Bengal Today

Autocracy, authoritarianism, abuse of power, high-handedness, these are very common concepts with the political administration. Examples are at galore everywhere, in every country. A remarkable abuse of power, mingled with conspiracy, was manifest in Bengal Politics during 1940s. The then Premier of Bengal A.K. Fazlul Huq fought the arrogance of the authority in his own method. A reading of the text of his speech delivered in the Bengal Provincial Legislature in 1943 reveals many things still relevant with the present day events.

A. K. Fazlul Huq (1873-1963) an accomplished politician, a benevolent patriot, a progressive leader of the masses during the first half of the 20th Century, was the first Premier of Bengal (1937--43), Chief Minister and then Governor of East Pakistan from 1947 till 1960. His indomitable fighting spirit against the British Imperialist rulers and his courage earned him the loving title 'Sher-E-Bangla'

To Write a foreword is always an embarrassing task. specially when it is meant to introduce some political production more or less of a controversial character. I therefore resisted the importunities of my young and enterprising friend Atawar Rahman when he asked me to write this foreword to the publication of two of my latest contributions to the history of Bengal politics. His persistences however, prevailed upon my unwillingness and I am therefore complying with his request. Naturally, I shall be very brief in my introduction.

The statement made in the Assembly regarding the circumstances under which I was decoyed into signing a letter of resignation of my office as Chief Minister was written at a time when I had hardly recovered from the shock of the great treachery of which I was made the victim, and of which the chief actors were some of the highest officials in Bengal, including some of the present Ministers. Regarding the various ramifications of this treachery and conspiracy, volumes might be written; but I had to compress my statement within the time limit allowed under the Assembly rules for statements of this kind. There are one or two significant

features about my statement to which I wish to draw the attention of my countrymen. In the first place, all my statements are corroborated by documentary evidence of an unimpeachable character. Most of these documents consist of letters written at a time when I was holding the office of Chief Minister and were addressed to the then Governor at a time when my resignation was yet on the lap of time and when no one could have foreseen the unparalleled developments immediately preceding my resignation. These letters to my Governor were not written without any eye to effect or without any idea that they would ever see the light of day. I hope I can fairly claim that I have not sacrificed frankness, and loyalty to my conscience, to the requirements of the relations existing between me and my Governor.

The second statement is the speech I made in the Assembly on the Bengal budget delivered at a time when I was still on my sick-bed, convalescing from a most terrible illness from which Providence gave me wonderful deliverance. I do not claim any literary excellence for any of these statements, but I certainly claim that both the statements are plain and unvarnished statements of actual facts, supported by evidence which has not yet been contradicted, or even challenged.

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