“Leadership during the war reflected the general aspiration of the people”
Sat Jul 23, 2022 12:00 AM Last updated on: Sat Jul 23, 2022 9:16 PM
Tajuddin Ahmad, right, with Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman and Syed Nazrul Islam. COURTESY OF: SIMEEN HUSSAIN RIMI
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Tajuddin Ahmad, right, with Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman and Syed Nazrul Islam. COURTESY OF: SIMEEN HUSSAIN RIMI
This is an interview with Tajouddin Ahmad, first Prime Minister of Bangladesh, published in the Dainik Bangla newspaper of December 13, 1972. It was written in the form of a report.
“As it stands, it is the historical duty of all patriotic political parties to lead the country in the right direction to achieve our desired goal.”
For all the latest news, follow the Daily Star’s Google News channel. On the eve of the first anniversary of independence, the Prime Minister of the People’s Republic of Bangladesh, Tajuddin Ahmad, said so in a special interview with reporters on Tuesday (December 12, 1972). In the context of the liberation struggle, he answered various questions from journalists.
“We must seek the support of socialist countries to establish socialism,” he said. “A genuine socialist state could only be established with the help of imperialist and capitalist countries.”
He further added that the nation must be aware and careful so that the United States cannot establish a base in Bangladesh after its humiliating defeat in Vietnam.
In response to a question, Tajuddin said there was nothing in the constitution that opposed socialism; on the contrary, it provided some guidance towards that goal. “It is not possible to establish a democracy with a 19th century mindset. In our democracy, we must have the support of people who believe in socialism,” he said.
Government Prime Minister Mujibnagar also said the nation could never deny the role of the valiant youth in our liberation struggle. He said that the government was preparing a plan to employ these young people in the construction of the country. After the election, he would take effective measures to carry out this plan.
Tajuddin expressed with sadness that these youths could not be successfully employed in nation building. That’s why they had gone astray to a certain extent. An evil intention to snatch other people’s money and property, rather than earn it, had grown in them. “It’s very harmful for the country,” he said. “If young people are corrupt, we won’t have the cadres needed for nation building. They need to be politically aware and motivated. To do that, we need to build mutual trust.”
Tajuddin Ahmad said that although the current situation (1972) looks relatively daunting, the people should not be upset and the adoption of the constitution would bring stability.
During the press conference, Tajuddin confidently proclaimed that the “Muslim Bangla” movement would not gain traction in the country. “But we have to be aware of its risks,” he said. During the Pakistani period, communalism was provoked in the name of Islam. Now they are playing with the same strategy in the name of “Muslim Bengal”. We must confront it politically.
When asked to shed light on the liberation struggle, Tajuddin said that it was very difficult to write about recent history and publish it, as it could create conflict between living people who had were involved in these events. It might even affect the national interest.
He said that in the national interest he would not lie, but he would keep quiet about it.
He also said there were clear indications of Bangladeshi independence and possible guerrilla warfare in the historic March 7 speech. “In the days leading up to March 25, ambassadors from at least 40 countries had met with me. I had already been aware of America’s attitude toward Bangladesh.”
Tajuddin Ahmad also said that Yahya Khan made gross mistakes at the very beginning by attacking the EPR, the East Bengal regiment and the civil administration. Generally, no colonial force attacks its sister services. “On the other hand, being called by Bangabandhu, we had succeeded in uniting the nation through a non-violent and non-cooperative movement in March. On March 25, 1971, Yahya made a mistake in attacking this united nation. Basically, on that very night we won our first victory in the liberation struggle.”
He said that due to the attack on the civil administration, it was possible for them to unite in Mujibnagar, evading the attack. Even before March 25, Tajuddin had in hand the secret message sent by Lieutenant General Tikka Khan to Lieutenant General Pirzada, who was military adviser to Yahya Khan. He said he showed it to Bangabandhu.
“I never imagined that a general activist like me would have to shoulder the historical duty of the nation,” Tajuddin said at the press conference. “Perhaps, our compatriots never imagined this. In reality, the leadership was a reflection of the aspirations of the people. We founded the government of the People’s Republic of Bangladesh with the attitude of not joining the capitalist bloc or any war alliance. It was a big step in the diplomatic front of the liberation struggle.”
He told reporters that Pakistan tried to split the government in exile through its friends, but failed. The US government had also tried in many ways to destroy the liberation struggle. “At some point in our struggle, the United States raised the question: Do we want liberation or Mujib? In response, I said we wanted both liberation and Mujib. the Mujib only after we got liberation. Because I felt that the liberation struggle would only be strengthened if we could keep Sheikh Mujib alive in our hearts and minds. And only through that could he be possible to keep Bangabandhu alive. For 27 long years I was in politics with Bangabandhu. I knew him deeply.”
Tajuddin also mentioned that China helped Pakistan in the war, albeit strategically. “We sent a telegram to the Chinese leadership via Maulana Bhashani to enlist their support in Bangladesh. But we received no response.” He expressed with sadness that Maulana Bhashani was now spreading false information.
Translated by Shamsuddoza Sajen; edited for clarity.