1

Section 5 & 6
Towards Bengali
Independence

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Problems of the new country Pakistan

On 14 August 1947, Muhammed Ali Jinnah was sworn in as Governor-General of Pakistan.

 The euphoria of independence was short-lived as partition brought disastrous consequences

due to communal conflict.
 Partition unleashed untold misery and loss of lives and property as millions of Hindu and
Muslim refugees fled either Pakistan or India.
 Both nations were also caught up in a number of conflicts involving the allocation of assets,
demarcation of boundaries, equitable sharing of water resources etc.
 Although Pakistan was created to unite the Muslim population of the old British India, it did
not have natural borders, such as rivers, mountains or the sea.
 The two separate parts of Pakistan (East Bengal and West Pakistan) were separated by about
a thousand miles of land that belonged to India.
 The vast distance between them also meant that there were significant differences and
outlook between the people of the two different regions.
 India had officials, and people, with political experience to take over the government but in
Pakistan, the assembly members were mostly wealthy landowners with little political
experience. The Muslim League drew most of its support from rural areas and lacked support
from urban areas.
 The worst fact, was while over half the population of Pakistan lived in East Bengal, the
majority of government and army leaders came from West Pakistan.
 Pakistan lacked both the administrative and the governmental officals to run the affairs of a
new country. Even the minimal requirements of a working central government – skilled
personnel, equipment and a capital city with government buildings – were missing.
 One more devastating fact was, Pakistan was governed under an amended version of
Government of India Act 1935.
 Pakistan was made up of states that were mostly underdeveloped, with very little industry.
 Pakistan was not a wealthy country and its major activity, agriculture, did not produce a
sufficient surplus to create the wealth needed for industrialisation. The exception to this was
in the production of jute, where, in 1947, East Bengal produced nearly 70% of the world’s
crop.
 Jute export produced the major source of foreign exchange earnings for Pakistan.
 People of Pakistan had different traditions, cultures, languages and lifestyles as Pakistan was
mainly made up of five different groups of people, the Pakhtuns, the Balochs, the Sindhis, the
Punjabis and the Bengalis.
 Partition unleashed untold misery and loss of lives and property as millions of Hindu and
Muslim refugees fled either Pakistan or India. Both nations were also caught up in a number
of conflicts involving the allocation of assets, demarcation of boundaries, equitable sharing of
water resources and control over Kashmir.
Geographical problem:
 Although Pakistan was created to unite the Muslim population of the old British India, it did
not have natural borders such as rivers, mountains or the sea. The two separate parts of
Pakistan (East Bengal and West Pakistan) were separated by about a thousand miles of land
that belonged to India.
 The vast distance between them also meant that there were significant differences and
outlook between the people of the two different regions.
Refugees and Inter-communal Violence:
 In the years immediately before partition, there was widespread violence between the
Muslim and non-Muslim communities across India.

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 Millions of people found themselves living in the ‘wrong” country and became victims of
communal attacks.
 5.3 million Hindus fled from Punjab and Sindh into India, 5.9 million Muslims fled from India
into West Pakistan. Also, 3.3 million Hindus fled East Bengal, and 1.3 million Muslims fled
from India into East Bengal. People fled from violence and often arrived in their new country
with nothing at all.
 Both India and Pakistan faced enormous problems as huge numbers of refugees fled to them
for safety. Pakistan, in particular, as a new and not wealthy country, did not have the
necessary facilities to house millions of new citizens.
Political Problems:
 In 1947, India inherited government buildings, furnishings, even officials from the British.
Pakistan had none of these.
 India had officials, members of the Indian National Congress, with the political experience to
take over the government. In Pakistan, the assembly members were mostly wealthy
landowners with little political experience. The Muslim League drew most of its support from
rural areas and lacked support from urban areas.
 The geographical separateness of East and West Pakistan made it hard to govern as one
country.
 This was made worse by the fact that while over half the population of Pakistan lived in East
Bengal, the majority of government and army leaders came from West Pakistan.
 Pakistan lacked both the administrative and the governmental machinery to run the affairs of
a new country such as, skilled personnel, equipment and a capital city with government
buildings were missing.
Economic Problems:
 Pakistan was made up of states that were mostly underdeveloped, with very little industry.
 Around 90% of the people lived in the countryside, and there were only 8 towns with a
population of more than 100,000 (Karachi, Lahore, Dhaka, Hyderabad, Rawalpindi, Multan,
Sialkot and Peshawar).
 Pakistan was not a wealthy country and its major activity, agriculture, did not produce a
sufficient surplus to create the wealth needed for industrialisation. The exception to this was
jute, East Bengal produced nearly 70% of the world’s crop. Jute export produced the major
source of foreign exchange earnings for Pakistan for many years. But Pakistan did not have a
single jute mill.
Percentage of economic assets in Pakistan after partition:

