A State from Scratch: Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman and the foundation of the People's Republic of Bangladesh

by Aninda Rahman, Jahangir Muhammad Arif, Farhana Sarwar

1. Homecoming
1.1. The Hero’s Return
1.2. From Mujib’s Release to Return: A Timeline
1.3. A Bold Message for the World
1.4. Dream of Golden Bengal

2. Challenges
2.1. Wounds to Heal
2.2. 10 Key Challenges

3. Rehabilitation
3.1. Immediate Issues
3.2. Aids for the Refugees
3.3. Beginning of Rehabilitation
3.4. Reports in United States
3.5. Treatment and Rehabilitation of Injured Freedom Fighters
3.6. Treatment and Rehabilitation of Rape Victims
3.7. Rebuilding homes
3.8. A Timeline of Rehabilitation Process
3.9. Battling the Calamities

4. Transport
4.1. Allocations and Developments

5. Power and Energy

6. Agriculture and Food Security

7. Constitution
7.1. Making of the Constitution
7.2. Countries Liberated within 1965-1975
7.3. SAARC Countries

8. Forces
8.1. Order to Surrender Arms
8.2. Development of Bangladesh Army
8.3. Development of Bangladesh Air Force
8.4. Development of Bangladesh Navy

9. National Economy
9.1. Fiscal Year 1970-71
9.2. Country’s First Budget
9.3. Overview of the Budget
9.4. Industrial Management and Nationalization
9.5. Adamjee Jute Mills
9.6. The 5 Yearly Plan

10. Education and Science
10.1. First Education Commission
10.2. Five Year Plan
10.3. The Islamic Foundation
10.4. Scientific Organizations

11. Sports and Movies
11.1. From The Unfinished Memoirs
11.2. Organizations, Clubs and Tournaments
11.3. Film Development and Bangabandhu
11.4. A Hero in Celluloid
11.5. Bringing National Poet Home

12. Wisdom of a Diplomat
12.1. A Bond of Friendship
12.2. Recognition of Bangladesh
12.3. Melting the Ice with the USA
12.4. Bangladesh-China Relationship
12.5. Diplomatic ties with the Enemy of War
12.6. Bangladesh-Soviet Relationship
12.7. Bangladesh-Arab Relationship
12.8. Bangladesh Joining NAM
12.9. Bangladesh joining UN
12.10. Diplomatic Endeavors of Bangladesh

13. Food Crisis
13.1. The Food Crisis
13.2. 1974 Global Food Crisis
13.3. Price Hike of Crude Oil

14. Second Revolution
14.1. Fourth Amendment: A Radical Change
14.2. Bangladesh Krishak Sramik Awami League
14.3. Members and Secretaries of the New Administration
14.4. Visions of the Second Revolution

15. Steps taken by Sheikh Mujib in the Independent Bangladesh

95 pages, Hardcover

Published April 1, 2018

Reviews

[Jahangir]

Deconstruction of the state Pakistan started as soon as it came forth on August 14, 1947. The western wing of the country started treating the eastern wing of the country as its colony, treating its people as inferior, and exploitation inseminated doubt and disbelief among the people of present Bangladesh. The language movement, started from 1948, ignited the thought of getting back to original cultural and anthropological identity instead of a created one. The deconstruction of Pakistan developed in due course by the later movements for education, autonomy and democracy. Finally, during the ‘War of Liberation’ in 1971, the deconstruction was completed and the failed philosophy of ‘two nations’ theory, on which Pakistan was formed, was erased from the mind of the people of Bangladesh. Declaring independence and forming a government-in-exile was the founding stone of construction of Bangladesh, but the real job started from January 8, 1972 when Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman was released from the prison of Pakistan and started his journey to return back to Bangladesh. He was imprisoned in Pakistan during the War of Liberation. If a broad line is drawn on timeline of Bangabandhu, then before that day can be denoted as ‘Deconstruction of Pakistan’ or ‘Achieving Bangladesh’ part and after that day till the day he was brutally assassinated can be denoted as ‘Construction of Bangladesh’. In popular history books lots of descriptions, anecdotes, theories and explanations on ‘how Bangladesh became independent’ can be found. Unfortunately we can hear a little about the later part, and can have fewer publications on this matter. Absence of this history has created an opportunity for anti-Bangladesh force to sketch false and fabricated stories those are detrimental to the character of Bangabandhu. To uproot those false stories, it is required to do more research on this time period and produce more publications in various media. There are two distinctive reasons for such endeavor. First, striving for development is not discreet. To make current development efforts more effective, it is required to study previous plans and actions thoroughly and minutely — how a country was materialized from the ashes. Second, some people try to draw doubt on statesman capacity of Bangabandhu. They say, he was a good political leader but he was not a good administrator. These kind of heinous comments are either out of ignorance, or out of ill motive. Being a member of Provincial Assembly or being a cabinet member in Pakistan period, his proficiency and prevision proves his administrative capacity. After independence he got only three and half years to do his part. During this time he took so many initiatives for constructing the country; he invented so many ways to resolve problems; he built so many organizations, systems and laws; he reconstructed so many things that is rarely seen in the world history. Till today, in Bangladesh, if an administrator carries on any plan, then it is found that either the organization was established by Bangabandhu, or the framework was initiated by him. To achieve a prosperous, self-dependent, dignified Bangladesh in future, that is based on the principles of the War of Liberation, secular and just then it is necessary to study the construction of Bangladesh part of Bangabandhu attentively. This book is a little effort to facilitate such study. `