Maulana Abdul Hamid Bhashani (1880-1976) was a Muslim leader who used non-violent, mass civil disobedience techniques to promote nationalism in Assam, Bengal, and Bangladesh. He fought for Bengali to be accorded equal recognition as Urdu for the new Muslim nation in 1948. The same year, Bhashani formed the first organised opposition party in Pakistan: the Awami Muslim League Party. Hussain Shahid Suhrawardy and Sheikh Mujibur Rahman joined by 1949.
After Gen Ayub Khan took over, Bhashani was arrested and held in prison for nearly five years. In 1954, he was part of a coalition that won the elections in East Pakistan. He soon parted ways with the Awami League and in fact, when the party was fighting Ayub under Mujibur Rahman, Bhashani made what some people have said was the biggest mistake of his career by supporting Ayub (Bullets of ‘71: A Freedom Fighter’s Story by N?runa Nab?). However, eventually, Bhashani challenged the Ayub regime. In 1968, at a famous rally in Paltan Maidan he openly threatened the military authorities with the secession of East Pakistan.
After Gen Ayub Khan took over, Bhashani was arrested and held in prison for nearly five years. In 1954, he was part of a coalition that won the elections in East Pakistan. He soon parted ways with the Awami League and in fact, when the party was fighting Ayub under Mujibur Rahman, Bhashani made what some people have said was the biggest mistake of his career by supporting Ayub (Bullets of ‘71: A Freedom Fighter’s Story by N?runa Nab?). However, eventually, Bhashani challenged the Ayub regime. In 1968, at a famous rally in Paltan Maidan he openly threatened the military authorities with the secession of East Pakistan.