four by elections will prove that the public cannot be deceived so easily.
My honourable friends who have deceived the public have by remaining in the United Front unconditionally surrendered to the Muslim League. I am afraid that Sardar Amir Azam Khan has moved the amendment to save his friend Mr. Haroon. You are free to adopt any means to achieve your selfish ends, and bring up any measure in this House in the name of the country and the people. You are well aware of your majority in the House and confident of carrying any motion you like by brute majority. My friends belonging to the United Front have made an unconditional surrender to the Muslim League in return of a few portfolios in the Cabinet and have agreed to ride roughshod over the legitimate rights of the people of East Bengal. It is painful to me to have learnt that the Assembly is to be shortly adjourned again for 21 days. The leader of our party. Mr. Suhrawardy, had a few days ago proposed the adjournment of the house for ten to fifteen days so as to enable the Leaders to return to East Bengal for having a look at the ravages of flood in that part of the country and devising ways and means for relieving the distress of the flood-stricken population there. But the Prime Minister turned down the proposal with the charge that the Opposition only wanted to delay the passage of the Constitution Bill on that pretext. But may I ask why have you called us to assemble here today only for a couple of days, spending lakhs of rupees for the short meeting. The amendments to the One Unit Bill were adopted by conveniently reducing the quorum from 27 to 20 and then the House is going to be adjourned for 21-days. I think the people will not tolerate this sort of hoax any longer. They will soon get at the truth that after the adoption of the One-Unit Bill the question of constitution-making will be shelved for good. Now that the One-Unit Bill has been passed, you are trying to bring in your yes-men, the Gurmani group and the Daultana group to sit as the members in the Assembly. The Constitution has not been presented to the House. It is expected to be introduced after 21 days. No agreement seems to have yet been reached between the United Front and the Muslim League and God knows when they will come to a compromise. I hope wisest counsels would prevail and the party in power would see its way to accepting the amendment moved by Mr.Suhrawardy.
Reference:
Iqbal, S. (1997) Sheikh Mujib in Parliament (1955-58), p. 95-97, Dhaka, Agami Prakashani