The Six-Point Movement of 1966

A charter of demands for autonomy for East Pakistan became a rallying point on the road to independence.

In February 1966 Sheikh Mujibur Rahman presented six demands in Lahore calling for a federal Pakistan with wide autonomy for its provinces: separate control over taxation, foreign trade earnings and a paramilitary force, among others. The proposals responded to deep economic and political inequality between East and West Pakistan. The Awami League took the Six Points to the people, and a general strike on 7 June 1966 saw protesters killed by police. The movement shaped the 1970 election campaign and is remembered as a key step towards 1971.