Registered factories 10%

Industrial workers 6.5%
Electrical capacity 5%
Mineral Deposits 10%

The division of financial and military assets:

 It was agreed that the military assets were to be divided on the ratio of 17 to India and 5 to
Pakistan. This reflected the relative size and populations of the two countries.
 In June 1947, it was agreed that Pakistan would be paid 750 million rupees of the 4 billion
rupees in the Reserve Bank. The first 200 million rupees were paid. Then war broke out over
Kashmir. India refused to pay the rest, saying Pakistan would only use it to buy arms to fight
against India. It was only after Gandhi went on hunger strike that a further 500 million rupees
was paid. 50 million rupees still remain unpaid.

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 The British divided the armed forces that they should be split 36%: 44% between Pakistan
and India.
 It was agreed to split the army along religious lines as in the table below.

Pakistan India
Armoured divisions 6 14
Artillery divisions 8 40
Infantry divisions 8 21

 A big problem for the Pakistan army was that their army did not have enough officers.
 All 16 ordnance factories were in India, which refused to hand any over. Consequently,
Pakistan had no factories capable of making military goods. India eventually agreed to pay 60
million rupees in lieu of handing over ordnance factories and this was used by the Pakistani
government to build an ordnance factory at Wah.
Social problems:
 Pakistan was mainly made up of five different groups:
 the Pakhtuns in the north
 the Balochs in the west
 the Sindhis in the south
 the Punjabis in the north-east
 the Bengalis in the east.
These people had different traditions, cultures, languages and lifestyles.
Issue of National Language:
 Bangla was the mother tongue of about 56 percent of the people of Pakistan. On the other
hand, Urdu was the mother tongue of only 6 percent people of the whole of Pakistan. Bangla
was naturally entitled to be the state language of East Pakistan, if not entire Pakistan. But the
Pakistani ruling clique ignored this reality and planned to introduce Urdu as the state
language of entire Pakistan.
Other social issues:
 One of the issues affecting the general well-being of the people was poverty. In the course of
the colonial period, many peasants became landless.
 Another problem was that of public health. In the last few decades of colonial period,
cholera, malaria and a number of other water-borne diseases affected a large section of the
people of the region.
 In 1948, there were only 211 doctors and 2,825 hospital beds in East Bengal.
 When the new nation of Pakistan emerged, there were only a few district level secondary
schools. In higher education, there was only one University, the University of Dhaka, and a
few colleges and madrasahs.
 In terms of producing skilled manpower, the lack of opportunities for mass education
appeared to be another important social issue before the new state.
The canal water dispute:
 West Pakistan had a hot and dry climate so it relied upon irrigation from a series of canals
which draw water from the three main rivers.
 The problem for Pakistan was that the flow of water through the canals and rivers was
controlled at a series of ‘headworks’, all of which lay in India.
 The Indian government promised not to interfere with the supply of water to Pakistan.
However, India and Pakistan were soon in dispute over the canals
 India claimed that as the headworks were in its country it had complete rights to do what it
wanted with the water. Pakistan argued that it had a right to the water as its economy

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depended upon it.

 The Pakistan government called for the matter to be settled by the International Court of
Justice, but India refused.
 In May 1948, a temporary agreement was reached. India agreed to allow water from east
Punjab to flow into west Punjab, but only if Pakistan agreed to try to find alternative water
supplies.

