Dr. Syed Anwar Husain:

The quest for peace, at any level, is perpetual and universal. Nevertheless, peace is set at naught by human misdeeds, or human deeds with ulterior motives not peaceable. Chenghiz Khan, Halaku Khan and Hitler do occasionally surface in our mind as evil geniuses who threatened human and world peace. But, as against them, we have on record the names of personalities for whom peace was not only a dream, but vocation as well; a short list of whom include the English Jeremy Bentham (1748-1832) and German Immanuel Kant (1724-1804). Bentham’s book A Plan for Universal and Perpetual Peace (1777); and Kant’s book Perpetual Peace (1795), drew attention of a strife-torn Europe to the doable prospect of peace. Bangabandhu belonged to this genre of persons with his peace dream and vocation, not only for his Bangali people, but the people across the world. A pointer to the such a peace intent of Bangabandhu is the note he scribbled on 30 May 1973.

He wrote, “As a man, what concerns mankind concerns me. As a Bengalee, I am deeply involved in all that concerns Bengalees. This abiding involvement is born of and nourished by love, enduring love, which gives meaning to my politics and to my very being.”

Bangabandhu’s views on the world and world peace are to be gleaned from the 1972 Constitution (his major gift to the nation), nine speeches and a message. Moreover, Bangabandhu’s travelogue titled New China 1952 also provides information specifically on his views on world peace. But the information of his attending the Stockholm Peace Conference (1956) is not available. Nevertheless, whatever records we have are adequately explanatory of Bangabandhu’s ideas specifically on peace, and world peace, in general.

The Constitution and World Peace

Enshrined in the Article 25 of the 1972 Constitution are the words laying the foundation of Bangladesh foreign policy as well as that of world view of the newly-born state:

The state shall base its international relations on the principles of respect for national sovereignty and equality, non-interference in the internal affairs of other countries, peaceful settlement of international disputes, and respect for international law and the principles enunciated in the United Nations Charter, and on the basis of those principles shall –

a. strive for the renunciation of the use of force in international relations and for general and complete disarmament;

b. uphold the right of every people freely to determine and build up its own social, economic and political system by ways and means of its own free choice; and

C. support oppressed people’s throughout the world waging a just struggle against imperialism, colonialism or racialism.

The goals set and the elaborative principles clearly show the peace intent and content of Bangladesh’s relations with the outside world. Moreover, Bangabandhu’s principle of “friendship with all, malice to none” was a peace-begetting recipe.

International Social Peace

The most pertinent document relating to Bangabandhu’s knack for international social peace through social justice was his speech at the Algiers 4th Nonaligned Summit. In that speech he uttered the knee-jerking words (for imperialists and colonialists), “The world is divided into two halves – oppressors and oppressed. I am on the side of the oppressed.” This comment of Bangabandhu not only reflected his world view, but also pointed out that an end to oppression across the world was the pathway to peace.

Moscow hosted the World Congress of Peace Forces, held from 25 through 31 October 1973. In a message to this congress, sounding the Algiers rhetoric, he wrote, “At a time when people in different parts of the world are struggling against imperialism, colonialism and racialism and are striving for political and economic emancipation, such a Congress cannot but strengthen and inspire all those committed to the cause of world peace. The oppressed people of the world must liberate themselves from exploitation and man’s injustice to man must end if the world is to enjoy a stable peace.”

World Peace

While drawing attention to the basics of world peace, Bangabandhu said, “In my opinion, people must have the right to food and clothing and to demand these things. At the same time, they must have the rights to express their own beliefs. If this is not allowed, the life of a man will become as hard as a stone.”

The people’s Republic of China (PRC) hosted the Asia-Pacific Regional Peace Conference in Peking on 2-12 October 1952. 37 countries participated in this conference. Bangabandhu was a member of the Pakistan delegation. He rationalized world peace as he subsequently wrote, “. . We were agreeable to the idea of attending a conference organized by anyone in the world that wanted peace. Whether it was Russia, the United States, Britain or China – we were ready to work for peace at this time and to proclaim in unison with thousands voices – “Peace is what we want!”

But Bangabandhu’s voice of peace was heard more forcefully in his emotive speech delivered at the time of his receiving the Julio Curie Peace Prize from the World Peace Council at a ceremony held in Dhaka on 23 May 1973. As he said, “For the people of Bangladesh peace and freedom are mixed up.” Moreover, emphasing world peace he unequivocally said, “At the same time, I would like to mention categorically that world peace is the basic principle of the philosophy of my life. . . . . We support any great attempt at world peace, disarmament and human welfare.”

The Commonwealth Heads of government meeting was held in Canada on 2-3 August 1973. At this meeting, Bangabandhu’s voice was resonant, “I believe that the developed and developing countries have a common interest in maintaining our existence and in living peacefully. The arms race is a threat to humanity, which contains the threat of not only the total destruction, but also a colossal wastage of world resources.” This was a message to big powers who spend a lot on the arms-making; and the message fell on their deaf years, as we have not seen any let-up in the arms-making and armed conflict around the world. True, big arms have now been replaced by the smaller ones, but arms are there eating up huge national resources. In such a context, therefore, the voice of Bangabandhu was of restraint and caution, but at the same time, suggesting a doable alternative.

Bangabandhu’s United Nations General Assembly speech at the 29th session (25 September 1974) was the summation of his ideas on world peace. The speech was in Bangla; and Bangabandhu was second to Rabindranath Thakur in portraying Bangla on the international stage. The speech was rendered into English extemporaneously by the young Bangali diplomat Faruk Chowdhury (now deceased). Thematically, the speech had four parts. First, the liberation struggle of Bangladesh was meant to be a struggle for peace and justice across the world. Second, crafting of a new international order conducive to the common interest of humans was proffered. Third, while talking about the desired peace in the conflict-prone South Asian region, a concrete suggestion was made to replace “conflict and animus of the past with those of fraternity and cooperation.” Finally, the Southeast Asian Zone of Peace along with the Indian Ocean Zone of Peace was strongly supported. The South Asian peace figured prominently as Bangabandhu had spoken emotively at the dinner hosted by the Indian Prime Minister Indira Gandhi in Calcutta on 6 February (on Bangabandhu’s first foreign trip to Calcutta, 6-8 February 1972). As he said, “Let there be an end permanently to the sterile policy of conflict among the neighbours. We should not waste our national resources, which we should use in developing standard of living of our people.” The same theme occured in the speech he delivered at Daudkandi (Cumilla) on 4 March 1974. These statements were the seeds out of which germinated the tree known as the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) in 1985.

Concluding Observations

The cruel birth of Bangladesh and the continuous struggle for emancipation preceding this birth, had convinced Bangabandhu of the rationale for peace, at home and across the world. At home, his recipe for peace was development of his people, so that they are blessed with a decent standard of living. Internationally, he had the same dream, and, for the realisation of which, he argued for a restructured world order. In between, he had plans for regional peace, as well. Thus no facet of the phenomenon/construct of peace escaped the cogitative mind of Bangabandhu.

The writer is Bangabandhu Chair Professor, Bangladesh University of Professionals (BUP)