The historic language movement in 1952 took place to re-assert the cultural and linguistic identity and Bangabandhu actively took part in that movement. In the years of the 1950s and 1960s, the Awami League emerged as the political voice of the Bangalees under the leadership of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman. The six-point programme launched by Bangabandhu in 1966 crystallized into the demand for autonomy which led to the landslide electoral victory for Awami League in the first-ever general elections in Pakistan in 1970 and was supposed to form government in the centre.

But the leaders from the Western Wing started various conspiracies to foil the people’s verdict and suppress the spontaneous uprising in the Eastern Wing. Finally, the Pakistan army unleashed a brutal military assault on unarmed civilians on 26 March 1971. Bangabandhu declared the independence of Bangladesh. He was arrested and was taken to West Pakistan. Responding to the call of Bangabandhu for freedom and independence, the people of Bangladesh were able to put up fierce resistance with whatever they had to break the backbone of the enemy.