The Kashmir Issue

 The most serious disagreement between India and Pakistan concerned the state of Jammu
and Kashmir. This was the largest state in the subcontinent and the fact that it had
boundaries with Tibet, China, Afghanistan and Russia gave it great strategic importance.
 In 1947, most of the 4 million inhabitants of Kashmir were Muslim, but the maharaja was a
Hindu. It was believed that he was trying to win independence for his state and so he
delayed joining either Pakistan or India.
 The maharaja, Hari Singh, started a campaign to drive many Muslims out of Kashmir. Over
200,000 fled to Pakistan and finally the Muslims rose in rebellion. The maharaja was forced
to turn to India for help to crush the Muslims. Indian help came only after the maharaja
agreed to accede to India.
 Pakistan could not accept this, so sent troops to help the Muslims in Kashmir. The Pakistan
government was convinced that the Indians had always planned to seize Kashmir.
 Neither side was strong enough for a long war nor in January 1948 was the matter referred
to the UNO.
 A ceasefire was arranged and Kashmir was divided between India and Pakistan.
 However, Pakistan was angered that India retained the largest area of Kashmir, including the
capital, Srinagar. After pressure from Lord Mountbatten, the Indian Prime Minister, Nehru,
agreed that a referendum would be held in Kashmir to determine the wishes of the people,
‘once the situation has normalised’.
 This referendum has not been held and the ‘Kashmir’ issue remains a major source of
discontent between the two countries today.

Disparities

Types of disparities between the two wings of Pakistan-

 Political
 Economical
 Administrative
 Educational
 Financial
 Trade & Commerce
 Development
 Defence
 Constitutional
 Government Job

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 The provincial government in the east did not have any control over its own economy as
everything was controlled by the centre. Trading bodies and foreign missions were
established in West Pakistan. A greater proportion of foreign aid and the national
development budget was allocated for the west wing.
 At the same time, the earning of East Pakistan from foreign trade, of jute for instance, was
diverted to West Pakistan.
 The people of East Pakistan were not represented proportionately in important posts like
the defence and civil services according to the population ratio.
 The headquarters of the three Defence services, i.e. Army, Navy and Air Force, were
established in West Pakistan. Ordnance factories were also established in West Pakistan. Of
the total Commissioned Officers in the Army and Air Force, only 5% and 17% respectively
were from East Pakistan. Similar was the case in the Navy in which the percentage of
superior officers ranged from 5 to 17%.
 High-level posts in East Pakistan, including that of Governor-General, were usually filled by
West Pakistanis or by refugees from India who had adopted Pakistani citizenship.
 Although the representatives of East Bengal were in a majority in the first Constituent
Assembly, both Governor-General and Prime Minister were appointed from West Pakistan.
 The capital of the new country was established in West Pakistan too.
 East Pakistan also lacked in number of educational institutions as well.
 Infrastructure During the period of 1947-55 only 10% of total expenditure of the central
government was spent in East Pakistan. Whereas Rs. 1496 million was spent in the
development sector in West Pakistan during the period, the amount spent in East Pakistan
was only Rs. 514.7 million.
Economic Exploitation
 West Pakistan never treated East Pakistan as a part of their economy rather they treated us
as a colony.
 Used East Pakistan as a captive market for goods produced in the western wing.
 During 1948-60 East Pakistan’s export import: In 1948 there were 11 textile mills in the East
and only 9 in the West. Whereas, in 1971 there were 26 in the East as opposed to 150 in the
West.
 East Pakistan’s economy transformed from a surplus one to a deficit one.
 Budget formulation was driven by the objective of tax relief, distribution of license permit
etc. designed to transfer resources from East to West Pakistan.
East and West Pakistan: Disparity in expenditure
 In 1947 and 1966, East Pakistan had a trade surplus of 4924.1 million where West Pakistan
ran into a deficit of 16,634.6 million. Naturally, East Pakistan’s surplus was used to meet up
West Pakistan’s deficit.
 Three capital cities - Karachi, Rawalpindi and Islamabad were built in phases in West
Pakistan. An amount of Rs. 5700 million was spent till 1956 for Karachi alone to build it up
but Dhaka got only 250 million.
Disparity in Education
 During 1947–71, school infrastructure declined steeply in East Pakistan. While West Pakistan
gained 35,287 additional primary schools, those in East Pakistan experienced a negative
growth. By 1971, the total number of primary schools in East Pakistan declined by a total of
902 (compared with the number in 1947). Similarly, the growth of secondary schools
suffered.
 According to Census 1961, 38.2% of children aged 10-14 years were reported in civilian labor
force in East Pakistan compared to 23.3% in West Pakistan (Haroon and Jan, 1964).
 East Pakistan experienced a decline in the number of graduates and postgraduates. The
Western unit, on the other hand, not only had a head-start in terms of total number of

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graduates and postgraduates, it registered 21.3% and 68.6% growth in these numbers
respectively.
 West Pakistan enjoyed a higher growth in enrolment, matched by a large increase in the
total number of schools and teachers. The educational backwardness of East Pakistan was
also manifested in relatively low levels of educational attainment and functional literacy.

