The United Front and Awami League: A Historical Review

যুক্তফ্রন্ট ও আওয়ামী লীগ: একটি ঐতিহাসিক পর্যালোচনা

Abstract

Despite establishment of Pakistan on the basis of religious unity in 1947, the political scenario began to change after the Language Movement of 1952. The Bengali nationalism rooted in language and liberal communal harmony started to replace religious and communal spirit in politics that resulted in the birth of East Pakistan Muslim Student League (later Student League), Awami Muslim League (later Awami League). As a result of the bad governance of Muslim League the people of East Pakistan gradually became rebellious and realized that to get their rights all democratic opposition parties would have to unite and work together. Under this circumstance all political parties came to one place for holding provincial election to measure their popularity. In May 1953 a special session of East Pakistan Awami Muslim League was held in Mymensigh. In this session decision was made to establish a united front which later was accepted in the historic council of Awami Muslim League on 14 November 1953. Mainly four opposition parties combined in the United Front namely Awami Muslim League of Maolana Bhasani and Suhrawardy, Krishak Praja Party of Fazlul Haque, Nezam-e-Islam of Maolana Atahur Ali and leftist Ganatantri Dal of Hazi Danesh. The United Front declared 21 points programmee as their election manifesto. Their election symbol was “Boat”. The booklet named “Jalem Sahir Soy Basar” published by United Front assembled the then political, social and financial situations. In spite of getting all government facilities for election campaign Muslim League failed miserably in the election and got only 9 seats among 237 Muslim seats. The United Front cabinet was formed on 3 April 1954 under the leadership of Fazlul Haque. Despite the biggest party of United Front, Awami Muslim League was not made a part of the cabinet at first. Later, they were made a part of it but Pakistan Government declined this cabinet in a non-democratic way and declared Governor’s rule introducing section 92(A). Frequent interventions of central government were noticed in provincial politics of East Pakistan. The declaration of the Martial Law on 7 October 1958 ends the parliamentary system in Pakistan including the East Bengal.