Sheikh Mujibur Rahman

Sheikh Mujibur Rahman announced a six-point program demanding autonomy for East Pakistan. This became the charter of the Bengali nationalist movement and led to his arrest and the 1970 elections.

Mujib's Awami League won a landslide victory in Pakistan's general election, securing a majority in the National Assembly. The West Pakistani establishment refused to transfer power, triggering the Bangladesh Liberation War.

On March 26, 1971, Mujib declared Bangladesh's independence from Pakistan. He was arrested by the Pakistani army the same night, but his declaration sparked the nine-month war of independence.

After returning from imprisonment in Pakistan, Mujib became the first Prime Minister of independent Bangladesh. He faced the monumental task of rebuilding a war-torn nation.

Sheikh Mujib was assassinated along with most of his family in a military coup. The coup brought a period of military rule and political instability to Bangladesh.