433 বাংলাদেশের স্বাধীনতা যুদ্ধ দলিল : চতুর্থ খন্ড After the framing of that Constitution a popular demand had also risen that a general election be soon held on the basis of the new Constitution. This demand had become very powerful. There were also cliques and counter cliques within the ruling classes. Under these circumstances, the then Central Ministry had declared that general election would be held in February–March, 1959. This announcement of the general election together with the rising popular movement for autonomy and democracy had created a panic amongst the dominant section of the ruling coterie headed by the notorious lskandar Mirza, an ex-army officer, as well as in US imperialist circle. It was then at the connivance of the US imperialists and their open support that the ruling coterie had clamped down Martial Law in October 1958, to forestall the holding of the election as well as to suppress the democratic movement. Ayub Khan had then come to power with the overt support of the US imperialists. This was the second naked intervention by the US imperialists in the internal affairs of Pakistan to suppress democracy. The first was in 1954 when the United Front Ministry of East Pakistan, voted to power by the people, was arbitrarily dismissed. In fact, the US imperialists had always stood behind the reactionary classes of Pakistan in the latter's bid to suppress the movement for democracy and autonomy. Renewed Popular Struggles It was during the decade of the dictatorial regime of Ayub Khan that the suppression of the democratic forces, trampling down of democracy and of the national rights of the Bengalis and other nationalities had assumed monstrous proportions. The Constitution framed by the ruling classes in 1956 was scrapped. Communists were severely persecuted any democrat raising the voice for democracy or autonomy was thrown into jail, all vestiges of democracy were wiped out and any movement by the students, workers, etc, for their rights was sought to be suppressed by leonine violence. Anti-Hindu communal riots were also provoked and organized to disrupt the people. But the oppression and suppression during the Ayub regime did not go unchallenged. From 1961 onwards the people of East Pakistan as well as of Pathanland and Baluchistan had carried on many a glorious battle for their right of autonomy and democracy. The heroic struggles of the Pathans in 1961, the deathdefying battles of the Baluchis in 1961-62 and the glorious battles of the East Pakistan students and people in 1962, 1963 and 1964 may be cited in this connection. In 1965, during the Indo-Pakistan war, the reactionary ruling classes could temporarily confuse the people by virulent anti-India propaganda. But immediately after the termination of the war, a vigorous movement on the six-point programme of the Awami League had taken place in East Pakistan (June 1966). The six-point programme of the Awami League was basically a programme for parliamentary democracy and full autonomy. Regarding autonomy the six-point programme had demanded that only subjects, namely defense and foreign affairs (excluding foreign trade) would vest with the Central government and all other subjects, including foreign trade; would be in the hands of the East Pakistan government. As regards currency, the six-point programme
