Emergence of Bangladesh

Some people may think that the emergence of Bangladesh began on March 26, 1971, when Bangladesh started its liberation war against Pakistan. However, the process of the emergence of Bangladesh started immediately after Pakistan was created on August 14, 1947. The Bengali people formed the majority of the population in the newly independent Pakistan, but it was the minority of people who lived either in West Pakistan or were non-Bengali speakers living in East Pakistan (today’s Bangladesh) who had absolute power and control of the country from the start. As a result, it was inevitable that the majority of Bengali people would become united and fight for their independence. The history of the emergence of Bangladesh can be divided into several stages. 

                                                Image Source 

In the first stage, awareness spread among the Bengali people. Bengali Muslims fought for Pakistan with the dream that in the new country they would become the majority and enjoy economic benefits. This did not materialize for two reasons. First, the minority people living in West Pakistan (mostly Punjabis) had control over the government, military, administration, and economy. Secondly, non-Bengalis coming from the Indian states of Uttar Pradesh and Bihar benefited from all the facilities in East Pakistan. Thus, the Bengali people were deprived of economic benefits by Punjabis not only in West Pakistan but also in their own land in East Pakistan. This awareness came shortly after Pakistan was created. In East Pakistan, educated people from the Indian states of Uttar Pradesh and Bihar (most of them Urdu speakers) took government jobs, often neglecting Bengalis. As a result, these outsiders became economically rich and gained power and prestige in Dhaka and other major cities and towns in East Pakistan. This created a sense of deprivation and frustration among the educated people of East Pakistan or East Bengal. When the first draft of the Basic Principles Committee, which was supposed to prepare a constitution for Pakistan, came out, Bengali people felt frustrated and angry because they saw that their majority was not considered in the draft. In 1949, the Awami League issued a 42-point manifesto addressing the political demands of the Bengali people. In 1951, the Youth League was formed to raise awareness among Bengalis about their real condition. Meanwhile, the ruling Muslim League was advocating for the unity of Pakistan based on the religion of Islam.

In the second stage, the people of East Pakistan or East Bengal (today’s Bangladesh) evaluated the ideas put forward by Bengali nationalists as well as Muslim League supporters. During this time, the Muslim League started to lose its popularity. Political parties and student organizations advocating Bengali nationalism demanded that Bangla must be included as a state language of Pakistan alongside Urdu. Since Bengali people formed the majority in Pakistan, they believed their language must be included in the constitution as a national language of Pakistan. On the other hand, Muslim League leaders like Muhammad Ali Jinnah and Khawaja Nazimuddin supported Urdu and advocated that only Urdu should be the national language. The Bengali people, or most of them, realized that if Bengali was not made a national language, they would suffer in government jobs and education. Consequently, educated people took to the streets in large numbers to protest, leading to the language movement. The tragic incident of February 21, 1952, opened the eyes of many Bengali people to the true nature of the non-Bengali people of West Pakistan and East Pakistan.

This realization also brought a sense among the Bengali people that they must be united in demanding equality, fairness, and justice. This demand was echoed in the provincial assembly in East Bengal in 1954. A United Front consisting of political parties like the Awami League, Krishak-Sramik Party, and some other political, social, and cultural forces emerged. In this election, the Muslim League was almost wiped out in East Bengal or East Pakistan, winning only nine out of the 309 seats. Before the election, the United Front promised to advocate for Bengali culture and the interests of the Bengali people. This gained significant support among ordinary people, including the illiterate population living in villages. However, the United Front government could not continue, as the central government in West Pakistan dismissed the government within a few months and took power. It was a sad and frustrating time for the people living in today’s Bangladesh.

This frustration led the Bengali people to realize that they must demand more autonomy. Unfortunately, the leading party of the Bengali people, the Awami League, suffered a division in 1957 when Maulana Bhashani and his followers left to form the National Awami Party (NAP). Meanwhile, in the central government, military general Ayub Khan captured power and ruled from 1958 to 1969 with an iron hand. Ayub Khan was an autocratic ruler, and during his rule, the 1965 Indo-Pak war took place. During this war, the people in Bengal realized they were totally insecure because most of the Army, Navy, and Air Force soldiers and officers were in West Pakistan. Against this background, in 1966, Awami League leader Sheikh Mujibur Rahman announced his revolutionary six-point demand. This demand called for maximum autonomy for East Pakistan and did not sit well with the rulers in West Pakistan. They feared that if the six points were implemented, they would no longer be able to exploit and treat East Pakistan as a colony. Consequently, they charged Sheikh Mujib and some of his followers with the Agartala Conspiracy Case. The main goal was to destroy Sheikh Mujibur Rahman and the Awami League, thus silencing the Bengali demand for autonomy.

The Agartala Conspiracy Case, instead of silencing the voice of autonomy for the Bengali people, amplified it. Sheikh Mujibur Rahman became immensely popular as the students of East Pakistan launched a massive campaign against Ayub Khan’s government. People from all walks of life joined the movement, demanding not only the release of Sheikh Mujib and other political prisoners but also greater autonomy for East Pakistan. This culminated in the mass uprising of 1969, which ensured the release of Sheikh Mujib and his followers from prison and ultimately brought an end to the tough dictatorship of Ayub Khan.

After Ayub Khan resigned, the head of the army, Yahya Khan, took power in early 1969 and promised that Pakistan would return to democratic rule, pledging to hand over power to representatives elected by the people. His government arranged an election in 1970 in which the Awami League won 160 seats, becoming the majority party in the upcoming parliament. Sheikh Mujib announced his intention to implement the six points, but the military and West Pakistani leaders were unwilling to hand over power to him. This led to massive protests in East Pakistan in March 1971. Realizing it was impossible to stop the Bengali people, the Pakistani army and political leaders like Bhutto decided to use brutal force. On the night of March 25, 1971, the military launched a crackdown on unarmed and innocent Bengali people, resulting in almost three million deaths. Bangladesh declared its independence on March 26, 1971, and victory was achieved on December 16 of the same year. It was a very tragic and bloody war during which two million women were raped. Nearly ten million people fled to neighboring India for refuge, suffering greatly from malnourishment and a lack of medical treatment. Thousands of people died in India due to these harsh conditions. Despite the immense suffering, the Bengali people were determined to finish what had started with the language movement in 1952. They sacrificed their lives but remained resolute in their quest for independence. With support from the Indian army, Bangladesh finally emerged as an independent nation.

The emergence of Bangladesh came at the cost of a lot of blood and the supreme sacrifice of millions of people. It is the duty of every citizen of the country to remember those who gave their lives and suffered for its creation, not only in 1971 but also from 1947 onwards. Because of their continuous efforts, Bangladesh became a democratic and independent country.