Why did East Pakistan seek and then form the independent state of Bangladesh?
1.1 Social and Cultural Issues
- Capital was in West Pakistan
- Majority of people in East Pakistan
- Urdu was made National Language when these people spoke Bengali
- 1952 students protest
- State Language Day
- 21 February
- Police measures resulted in several deaths in East Pakistan
- Situation improved a little when Bengali was recognized as one of the official languages in 1956
- Culture was different
- 1000 miles apart from each other
- Idea of West Pakistan being superior to East prevalent in West Pakistan
1.2 Economic Issues
- East Pakistan poorer than West Pakistan
- Poverty
- Most government measures supported West Pakistan
- Jute was major export which was from East Pakistan
- However average earning and wealth gap between East and West Pakistan increased
- East Pakistan’s economic situation fell while West Pakistan’s improved
- Resources were being transferred from East to West Pakistan
- Defence spending protected West Pakistan more
- In health and education – East Pakistan had also been not favored
1.3 Political Issues
- PM and Governor generals mostly from West Pakistan although East Pakistan a majority in the Assembly
- Same issue with senior position in army and civil service
- High ranking officials in Dhaka were mainly from West Pakistan
1970 flooding
- 12 November 1970
- 500000 people died in East Pakistan cyclone
- Government support from West Pakistan was slow.
- Government exaggerated its relief activities
- India offered help but government refused it
- Angered East Pakistanis
- Transport by air through India would have been much more effective
1.4 Election Results
- Main contestants
- PPP by Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto
- Awami League by Sheikh Mujib ur Rahman
- Awami League campaigned for fairness in government expenditure and provincial autonomy
- It campaigned on the Six Point Agenda
- It won 160 seats in the national assembly
- PPP won only 81 seats
- Awami League was in position to form government and enforce its agenda
- Awami League manifesto included provinces having control of foreign exchange they earn from trade
- Would reduce funds to central government in West Pakistan
1.5 Yahya’s steps
- Mujib was called next president of Pakistan in 1971
- He wanted Mujib to nor form the government
- Not to limit powers of central assembly
- February 1971
- Bhutto threatened PPP not attending the assembly unless Mujub shared power
- 1 March 1971
- Yahya postponed the Assembly’s first meeting due on 3rd March
- Massive protests started in East Pakistan
- General Tikka Khan made CMLA (Chief Martial Law Administrator)
- 15 March 1971 Yahya and Bhutto met Mujib
- Yahya and Bhutto left Dhakka on 25 and 26 March respectively
1.6 Operation Searchlight and The Consequences
- Designed to end Bengali nationalism
- Awami league was presented as a threat to Pakistan
- Bengalis and Hindus were treated with harshness
- Thousands of bengalis murdered
- Mujib arrested
- Army took control of East Pakistani towns and cities
- 26 March 1971 – Begalis declared on radio the formation of Sovereign People’s Republic of Bangladesh
- Yahya was supported in West Pakistan
- Bhutto said that Pakistan has been saved
- Civil war was inevitable
- 31 March
- India declared support of Bengalis
- Trained a rebel force called Mukti Bahini
- High Commission of India and Pakistan were closed in each other’s countries
- April 1971 army was in firm control of East Pakistan
- August 1971
- Russia signed treaty of Peace, Friendship and Commerce with India so likely to help India in war
- USA and China might not do so
- Told Yahya to negotiate
- He did not comply
- 21 November 1971 Mukti Bahini captured Jessore
- 29 November 1971 East Pakistan announced its members of provincial government
1.7 Breaking up of Bangladesh
- 3 December
- PAF attacked India
- 4 December India full fledged attacked East Pakistan
- 6 December India recognized Bangladesh
- 2 weeks – Indian forces were outside Dhakka
- UN tried to end the war
- Bhutto attended the talks
- USSR was ready to support India – US was not ready to do same for Pakistan
- Army surrendered in East Pakistan within a week after this
- Mukti Bahini carried out mass massacres of Pakistan’s supporters
- Pakistanis killed professional Bengalis to weaken the new Bangladesh in the end of the war
- 90000 prisoners of war taken by India
- East Pakistanis wanted independence
- Pakistani allies were not very supportive
- 20 December 1971 Bhutto replaced Yahya
- 21 December 1971 Republic of Bangladesh came into being
- 2 weeks later Mujib was released
- 10 January 1972 Mujib became the first prime minister of Bangladesh
Lesson Tags
Sheikh Mujib Ur Rahman | Separation of Bangladesh | Yahya Khan | Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto | Awami League | Mukhti Bahini | 1971 War | Complete and Detailed Notes For Revision | O Level Pakistan Studies 2059/01 and IGCSE Pakistan Studies 0448/01 | The History and Culture of Pakistan
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