Lesson 1/24 min
The 1954 election & the United Front
March 1954. The people of East Bengal got their chance to answer at the ballot box. When the results came in, the ruling Muslim League had won just 9 seats, and Chief Minister Nurul Amin himself had lost.
The United Front
- Formed: 4 December 1953, as an alliance of opposition parties to defeat the Muslim League
- Four main parties: the Awami Muslim League, Krishak Sramik Party, Nizam-e-Islam and Ganatantri Dal
- Led by A. K. Fazlul Huq, Maulana Bhasani and Huseyn Shaheed Suhrawardy
- Election programme: 21 points; the first was to make Bangla a state language
- Symbol: the boat
The result
| What | Number |
|---|---|
| Total seats | 309 |
| United Front | 223 |
| Muslim League | 9 |
What happened next
| When | What happened |
|---|---|
| 8–12 March 1954 | Election to the East Bengal Legislative Assembly |
| 3 April 1954 | The United Front ministry is formed under Sher-e-Bangla A. K. Fazlul Huq |
| End of May 1954 | The central government dismisses the ministry after just 56 days |
- In this ministry Sheikh Mujibur Rahman was Minister for Agriculture and Co-operatives
- The Governor of East Bengal at the time was Chaudhry Khaliquzzaman
Watch out: The number of parties is given as 4 in some sources and 5 in others (one exam's answer was 5). Banglapedia says ‘mainly four parties’. Read the options before you choose.
Watch out: Point 1 of the 21 points is Bangla as a state language; point 1 of the Six Points is provincial autonomy. Exams like to swap the two.
Check yourself
How many seats did the United Front win in 1954?
At a glance
- 1
The United Front was formed on 4 December 1953; it had four main parties.
- 2
Its election programme was the 21 points; the first was to make Bangla a state language.
- 3
In the 1954 election the United Front won 223 of 309 seats; the Muslim League won 9.
- 4
A ministry under A. K. Fazlul Huq was formed on 3 April 1954 and dismissed after 56 days.
- 5
The United Front's symbol was the boat.