435 বাংলাদেশের স্বাধীনতা যুদ্ধ দলিল : চতুর্থ খন্ড unit in West Pakistan and restoration of the former provinces, restoration of parliamentary democracy, etc But Yahya Khan had also promulgated a Legal Framework Order (LFO) in which it was stipulated that the new constitution to be framed by elected National Assembly would have to be authenticated by the President (i.e., Yahya Khan), and that it would have to be an "Islamic" one. This LFO had proved that though the ruling military junta was compelled to concede to election, etc., under pressure mass upsurge, it was in no mood to allow introduction of full parliamentary democracy and grant full autonomy to the nationalities. Rather, by that order it curbed the sovereignty of the elected National Assembly, ensured the reactionary religious basis of Pakistan, and sought to curtail democracy and the autonomous rights of the various nationalities. Our part had been through this conspiracy of the military junta and criticized the LFO. demanded its amendment and sovereignty of the elected National Assembly. The National Awami Party led by Wali and Muzaffar had also done so. But the LFO was not amended. General Election and Awami League's Victory However, the general election, the first of its kind in Pakistan during the last 23 years, was held in December 1970. In that election, the Awami League swept the polls in East Pakistan securing 167 National Assembly seats out of 169 contested and 290 Provincial Assembly seats out of 300. By sweeping the polls in East Pakistan, the Awami League had also secured an absolute majority in the All-Pakistan National Assembly-167 seats out of the total 313. During the election, the Awami League's main platform was its own six-point programme as well as the 11-point programme of the Students' Action Committee. But its main emphasis was on its six-point programme which was highly popular with the masses of the people in East Pakistan and the people had solidly voted for it. After the victory of the Awami League in the election the reactionary forces raised a hue and cry that East Pakistan would secede. But the Awami League Chief Sheikh Mujibur Rahman had again and again declared categorically that he and his party did never want secession of East Pakistan but wanted the future constitution of the country be framed on the basis of the six-point programme of his party to end the exploitation and oppression over the Bengalis. The people of East Pakistan also aspired that the newly elected National Assembly should soon sit in its session, that a democratic constitution based on the six-point programme be framed and that power be transferred to the victorious party-the Awami League. The downtrodden people of West Pakistan, especially of the smaller nationalities, also hoped that the oppressive days of the past would be over and democracy would be restored. In fact, everybody in Pakistan was eagerly waiting for a changeover to democracy.
