পশ্চিম পাকিস্তানে পূর্ব পাকিস্তানের অর্থ ব্যয় হওয়া ও কেন্দ্রীয় রাজধানীর ব্যাপারে বঙ্গবন্ধু
২৫ আগস্ট ১৯৫৫
করাচী
The constituent assembly of Pakistan:
Sheikh Mujibur Rahman: I am saying what the ruling clique is doing now. They want that Karachi should be included in One-Unit whether the people want it or not. Sir, it is the right of the people of East Bengal also over this city and they must be consulted before including Karachi in one-Unit. This city has been developed not by the money of the people of this wing only but also by the money of the people of East Bengal.
Sheikh Mujibur Rahman: I know, Sir, up to this time more than two hundred and sixty-six crores have been spent in the development of Karachi. This money has not been spent by West Pakistan alone but by East Bengal also. Then, Sir, we are being told that we will shift the Capital from Karachi to 20 to 25 miles north-east. Sir, you know here you have developed Airport; you have developed the industrial areas in Karachi. Now they want that all these things must go to West Pakistan. But have you consulted the people of East Bengal in this respect, who can equally claim it to be their Capital, whether they are ready to give it to West Pakistan Unit or not. I know, Sir, absolute power corrupts absolutely. I know that the small ruling clique whenever they want to do anything, they create some artificial issues to divert the actual issue from the minds of the people and then they Mobilize public opinion in favour of that thing. Sir, what is opening now? So far as the Punjab is concerned, everybody claimed that all the Punjabis are in favour of One-Unit. My friend, honourable Mr. Bari, who is sitting on the front bench will remember what happened in the last Punjab elections. He was in the opposition against the Muslim League. He might remember how the power had been misused; how officers had interfered with the fair and free elections. They say that the people of Frontier, Sind and other provinces want One-Unit. But how have they come to know their wishes? Probably they have known it through their Intelligence Branches. In order to force the people to accept their wishes, they have introduced the Safety Act to send people to jail without any trial. What has happened in East Bengal? You know that 92-A was imposed. What public opinion was there? There were statements in praise of Governor’s 92-A. You know 1,500 workers had been arrested and detained without trial. Still about 250 workers are in jail. The Bengal Muslim League claimed that the Bengal Muslim League was very powerful, Awami League and United Front were nothing before it. In the elections they claimed that they had popular support and the West Pakistan people declared that the Muslim League Organisation of Bengal was very powerful but in the last election you have seen. Your ex-prime Minister Mr. Mohammed Ali went there, big leaders from West Pakistan went there, all the hired Maulanas went there and said, “Islam Khatre men hai, Pakistan barbad ho jaega, Pakistan khatam ho raha hai?” but still what they have got. They got 3 percent votes. 97 percent people have voted for the United Front and the Awami League. Now, that is the people’s opinion. For seven years these people have ruled. They say people are behind us and in the same way you are saying about West Pakistan. Why do you object to plebiscite? You must be definite. There must be free and fair election, not like the Punjab election or like Khuro election of Sind where just when the election is to take place, that man who wants to contest is arrested even before filing the nomination papers.
Reference:
Iqbal, S. (1997) Sheikh Mujib in Parliament (1955-58), p. 1-13, Dhaka, Agami Prakashani
বঙ্গবন্ধুর ভাষণ সমগ্র, Farzana Yeasmine Aparajita, Dr Md Razibul Bari