Amena Begum

Amena Begum (1925-1989), a former MP of East Pakistan, was a prominent figure in the independence movement of Bangladesh. She was instrumental in campaigning all over East Pakistan for the Six Point programme of regional autonomy drafted by the Awami League, and on June 7, 1966 organised the general strike along with Mizanur Rahman Chowdhury. This strike was observed throughout the then East Pakistan and was the first major indication that an independent Bangladesh was imminent. She later took over as president of the Jatiya League. She died in Dhaka on 7 April 1989.

Early career

Amena Begum joined East Pakistan Awami Muslim League in 1950. She was elected a member of the East Bengal Legislative Assembly in 1954 as a united front candidate in the reserve seats for women in Comilla-Sylhet constituency. Amena Begum was elected as secretary of women affairs in central executive committee of Awami League in 1966 which office she held till 1970.

At the initial stage of the six-point program in 1966, when the top ranking leaders of Awami League including its president Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman and general secretary Tajuddin Ahmed were arrested, Amena Begum was made the acting general secretary of the party on 27 July 1966. Amena Begum had a pivotal role in helming the affairs of the party in that critical period of repression of the autocratic Ayub government upon the activists of the party throughout the country. She played important role in organising the Six-point Movement and maintaining liaison with the Awami League activists working to that end. She contributed a lot to the floating of eleven points Movement of the students in October 1968 and in organising the anti-Ayub mass upsurge in 1969.