Constitution and Constituent Assembly

Constitution: The term Constitution refer to the laws and principals, for running a country.

Constituent Assembly: A constituent assembly or constitutional assembly is a body or assembly of

selected representatives composed for the purpose of drafting or adopting a document called
the constitution.

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Language Movement
 Language Movement began in 1948 and reached its climax in the killing of 21 February 1952,
and ended in the adoption of Bangla as one of the state languages of Pakistan in the
constitution of 1956.
 The question as to what would be the state language of Pakistan was raised immediately
after its creation. The central leaders and the Urdu-speaking intellectuals of Pakistan
declared that Urdu would be the state language of Pakistan,
 The students and intellectuals of East Pakistan, however, demanded that Bangla be made
one of the state languages.
 The first movement on this issue was mobilised by Tamaddun Majlish headed by Professor
Abul Kashem. Gradually many other non-communal and progressive organisations joined the
movement, which finally turned into a mass movement.
 Meanwhile, serious preparation was being taken in various forums of the central
government of Pakistan under the initiative of Fazlur Rahman, the central education
minister, to make Urdu the only state language of Pakistan. On receipt of this information,
East Pakistani students became agitated and the first Rastrabhasa Sangram Parishad
(Language Action Committee) was formed.
 The Constituent Assembly of Pakistan was in session at Karachi-then the capital of Pakistan-
from 23 February 1948. It was proposed that the members would have to speak either in
Urdu or in English at the Assembly. Dhirendranath Datta, a member from the East Pakistan,
moved an amendment motion to include Bangla as one of the languages of the Constituent
Assembly but others opposed the motion and rejected it.
 A new committee to fight for Bangla as the state language was formed with Shamsul Huq as
convener. On 11 March 1948 a general strike was observed in the towns of East Pakistan in
protest.
 The movement also reiterated the earlier demand that Bangla be declared one of the state
languages of Pakistan and the official language of East Pakistan.
 Under such circumstances the government had to give in. Khwaja Nazimuddin signed an
agreement with the student leaders. However, although he agreed to a few terms and
conditions, he did not comply with their demand that Bangla be made a state language.
 Mohammad Ali Jinnah, the governor general of Pakistan, came to visit East Pakistan on 19
March. He addressed two meetings in Dhaka, in both of which he ignored the popular
demand for Bangla.
 He reiterated that Urdu would be the only state language of Pakistan. This declaration was
instantly protested.
 The Dhaka University Language Action Committee was formed on 11 March 1950 with Abdul
Matin as its convener.
 Under these circumstances, the Language Movement got a new momentum in 1952.
 On 27 January 1952, Khwaja Nazimuddin came to Dhaka from Karachi. Addressing a meeting
at Paltan Maidan, he said that the people of the province could decide what would be the
provincial language, but only Urdu would be the state language of Pakistan. There was an
instantaneous, negative reaction to this speech among the students who responded with the
slogan, 'Rashtrabhasha Bangla Chai'.
 A strike was observed at Dhaka University on 30 January. The representatives of various
political and cultural organisations held a meeting on 31 January chaired by Moulana
Bhasani. An All-Party Central Language Action Committee was formed with Kazi Golam
Mahboob as its convener.
 The Language Action Committee decided to call a hartal and organize demonstrations and
processions on February 21 throughout East Pakistan.

