Bangladesh Speaker Says Sheikh Mujibur Rahman Did Not Want to Break Pakistan Before March 1971 Crackdown

Bangladesh National Parliament Speaker and decorated freedom fighter Major (Retd.) Hafiz Uddin Ahmed has claimed that Sheikh Mujibur Rahman did not want to break Pakistan in 1971 and therefore did not declare Bangladesh's independence before the Pakistani military launched its crackdown on the night of March 25.

He made the remarks on Saturday while addressing a discussion titled "The History and Heritage of the East Bengal Regiment and the Emergence of Bangladesh," organized by the Retired Armed Forces Officers Welfare Association (RAOWA).

According to Hafiz Uddin, Tajuddin Ahmad had urged Sheikh Mujibur Rahman to declare independence before the military operation, warning that Pakistani forces were preparing to attack and that the people wanted independence.

"Tajuddin Ahmad went to Sheikh Mujibur Rahman and said the Pakistanis were about to attack and the people wanted independence. But Sheikh Mujib replied that he could not become a separatist and did not want to be remembered as someone who had contributed to the breakup of Pakistan. Therefore, he did not declare independence," Hafiz Uddin said.

He further claimed that as the Pakistani military launched its brutal crackdown and the nation faced uncertainty, the East Bengal Regiment mounted armed resistance. He said Major Ziaur Rahman later declared Bangladesh's independence, a move he argued inspired the nation to join the Liberation War.

"That is the real truth," he said.

Hafiz Uddin emphasized that the 1971 Liberation War was not the struggle of any single political party but a people's war. He alleged that after independence, a particular political group attempted to distort history by claiming sole credit for the country's independence based primarily on Sheikh Mujibur Rahman's March 7 speech.

He also criticized politicians for, in his words, attempting to "hijack" the contributions of others while recognizing only leaders from their own political parties.

Recalling the role of the East Bengal Regiment during the Liberation War, Hafiz Uddin said the regiment had only five battalions stationed across what was then East Pakistan. He claimed that, without prior planning or coordination, soldiers in different cantonments revolted against the Pakistani military's actions and called on the public to join the armed struggle, laying the foundation for the nine-month Liberation War.

Reflecting on his own military career, Hafiz Uddin said he had initially joined the army because of his passion for football. He added that then-Major Ziaur Rahman had encouraged him to join the East Bengal Regiment.

"I remember with deep respect the great proclaimer of independence and former President General Ziaur Rahman, who encouraged me to join the East Bengal Regiment," he said.

He also paid tribute to Major Abdul Gani, whom he described as the principal organizer of the East Bengal Regiment, and Brigadier Mahmudur Rahman Majumdar, who commanded the regiment in Chattogram in 1971. He concluded by calling for stronger bonds between army officers and soldiers.