রিফিউজি এবং পূর্ব বাংলার হতদরিদ্র মানুষের পক্ষে বঙ্গবন্ধুর প্রতিবাদ
২৮ সেপ্টেম্বর ১৯৫৫
করাচী
The constituent assembly of Pakistan:
My friends talk about refugees. We have got about 3 lakhs refugees who came from Assam, Bihar and West Bengal and they have no land, no shelter. Even in Karachi sir, you might have because you definitely must be moving about and you go to Nazimabad, Lalukhet and to the areas lying beside the mazar of Quaid-i-Azam and you will find shelterless people. Even the soul of Quaid-i-Azam must not be getting absolute peace when he would be seeing that these people of Pakistan, who have migrated from India, sacrificed their everything – hearths and homes, their children and families having been massacred – are not getting shelter and houses. When the rains come, their position is the worst and they have to run for shelter and Government sends the fire brigade to rescue them. Sir, during the recent rains, we got telephones from these poor people from Drigh Road and I rang up the Refugee Minister, Sardar Amir Azam Khan, to save them and he sent the fire brigade to remove them to safety. Then, Sir, so far as education is concerned, in our country we cannot even get education. In Ceylon everybody gets free education up to M.A. from top to bottom, but here even facilities for primary education are not there. Sir, you know what these Governors, Ministers and Ambassadors are getting. Here I can give you an example and I can tell you in front of the Interior Minister, who was the Chief Minister of Bengal, and for a few days I also worked with him. Fortunately, I was for a few days Minister with him and we used to take Rs. 1,000 per month. I do not sec why our Central Ministers should not take Rs. 1,000 per month and why Rs. 3,000 per month. Let them make a sacrifice for the sake of the people, for the sake of the country. The people of our country are without food, without shelter, and when they die for want of food, Government will make a report that the man had died due to cholera or malaria.
Sir, you have money, you have food but these poor people are suffering because they are without food, they are without shelter. On the Pakistan Day we distributed rice among the poor people and it was immediately published in the press that rice was distributed by Government officials to the poor people of Pakistan? Sir, is that not an insult to the citizens of Pakistan? We appeal to them for the sake of Pakistan, please make sacrifice, you have the Majority vote accept the amendment of Mr. Abul Mansur and show that you have made some sacrifice and you will make sacrifice for the poor people of Pakistan, for your country, will not sanction more than Rs. 3,000 per month for in Governor. Not only will he get Rs. 3,000 per month but he will get free furnished quarters, free furnished quarters for his family, for his servant. Please for God’s sake accept this most reasonable amendment and show that you have feelings for the poor people of Pakistan who have no shelter, who have no food and are dying.
Reference:
Iqbal, S. (1997) Sheikh Mujib in Parliament (1955-58), p. 59-64, Dhaka, Agami Prakashani