[ALOCHONA] Book Review :My love is for the country, said Mujib

Book Review :My love is for the country, said Mujib

Yahya Khan has stated, "Mujib is a traitor and he has declared war against the government. He wants to completely separate East Pakistan. He has challenged the lawful authorities of the country to run a parallel government. This man and his party are enemies of Pakistan. He must be punished."

He was picked up on March 26 and taken to West Pakistan. There he was kept in solitary confinement, sentence to death by a military tribunal. Sheikh Mujib remained silent and strong. He said, "My bond with the people had never been broken and remained strong. I believe Bangladesh would rise out of the rubble of Pakistan."

Researcher and former state minister Prof. Abu Sayeed, in his recent book, Ekattore Bondi Mujib, Pakistaner Mrittyujantrana, reveals many hitherto unknown incidents and events about Sheikh Mujib's arrest, his time in solitary confinement, the military tribunal and his release.

The writer says that Mujib was accused of being a traitor and of declaring war against the country. During the military trial, Mujib said, if these are the charges against me. I don't need any lawyer. However, the state appointed AK Brohee on his behalf. Mujib said, "All this is not required.

The court had been appointed by the Chief Martial Law Administrator Yahya Khan. This was a camera trial. The trial would be a farce. The grave had been prepared. And then there was pressure from around the world to release Mujib.

The book has a long chapter on how Sheikh Mujib was released by the Pakistan military forces. The dramatic events are truly startling. The move that was made for his release, involving Britain, the US, Soviet Union, China, India and other countries of the world, was a rare event.  The US wanted Pakistan to remain intact and in this regard felt it was imperative that Mujib be kept alive. The world conscience stood up against the military trial of Mujib.

In another chapter of the book Abu Sayeed writes, "Another questions which mystifies me is, who wanted Mujib to be hanged? Was it Bhutto or General Yahya Khan? Everyone knows that Bhutto was forced to release Sheikh Mujib. Yet a recently released affidavit of Yahya Khan says that on the eve of his departure for Iran, Bhutto had instructed him to finish off Mujib. His logic was that the world leaders meeting him in Iran would pressurise him to release Mujib. That was why Mujib should be hanged before he reached Iran. Which account is true?

I leave the responsibility to future researchers to resolve this mystery.

The book also speaks of the Pakistan-India war centered on Bangladesh. Pakistan was defeated, Yahya Khan interned, Bhutto took over power.  The book has an interesting description of how jailor Habib smuggled Mujib from the solitary confinement cell to his house.

A most interesting part of the book is the transcription of Mujib's secret conversation with Bhutto which had been taped. They had two conversations in two phases and this was secretly recorded on tape. Some of the tape was lost and the damaged tape was later repaired in Germany. This is a rare revelation for the readers.

The seventh chapter is also an interesting one. The sound of artillery had stopped and there was silence. He was taken from the Lyallpur jail to Mianwali by helicopter. A woman's ward in the Mianwali jail was vacated and he was housed there. The other convicts near him been throwing anything they could at him, angrily calling him an Indian spy. Some even hurled stones at him. The jail super said he had been brought there to be hanged.

Much later when renowned British journalist asked Mujib who he had thought of when he saw his grave being dug, Mujib answered that his first thought as of his country. He said he loved his country more than his relatives. After all, he said, the people of my country love me so deeply.

Ekattore Bondi Mujib :Pakistaner Mrittyujantrana
by Prof. Abu Sayeed

Published by Sucheepatra
First published February 2011
Proce: BDT 295.00

parvez1966@yahoo.com

http://www.probenewsmagazine.com/index.php?index=2&contentId=6921

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