DHAKA: The historic Six-point Day is being observed on Saturday across the country in a befitting manner, marking the demand of autonomy for the then East Pakistan, now Bangladesh.

The ruling Awami League, its associate bodies, other political parties and socio-cultural organisations have chalked out various programmes to observe the day.

The programmes include hoisting of national and party flags atop party offices across the country and at city's Bangabandhu Bhaban at dawn and placing of wreaths at the portrait of Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman at Bangabandhu Memorial Museum at city's Dhanmondi at 7 am. 

The party will also arrange a discussion at the Institute of Engineers auditorium at 3:00pm.

With AL presidium member, also Deputy Leader in Parliament Syeda Sajeda Chowdhury in the chair, the programme will be attened by national leaders and noted intellectuals of the country as discussants.

In a statement on Friday, Awami League general secretary and LGRD Minister Syed Ashraful Islam urged all, including leaders and activists of AL, its associate bodies and brotherly organisations to observe the day in a befitting manner following the party programmes.

On June 7 in 1966, Awami League under the strong leadership of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman called for a mass movement against the misrule of Pakistani military rulers on the basis of six-point demand, including the autonomy for the then East Pakistan.

The people of the then East Pakistan observed a dawn-to-dusk-strike across the province spontaneously at the call of AL.

Eleven people, including Manu Mian, Shafique and Shamsul Haque, were gunned down by the police and paramilitary EPR on the day in Dhaka and Narayanganj during the strike. The killings of those people further intensified the movement for autonomy.

BDST: 0918 HRS, JUN 07, 2014