The eleven Point demands of the Students

No nation wants to rule by other nation. Bengali nation did not tolerate the misrule and discrimination of Pakistani junta at any more. Since the very beginning of Pakistan in 14 August 1947, the administrative power had been exercising by the elites of West Pakistan. They engaged their political muscle in controlling the culture, economy, politics and the social system of East Pakistan. So the people of East Pakistan organized protest against the injustice and discrimination and started agitation and mass movement. The eleven Point demands of the Students is one of the most important events in the history of our independence. It’s a charter of demand framed as a remedy to acute economic disparity between East and West Pakistan and as a programme for putting an end to the despotic Ayub regime. The Six-point Movement of Awami League under the leadership of the father of the nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman initiated in 1966, sustained a temporary pause consequent upon the en-masse arrest of the Awami League leaders including Bangabandhu, institution of agartala conspiracy case in 1968 and repression on the Awami League activists. The situation led to the formation of Pakistan Democratic Movement and the Democratic Action Committee. But when they ultimately failed to intensify the movement against the autocratic Ayub government, the students of Dhaka University organized a united movement in 1968 which soon turned into a mass movement. In October 1968, the East Pakistan Students League and the East Pakistan Students Union formed a political alliance. These two student organizations jointly formed the Chhatra Sangram Parishad in January 1968 and declared an 11 points charter of demand.

The 11 Points included the Six Points of Awami League as declared by Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, including provincial autonomy, the demands centering round students own demands as well as the demands relating to the problems of the workers. As a matter of fact, the Eleven Point programme was a compromise solution of all the demands of all races and classes people of Bangladesh. This is also reality that student leaders took through the Eleven-Point programme was timely and appropriate. The demand includes abandon the policy of provincialisation of the financially solvent colleges and to deprovincialise the colleges hitherto provincialized. Establish adequate number of general and technical schools and colleges, commercial institutes for ensuring wider scope for spread of education. The focused all the problems of students and demand its solution. They demand reduce their educational expenses such as tuition fee, hall charges at 50% and to increase the number of scholarship and stipend, To pay 50% of the dining and canteen of hostels by the government as ‘subsidy’. They demand to solve accommodation problem, to introduce Bangla as the medium of teaching at all levels of education, in offices and courts. Ensure right of expression and to provide for tuition-fees free and compulsory education up to class viii. Farther more they demand to expand the scope for female education. To annulment of 10% and 75% rule, and fulfill all demands of the students. To arrange for tickets at 50% concession to the students travelling on train, steamer, launch and bus journey in remote areas on display of their identity card. In this charter they demanded the opportunity to travel anywhere within the town at 10 paisa fare like the students of West Pakistan. Their another demands were adequate number of buses for the school and college going female students, to arrange for surety of job, to annul the defamed university ordinances and to ensure full autonomy to the educational institutions including the universities. They demand to reject the National Education Commission Report and the Hamoodur Rahman Commission Report, and to introduce people-oriented and scientific education system, They demand to promote liberty of speech, press and personal liberty. The Six Points of Awami League as declared by Sheikh mujibur Rahman including provincial autonomy, to nationalize bank, insurance, jute trade and large-scale industries. To reduce the rate of land revenue and fix the minimum price of jute, sugar-cane and other crops and to pay legitimate wage and bonus to the laborers and to arrange for their education, housing, medical treatment etc. They demand to withdraw all black-laws detrimental to the interest of the laborers, and to ensure their right to strike and right to trade union activities. To take steps towards flood control measures in East Pakistan, and to ensure overall utilization of water resources. To withdraw Emergency Act, Safety Act and other repressive Acts, to ensure non- aligned independent and neutral foreign policy. To release immediately all the students, labourers, peasants, political activists and leaders, detained in different jails of the country, to repeal warrant and hulia, and to withdraw all the cases instituted on political grounds including the Agartala Conspiracy Case.

The Six Points demand of Awami League had its wide reflection on the Eleven Points demand of the Chhatra Sangram Parishad. The demands relating to the interest of the Bengali middle class peasants and workers were also included in the Eleven Points demand. Consequently, the Eleven Points movement addressed wide public support in East Pakistan, and the leadership of the anti- Ayub movement virtually came within the grip of the student leaders. The student movement was initiated in October 1968, reached its climax in January 1969, and by mid-January culminated into a mass movement. The Eleven Points movement of the students had direct contribution towards preparing the background of the War of Liberation.