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 As preparations for demonstrations were underway, the government imposed Section 144 in
the city of Dhaka, banning all assemblies and demonstrations.
 The students were determined to violate Section144 and held a student meeting at 11.00
am on 21 February on the Dhaka University campus, then located close to the Medical
College Hospital.
 The police resorted to baton charge; even the female students were not spared.
 The students then started throwing brickbats at the police, who retaliated with tear gas.
Unable to control the agitated students, the police fired upon the crowd of students, who
were proceeding towards the Assembly Hall (at present, part of Jagannath Hall, University of
Dhaka). Three young men, Rafiq, Jabbar and Barkat (an MA student of Political Science) were
fatally wounded. Many injured persons were admitted to the hospital. Among them Salam, a
peon at the Secretariat, subsequently succumbed to his wounds. A nine-year-old boy named
Ohiullah was also killed.
 Although, some at the Legislative Assembly building, the session was about to begin. Hearing
the news of the shooting, some members went out and joined the students. In the
Assembly, Nurul Amin, chief minister of East Pakistan, continued to oppose the demand for
Bangla.
 The next day, 22 February, was also a day of public demonstrations and police reprisals. The
public performed a janaza (prayer service for the dead) and brought out a mourning
procession, which was attacked by the police and the army resulting in several deaths.
 On 23 February, at the spot where students had been killed, a memorial was erected. In
1963, the temporary structure was replaced by a concrete memorial, the Shaheed Minar.
 The East Bengal Legislative Assembly adopted a resolution recommending the recognition of
Bangla as one of the state languages of Pakistan. The language movement continued until
1956. The movement achieved its goal by forcing the Pakistan Constituent Assembly in
adopting both Bangla and Urdu as the state languages of Pakistan.
 Since 1952, 21 February has been observed every year to commemorate the martyrs of the
Language Movement. With UNESCO adopting a resolution on 17 November 1999
proclaiming 21 February as International Mother Language Day. It is an honour bestowed by
the international community on the Language Movement of Bangladesh.

Bangladesh Awami League

 Bangladesh Awami League, one of the oldest and major political parties in Bangladesh. It is
the Awami League that played the leading role in achieving the independence of
Bangladesh.
 The Awami League was founded in Rose Garden of KM Das Lane, Dhaka on 23 June 1949 at a
convention of the leaders and workers known to be a faction of the Bengal Provincial Muslim
League headed by Huseyn Shahid Shurawardy and Abul Hashim. The new party was named
East Pakistan Awami Muslim League. It was established with Maulana Abdul Hamid Khan
Bhashani as president
 As a mark of its secular posture, the term 'Muslim' was deleted from the name of the party
at its third council meeting held on 21-23 October 1955.
 The Awami League was the first opposition party in the then Pakistan. At its birth the party
adopted a 42-point programme with a special emphasis on the demand for provincial
autonomy. Recognition of Bangla as one of the state languages of Pakistan, one man one
vote, democracy, and framing of a constitution, parliamentary form of government, regional
autonomy and removal of disparity between the two wings had been the major demands of
Awami League.

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 In the provincial elections of 1954 in East Bengal, it was the Awami Muslim League under the
leadership of Huseyn Shaheed Sahrawardy, Maulana Abdul Hamid Khan Bhasani and
Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman which was instrumental in forming the electoral
United Front.
 During General Ayub's autocratic regime (1958-1969), the Awami League under the
leadership of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman emerged as the leading party in the
struggle for achieving autonomy for East Bengal.
 Especially, Suhrawardy's death enabled Sheikh Mujib to become the sole leader of the
Awami League.
 In the aftermath of the 17-days war of 1965 between India and Pakistan that exposed the
utter helplessness of the Bangalees in the absence of any noticiable military defense and
security from the side of the Pakistan central government, at a conference of opposition
parties in Lahore in February 1966, Sheikh Mujib presented the historic Six pint Programme
of the Awami League.
 At one stage, the Ayub government had recourse to a sort of 'final solution' in regard to the
6-point movement by instituting in 1968 a case of conspiracy against Sheikh Mujib (already
in custody) and 34 other Bangalee civil-military officers, known as theAgartal Conspiracy
Case.
 The measure, however, proved to be counter-productive. It led to the Mass Uprising/Mass
Upsurge of 1969 that forced Ayub Khan to step down from power.
 In the backdrop of countrywide mass movement and fall of Ayub Khan, the country's first
general election were held in December 1970 under the new military regime headed by
Yahya Khan.
 Awami League won a stunning victory in the elections of 1970, bagging 160 out of 162
territorial seats (72.57% votes) in East Pakistan allotted in the central legislature. Awami
League had a similar landslide victory in the Provincial Assembly elections in East Pakistan
winning 288 out of 300 seats (89% votes).
 Thus Awami League emerged as the single majority party in the Pakistan National Assembly
with 167 seats out of a total of 313. But instead of inviting Awami League to form the
government, the military junta of Yahya Khan resorted to his military machine to suppress
the election verdict and the aspiration of the Bangalees. The Awami League and its chief
Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman called a massive non co-operation movement in East
Pakistan from 2 March (1971) onward to which the people as a whole declared their
solidarity.
 On March 7, Bangabandhu made his historic address in Race Course Maidan (now
Suhrawardy Udyan) giving a clarion call to the Bangalee nation for an armed resistance
movement against the Pakistani ruling classes now identified as enemies. He declared: 'The
struggle this time is the struggle for our emancipation; the struggle this time is the struggle
for independence.'
 The attack on the unarmed Bangalees in Dhaka and other places in East Pakistan by the
Pakistani army on the dreadful night of 25 March 1971 sealed the fate of Pakistan.
Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman was arrested and flown to West Pakistan to face a so-
called trial for treason. Before courting arrest in the night of 25 March 1971, the Awami
League leader Bangabandu declared the Independence of Bangladesh from Pakistan.

