Tajuddin Ahmad and the declaration of independence
Remembering Bangladesh's first prime minister on his birth centenary
In February 1971, the possibility of a declaration of independence in East Pakistan was seriously debated within the Awami League amid the impasse with West Pakistan over the convening of the National Assembly. The military junta led by Yahya Khan was delaying and obstructing the opening of the newly elected parliament. From the records, we can trace the earliest reference to a draft declaration of independence in February 1971 which was prepared by Dr. Kamal Hossain under the close guidance of Tajuddin Ahmad after a closed door meeting with Bangabandhu and other leaders. The League considered the option of a unilateral declaration after weighing the potentially devastating military response planned by the junta. In his memoirs Bangladesh: Quest for Freedom and Justice, Dr. Hossain writes:-
The possibility of a declaration of independence was actively considered by Bangabandhu at a meeting held behind closed doors with the main party leaders in early February 1971. In particular, Bangabandhu and Tajuddin Ahmad carefully reviewed the steps that would be needed to implement a unilateral declaration. The delay in the convening of the Assembly inevitably led the Awami League to consider its own options. A unilateral declaration of independence was seen as an option. Careful calculations had to be made, of the magnitude of the military response to such a declaration and of the capacity of the people to withstand the resulting onslaught. Some calculations were made of existing military strength. The suspension of the overflights [across India] and the difficulty this created to augment personnel and material were taken into account.
I was asked to draw up a draft declaration of independence, which I did under Tajuddin Ahmad’s close guidance. The text used as a precedent was the American Declaration of Independence which recited the injustices perpetrated by the British Crown to justify the act of declaring independence. Closeted with Tajuddin Bhai in my chambers in Sharif Mansions in Motijheel for over two days, I typed the draft declaration myself, given its absolutely confidential nature. We duly prepared the draft and handed it over to Bangabandhu around 10 February, he then kept it with himself. Not only had Tajuddin Ahmad been associated in this drafting but he was also to outline the plan of action for the implementation of the decision to declare independence - should this course of action have to be adopted. The essentials of the plan, as discussed, were that massive popular demonstrations would be launched in the main cities. Hundreds and thousands of people would be out on the streets. While this would distract the military sufficiently, the main targets would be the radio station, the secretariat, and Government House, where the governor would be prevailed upon to make an announcement formally transferring power to the elected representatives.
In the end, the Awami League chose not to unilaterally declare independence keeping in mind the lack of international recognition for secessionists who pursued that path, including in Biafra and Rhodesia. However, the Pakistani military proceeded to crackdown on the pro-independence population on 25 March 1971. During the Liberation War, Tajuddin Ahmad was appointed as Prime Minister of the provisional government. His government issued the Proclamation of Independence which declared “equality, human dignity and social justice” as the guiding principles of the new republic. He became a dedicated wartime civilian leader whose leadership of the Mujibnagar government, including its military, bureaucratic and diplomatic corps, can stand out as an inspiration for many Bangladeshis. Tajuddin has since become somewhat of an icon of a heroic wartime civilian leader who toiled with the masses. According to the British MP Bruce Douglas-Mann who spoke in the House of Commons after meeting with the Bangladeshi leadership, “I was impressed by the calibre of those I met. The members of the Government were overwhelmingly liberal social democrats and I believe that I could match them in person to person with Members in this House”. In terms of being a wartime leader, Tajuddin is undoubtedly a national icon who must be commemorated across the political divide, for he was a genuinely dedicated war leader and committed to his beleaguered people. His stature should transcend his party, his family, and the partisan divide.
Post-war
After the war, Sheikh Mujibur Rahman established a parliamentary system of government. A new constitution adopted in 1972 declared socialism as a state policy. Tajuddin was appointed as finance minister in the Mujib administration. He emerged as an outspoken critic of the Bretton Woods system, including the World Bank and IMF. Tajuddin also oversaw Mujib’s socialist policies, including the nationalization of industry and banking. Tajuddin was perceived as the architect of Mujib’s failed socialist policies. However, according to Dr. Kamal Hossain, Tajuddin’s “commitment to democratic principles never wavered. He repeatedly stressed the critical need to energise our political structures with youthful idealism and disciplined commitment to democratic values. To him, democracy was not merely about elections, but about institutional integrity, accountability, and the active participation of citizens in governance”.
In 1974, Tajuddin resigned from his post as finance minister. Rumors swirled that his removal from the cabinet was one of the conditions put forward by Henry Kissinger before his visit to Dhaka in 1974. By the end of 1974, Mujib declared a state of emergency and proceeded to establish a socialist one party state.
Dr. Hossain also recounts that “a defining memory is etched vividly in my mind from 1974 at Washington D.C.'s Dulles Airport. After a high-level international meeting, Tajuddin Bhai, Ambassador M. R. Siddiqi, and I stayed back, deeply engaged in a conversation about the future of our country. With characteristic honesty, Tajuddin Bhai expressed deep concerns about the growing inclination towards a one-party system. His fears were not personal, but deeply rooted in his understanding of democracy. He passionately advocated for reforms, emphasising the urgent need to revitalize political structures through engaging young people—idealistic, dedicated, and committed individuals who could breathe new life into the democratic foundations we had worked so hard to establish”. Tajuddin’s resignation from the cabinet had “deeply saddened” Dr. Hossain. In 1975, Tajuddin Ahmad was killed along with three other Awami League leaders by renegade military officers during a coup.
Footnotes
Bangladesh: Quest for Freedom and Justice by Dr. Kamal Hossain
Bangladesh Liberation War Debates in the UK Parliament (The House of Lords & The House of Commons)
Remembering Tajuddin Bhai by Dr. Kamal Hossain (The Daily Star, 23 July 2025)