Morning News
21st July 1962
Awami League Not To Be Revived
STATEMENT BY ATA, MUJIB
Mr. Ataur Rahman Khan and Sheikh Majibur Rahman issued the following statement to the press in Dacca last night.
With the enactment of the Political Parties Act, a section of the people and political workers have been thinking of the revival of the old political parties. In fact, announcements have been made by some individuals for the revival of some of the old political parties.
Political parties are essential adjuncts of democracy and can thrive and function only in a free atmosphere. In a country where there is no democracy, where an undemocratic constitution has been imposed on the people against their will, where people do not enjoy fundamental rights and where the top-most leaders and architects of Pakistan are behind the prison-bars without trial the question of the revival of political parties does not arise. There is no enthusiasm at all amongst the people in general for the revival of political parties.
The Act which has been rightly described as a Black Act, has been enacted manly for the purpose of enabling the Government and its stooges to form some sort of a party which will support the Government at all times. People in general can not have any interest in such party.
Our leader, Mr. S. H. Suhrawardy is under detention and so also are the leaders of other parties including Khan Abdul Qayyum Khan, Moulana Bhashani and Abdul Ghaffar Khan. Most of the top-ranking leaders have been debarred from associating with any political party. Revival of the Awami League at this stage and under the restrictive provisions of the Act will be highly undesirable.
We believe in the unity of the people achieved by the leaders of all political parties and the objective put forward by them. That unity must be maintained at all cost and nothing which tends to curb or weaken the same should be allowed to be done.
In the circumstances we feel it our duty to appeal to our fellow countrymen in general and the old workers, friends and supporters of the Awami League in particular not to think of reviving the party at this stage, but to support and strengthen the unity forged out by the leaders for achieving the objctives, namely a democratic constitution and fullfledged democracy in the country.
সূত্র: সংবাদপত্রে বঙ্গবন্ধু দ্বিতীয় খণ্ড: ষাটের দশক ॥ প্রথম পর্ব