Lesson 1/24 min
The Six Points: charter of freedom
February 1966, Lahore. At a conference of opposition parties, Sheikh Mujibur Rahman put forward six demands. Within five years those Six Points had paved the road to independence.
Key facts
- First presented: 5 February 1966, at the opposition parties' conference in Lahore
- Formally announced: 23 March 1966
- The Six Points were based on the Lahore Resolution
- The booklet's title: “Amader Banchar Dabi: 6-Dofa Kormosuchi” (Our Demand for Survival: the Six-Point Programme)
- The Six Points are called the Bengalis' charter of freedom and compared to the Magna Carta
- Six-Point Day is 7 June
- The first martyr of the Six-Point movement was Manu Mia
The six points
| Point | Subject | In short |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Constitutional structure and nature of the state | A federation, parliamentary government, provincial autonomy |
| 2 | Powers of the central government | Only defence and foreign affairs stay with the centre |
| 3 | Currency and finance | Separate currencies for the two wings, or one currency with safeguards against capital flight |
| 4 | Revenue, taxes and duties | The power to tax rests with the provinces |
| 5 | Foreign trade | Separate foreign-exchange accounts for each province |
| 6 | Regional force | Provinces may raise their own paramilitary force |
Memory trick: Points 3, 4 and 5 are about the economy. “How many points were economic?” The answer is three.
Watch out: The judiciary was not part of the Six Points. “Which was not included?” is asked again and again.
Check yourself
Which two subjects did the Six Points leave with the central government?
At a glance
- 1
Sheikh Mujibur Rahman presented the Six Points on 5 February 1966 in Lahore.
- 2
The Six Points were formally announced on 23 March 1966.
- 3
The first point is provincial autonomy; only defence and foreign affairs stay with the centre.
- 4
The Six Points are compared to the Magna Carta.
- 5
Six-Point Day is 7 June.