Historic Agartala proceedings handed over to DU
Dhaka: The Agartala Proceedings, one of the greatest historic documents for the nation, has been handed over to Dhaka University in order to preserve those in the university library for research and other academic purposes.
DU Vice-Chancellor Professor AAMS Arefin Siddique received the six volumes of the proceedings that uphold the historic facts recorded during the fabricated trial against Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman in the late seventies, according to a DU press release on Monday.
The trail is better known as ‘Agartala Shorojontro Mamla’ (Agartala Conspiracy Case).
Justice Farid Ahmed of the High Court Division of the Supreme Court handed over the document to Arefin Siddique at his official residence in Dhaka on Sunday.
Agartala Conspiracy Case was framed by the Pakistan Government in 1968 during then Pakistani military ruler Ayub Khan against Bangabandhu as well as some in-service and ex-service army personnel and high government officials.
All of them were accused of involvement in a conspiracy for secession of East Pakistan from Pakistan with the help of the Government of India.
In the face of the mass movement, the Ayub government was ultimately compelled to withdraw the Agartala Conspiracy Case on 22 February in 1969. All the accused, including Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, were released unconditionally.
On 23 February 1969, a grand public reception was accorded to all the accused at Paltan Maidan in Dhaka where Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman was vested with the appellation of ‘Bangabandhu’.
This false case had a huge impact on waging the movement against Pakistani regime and an eventual armed struggle for independence in 1971.