Mujibnagar Government
A commemorative postage stamp on the Golden Jubilee of the establishment of Mujibnagar Government, Provisional Government of Bangladesh, formed in 1971 :
Issued by Bangladesh
Issued on Apr 17, 2021
Issued for : On this issue, Bangladesh Post has issued one commemorative postage stamp having denomination of Tk. 10 (ten), a First Day Cover of Tk. 10 (ten), a data card of Tk. 5 (Five) and a special canceller.
Designer : Mr. Sanjiv Kanti Das
Type : Stamp, Mint Condition
No. of Stamp : 01 (One) Piece
Colour : Multicolour
Denomination of Stamp : Tk. 10/- (Ten)
Size of Stamp : 32 mm x 48 mm
Perforation of Stamps : 12.5
Qnt of Stamps : 1,00,000 (One Lac) pcs
Process of Printing : Offset
Printer : The Security Printing Corporation (Bangladesh) Ltd., Gazipur-1703
About :
- 17 April 2021 is the Golden Jubilee (17 April 1971-17 April 2021) of establishment of the Mujibnagar Government. The Golden Jubilee of the establishment of Mujibnagar Government is an important and significant milestone in the History of the Great Independence of Bangladesh. The first ever general elections of Pakistan in December 1970 under the leadership of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, the Awami League won 167 seats out of 169 seats of East Pakistan in the Pakistan National Assembly. Under this circumstances General Yahya’s military junta govt. and Z.A. Bhutto, the leader of the West Pakistan, conspired not to allow Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman to form the government in the centre. On 1 March 1971, President Yahya Khan postponed unilaterally the Dhaka National Assembly scheduled to be held on 3 March. This announcement triggered off the general agitation in East Pakistan. In response, on 7th March 1971 Bangabandhu made a historic address at the Ramna Race Course (now Suhrawardy Udyan) in Dhaka to a gathering of over a million of people which marked a turning point in the history of the Bengali (Bangalee) nation.
- In this historic speech of 7th March, Bangabandhu proclaimed: “The struggle this time is our struggle for liberation, the struggle this time is the struggle for our independence”. He announced a civil disobedience movement in the East Pakistan, calling for “every house to turn into a fortress.” The speech was effectively the direction of the independence of Bangladesh. The Pakistan Army in the dark night of 25 March launched “Operation Search light” against Bengali civilians, intelligentsia, students, politicians, armed personnel and carried out a systematic massacre. The Undisputed leader of the Bengali (Bangalee) nation, the Greatest Bangalee of all time, Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman proclaimed the independence of Bangladesh through the wireless of the then EPR at the first hour of March 26, 1971. The Military Junta Government of President Yahya Khan arrested Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman and kept him in Prison in West Pakistan.
- During time of hellish genocide in the dark night of 25 March Tajuddin Ahmad, one of the most important leaders of Awami league escaped from home. He reached India crossing the border. In India he met with Indira Gandhi, the then Prime Minister of India. After meeting with Indira Gandhi, the then Prime Minister of India, where Indira Gandhi gave commitment of full support for Bangladesh Liberation War. Tajuddin Ahmad called for meeting of all M.N.A. and M.P.A. of Awami league at the border of Kushtia district. In that meeting Cabinet of Ministers was formed unanimously to conduct the Bangladesh Liberation War and run the Government.
- This Cabinet of Ministers, M.N.A.s and M.P.A.s declared sovereign People’s Republic of Bangladesh Government making Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman as its President. But Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman at that time was in prison in West Pakistan. In absence of Bangabandhu, Syed Nazrul Islam was elected Vice-President and acting President Tajuddin Ahmed took charge as the Prime Minister. Captain M. Mansur Ali and A. H. M. Kamaruzzaman were also made Ministers. M. A. G. Osmani was made Chief of Army. Prime Minister Tajuddin Ahmed gave speech in Bangladesh Betar giving declaration of forming Cabinet of Ministers.
- After that on 17th April, 1971 the oath of the Cabinet of Ministers was held in Ambagan of Baidyanathtala of Meherpur of the then Kushtia district. The Leaders and invited guests started to come from 9 a.m. in the morning. Nearly 50 local and foreign journalists were present in that Ceremony. The Ceremony of Oath started in 11 a.m. in the morning. The Ceremony was started through reciting from the Holy Quaran and playing of National anthem. From the very beginning Bangladesh was declared as ‘People’s Republic of Bangladesh’. After that Provisional President introduced the Prime Minister and his Cabinet colleagues one after another. After that he declared the name of M. A. G. Osmani as Chief of armed forces and the name colonel Abdur Rob as Chief of staff of Army of the New State. After that the Declaration of Independence of Bangladesh was read there. From that day the name of that place was given as Mujibnagar. On that ceremony Provisional President and Prime Minister gave their address and request to the international community to recognize Bangladesh through local and foreign Journalists. Thus the emergence of People’s Republic of Bangladesh started during the time of Liberation War. This Government played important role in creating people’s support in home and abroad in favor of Bangladesh Liberation War and conducting Bangladesh Liberation War under the brave and dauntless leadership of Bangabandhu and after a 9 month of bloody war Bangladesh earned the ultimate victory on the 16 December, 1971 and a sovereign independent state – Bangladesh manifested in the world map.
- The Golden Jubilee of the establishment of the Mujibnagar Government left behind an eternal legacy of a perpetual union of two Greatest unique events [(01) The Mujib Year: the yearlong birth centenary of the Father of the Nation has been defined by the Government of Bangladesh as The Mujib Year (17 March 2020-16 December 2021) and (02) The Year of the Golden Jubilee (1971-2021) of the Great Independence of Bangladesh] under the regime of Sheikh Hasina, the beloved daughter of the Great Hero of Independence, the Great Architect of the Independent and sovereign Bangladesh and the Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman whose meeting probably will never happen in future again. The legacy of the Golden Jubilee (17 April 1971-17 April 2021) of the establishment of the Mujibnagar Government will live on forever.
- Narrator:
Shafiee Billah Jabber
Son of Martyred Intellectual Abdul Jabbar of Bangladesh Liberation War and
Author of the Trust: Shaheed Buddhijibi (Martyred Intellectuals’) Memorial Trust, Bangladesh.
Editor and Publisher: The Daily Asian Express and Fortnightly City of Joy.
[…] of the subcontinent’s ancient Postal heritage. During the Great Liberation War of Bangladesh the Mujibnagar Government setup a Postal service with more than 50 field Post Offices in different front or border areas, […]