Sheikh Mujibur Rahman’s 6-Point Formula
Sheikh
Mujibur Rahman placed the 6-point demand on 5th February, 1966 before
the select committee of the national conference of the opposition, held
in Lahore. The 6-point is regarded as the basis of freedom of the Bengali
Nation. Sheikh Mujib himself described the formula as 'our right to live.'
The text includes the original 6 Points as well as their later amendments.
Sheikh Mujibur Rahman’s 6 Points
Point 1
The constitution should provide for a federation of Pakistan
in its true sense on the basis of the Lahore Resolution, and parliamentary
form of government with supremacy of legislature directly elected on the
basis of universal adult franchise.
Amended: The character of the government shall be federal
and parliamentary, in which the election to the federal legislature
and to the legislatures of the federating units shall be direct and
on the basis of universal adult franchise. The representation in the
federal legislature shall be on the basis of population.
Point No. 2
Original Federal government shall deal with only two subjects,
viz. Defence and foreign affairs and all other residuary subjects shall
vest in the federating states.
Amended: The federal government shall be responsible only
for defense and foreign affairs and, subject to the conditions provided
in Point No. 3 below, currency.
Point No.3
(A) Two separate but freely convertible currencies for two
wings may be introduced, or one currency for the whole country may be
maintained. In this case effective constitutional provisions are to be
made to stop flight of capital from East to West Pakistan. Separate banking
reserve is to be made and separate fiscal and monetary policy to be adopted
for East Pakistan.
Amended: There shall be two separate currencies mutually
or freely convertible in each wing for each region, or in the alternative
a single currency, subject to the establishment of a federal reserves
system in which there will be regional federal reserve banks which shall
devise measures to prevent the transfer of resources and flight of capital
from one region to another.
Point No. 4
The power of taxation and revenue collection shall vest in
the federating units and that the federal center will have no such power.
The federation will have a share in the taxes for meeting their required
expenditure. The consolidated federal fund shall come out of a levy of
certain percentage of all state taxes.
Amended: Fiscal policy shall be the responsibility of
the federating units. The federal government shall be provide with requisite
revenue resources for meeting the requirements of defense and foreign
affairs, which revenue resources would be automatically appropriable
by the federal government in the manner provided and on the basis of
the ratio to be determined by the procedure laid down in the constitution.
Such constitutional provisions would ensure that the federal government’s
revenue requirements are met consistently with the objective of ensuring
control over the fiscal policy by the government of the federating units.
Point No. 5
(1) There shall be two separate accounts for foreign exchange
earnings of the two wings.
(2) Earnings of East Pakistan shall be under the control of
East Pakistan government and that of West Pakistan under the control of
West Pakistan government.
(3) Foreign exchange requirement of the federal government
shall be met by the two wings either equally or in a ratio to be fixed.
(4) Indigenous products shall move free of duty between two
wings.
(5) The constitution shall empower the unit governments to
establish trade and commercial relations with set up trade missions in
and enter into agreements with, foreign countries.
Amended: Constitutional provisions shall be made by enable
separate accounts to be maintained of the foreign exchange earnings
of each of the federating units, under the control of the respective
governments of the federal government shall be met by the governments
of the federating units on the basis of a ratio to be determined in
accordance with the procedure laid down in the constitution. The regional
governments shall have power under the constitution to negotiate foreign
trade and aid within the framework of the foreign policy of the country,
which shall be the responsibility of the federal government.
Point No. 6
The setting up of a militia or a para-military force for East
Pakistan.
Amended: The governments of the federating units shall
be empowered to maintain a militia or para-military force in order to
contribute effectively towards national security.
Source: Documents and Speeches on the Constitution
of Pakistan
By G. W. Choudhury (1967). Green Book House, Dacca (East Pakistan)
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