Morning News
6th March 1969
Mujib’s appeal to maintain harmony
(By Our Staff Reporter)
Awami League leader, Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, yesterday appealed to the people to maintain harmony and develop fraternity in greater national interest. He was addressing a crowd of several thousands people of Mirpur at his Dhanmandi residence yesterday which had gathered there in a procession.
In a brief speech from his balcony Sheikh Mujibur Rahman said all oppressed people whether Bengalees, Baluch, Pathan, Pushtu, Sindhi or Punjabis were equal to him. He said all those who were living in East Pakistan were now Bengalees and they must live together in harmony and fraternity.
The Awami League leader said people of East Pakistan were fully aware that the Muhajirs had made great sacrifice for the cause of Pakistan. During the Pakistan struggle he had personally witnessed the sacrifices made by the Muhajirs. He said under the leadership of late Mr. Suhrawardy he organized the relief work for the riot victims in Bihar. He also worked in Midnapur Relief Camp for a long time. He assured the Muhajirs that his party would give full consideration to their demands. He advised them to learn Bengali and live in complete harmony and promote brotherly feelings.
Sheikh Mujibur Rahman said his struggle was directed against oppression, injustice and against exploitation and not against any individual or section of people or any region. “Wherever there is torture, injustice, exploitation and denial of rights I am there to fight these out, he declared. The Awami League leader said “our movement will continue on the basis of my party’s six-point and students’ 11-point demands.
He said people of Pakistan were united in their struggle against oppression, injustice and denial of rights. He said during his recent visit to Lahore and Rawalpindi he found that people of West Pakistan were fully supporting the demands of people of East Pakistan.
Sheikh Mujibur Rahman Assured the Muhajirs who placed a memorandum to him that he would give full consideration to their demands. He said now they were living in East Pakistan for the last 20 years they were as much Bengalees as anybody else. He said it was the common law if anybody remained in possession of a land for 12 years he automatically became its owner. He said in the last 20 years a whole generation had come up who was born and bred up on the soil of East Pakistan. He asked them to fully support the movement of the people of East Pakistan as it would equally benefit them.
Sheikh Mujibur Rahman was profusely garlanded and slogans were raised hailing his leadership.
The huge procession was taken out from Mirpur with placards and shouting slogans “Our leader is Sheikh Mujibur Rahman”, “accept our demands and Bihari-Bengalee bhai bhai”.
সুত্র: সংবাদপত্রে বঙ্গবন্ধু: পঞ্চম খণ্ড ॥ ষাটের দশক ॥ চতুর্থ পর্ব ॥ ১৯৬৯