Awami League made the first attempt to distort history
Sheikh Mujib's government and the Awami League manufactured cock and bull stories to justify their claim that Maj. Zia made the historical announcement in the radio under Mujib's instruction.
At that critical juncture on 26-27th March night an unknown young Major named Ziaur Rahman of East Bengal Regiment imbued with strong sense of nationalism decided to revolt and after having consulted with his other Bangali colleagues took the initiative to come on the Air and gave a historic call to the nation to organize a war of independence. People saw a ray of light in his call. As a result of that clarion call resistance movement was organized by the people all over East Pakistan. The Bengali members of the armed forces and other law enforcing agencies played the vanguard role in organizing the armed resistance that eventually turned into a bloody National Liberation War. Ether waves carried the feeble voice of Major Zia from a transmission canter at Kalurghat Radio Station at Chittagong. He said, "Under circumstances however, I hereby declare myself as the provisional head of the Swadhin Bangla Government". Of course at later broadcasts there was an addition where it said, "Under guidance of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman". No one had any time then to analyze that Call threadbare. In 1972 after the country got its independence the then government and Awami League the ruling party propagated some cock and bull stories regarding Major Zia's call in successions. The first story was that Sheikh Mujib before his arrest sent a telephonic message to Mr. Zahoor Ahmed Choudhury in Chittagong. The message contained declaration of independence. But all communication lines were cut off between Dhaka and outlying cities by the army before the crackdown. Therefore, that one became untenable. Then came the second one. Through wireless the declaration of independence was sent to a captain of an Australian merchant ship then anchored at Chittagong port. That captain later passed on that message to Mr. Zahoor Ahmed Chaudhary. It was not possible to have any wireless communication at that hour from Dhaka to any captain of an anchored ship at Chittagong because at that time fierce battles were being fought between the Pakistan Army and Bangali soldiers of the East Bengal Regiments and EPR(East Pakistan Rifles) in the Chittagong port area. Moreover before the crackdown all communication centers including the wireless centers were taken over by the army. Therefore, this story could also not cut any ice.
At last it was said Chittagong EPR was instructed to broadcast the 'declaration of independence'. This very story has been incorporated in the book called 'History of Independence War'. But given a logical thought one can clearly see that this story is also a made up one. First of all, all communication centers in Dhaka and out-lying cities such as the TV, Radio, telephone, and wireless were taken under full control of the armed forces before the operation was launched. Now let us examine the story that through Dhaka EPR Chittagong EPR was communicated. If Dhaka EPR at that stage were in a position to carry out Sheikh Mujib's order then they could be told to propagate the same through out East Pakistan directly. Why then this circuitous way? From Dhaka EPR to Chittagong EPR and then from Chittagong EPR to the whole country? Moreover the EPR HQ and signal center was taken over directly by the army on 23rd March 1971. There is more to it. The officer in charge at the Chittagong EPR HQ was a young captain named Rafiqul Islam. He is one of the officers who was with Major Ziaur Rahman to plan his declaration from Kalurghat Radio Station. Later on he fought in No. 1 sector. Suddenly he was retired from the army after the independence. He has written couple of books on the war of independence. In none of his book he ever mentioned that they had received any message from Dhaka sent by Sheikh Mujibur Rahman. If truly there was any message from Dhaka then how Major Zia could proclaim himself to be the provisional head of the government? There is some thing more as well. Another Awami League leader from Chittagong Mr. Abdul Hannan broadcasted his statements more than once from Chittagong Radio Station between 26th and 30th March 1971. Why then he never mentioned even for once in all those statements of his that there was any message received from Dhaka or so called 'declaration of independence' by Sheikh Mujibur Rahman. Therefore, the fact reveals that it was Major Ziaur Rahman who declared Independence for the first time on 26-27th night on the air from Kalurghat Radio Station at his own initiative. This fact could be erased from the history no matter how much one might try.
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