United Front
 United Front an alliance of the opposition parties to contest seats in the elections to the East
Bengal Legislative Assembly, between 8-12 March 1954.

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 The result was a comprehensive victory for the alliance or front composed mainly of four
parties of East Bengal, namely Awami League, Krishak Sramik Party, Nizam-e-Islam and
Ganatantri Dal.
 The Front campaigned on an election manifesto that incorporated a package of 21 point
Programme adopted by the Front in November 1953.
 In addition to full regional autonomy, the manifesto demanded that the central government
should delegate to the eastern province all subjects except defence, foreign affairs and
currency. It also called for recognition of Bangla as a state language, release of political
prisoners, declaration of 21 February as a public holiday,etc.
 In fact, the United Front reflective of all shades of political spectrum in the province
emerged mainly due to the failure of the Muslim League as a ruling party, and other
historical, political and economic reasons.
 The decision to form a united front was initially endorsed on 14 November 1953 at the
historic council session of the Awami League.
 The United Front won 223 seats out of 309 Muslim seats in the assembly, whereas the ruling
Muslim League managed to capture only 9 seats, and all five members of the Muslim League
Ministry including the chief minister (Nurul Amin), were defeated.
 The turnout of voters was 37.6 percent.
 The resultant development after the election was that the United Front leader, A.K. Fazlul
Haq, was invited to form the government.
 The election result was a signal to the end of the dominance of the national elite in the
politics of East Bengal; landowners had given away to a younger generation of professional
university-trained elite, comprising lawyers, journalists, teachers and businessmen.
 Out of the 223 members elected under the United Front banner, 130 belonged to the Awami
League.

Mohammad Ayub Khan

 Field Marshal Mohammad Ayub Khan, (1908-1974) military ruler and President of Pakistan.
 In collusion with the then President Iskandar Mirza, army chief Ayub Khan imposed martial
law in Pakistan on 7 October 1958, and abrogated the Constitution.
 Ayub Khan was appointed the Chief Martial Law Administrator by President Mirza on 8
October.
 But only after a few days, he ousted Iskandar Mirza from power (27 October) and declared
himself the President of Pakistan.
 Ayub Khan’s martial law regime was a form of representational dictatorship, and he
introduced a new political system in 1959 as Basic Democracies.
 By 1958 Ayub Khan and his fellow officers decided to turn out the politicians, a task easily
accomplished without bloodshed.
 On 1 March 1962, Ayub Khan introduced a Constitution based on the presidential system
and thereby became all-powerful in the country.
 When war broke out between Pakistan and India on 6 September 1965, Ayub Khan
promoted himself to the rank of Field Marshal.
 Then in 1966, he chose the path of repression of his political opponents when the Six-point
demand for autonomy of East Pakistan was raised by the Awami League.
 The leaders of the Awami League were arrested. In the backdrop of an intense anti-Ayub
movement during the period of 1966-68, Ayub Khan convened a round table conference of
opposition political leaders but when the conference failed to resolve the crisis, Ayub Khan
handed over power to the army chief General Aga Mohammad Yahya Khan on 24 March
1969, and retired from politics.

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Basic Democracies
 Basic Democracies a local government system introduced during the Ayub regime in the
early 1960s.
 General Ayub Khan, President of Pakistan, introduced the concept of basic democracy under
the Basic Democracies Order, 1959 having made an attempt to initiate a grass-root level
democratic system.
 The system of Basic Democracies was initially a five-tier arrangement. They were: (i) union
councils (rural areas), town and union committees (urban areas); (ii) thana councils (East
Pakistan), tehsil councils (West Pakistan); (iii) district councils; (iv) divisional councils; (v)
provincial development advisory council.
 At the base of the system was the union council which consisted of a chairman and usually
about 15 members. It had both elected and nominated members.
 Basic democracies specified a provincial development advisory council for each wing.
Although, the council did not have any power.
 Apart from being the agent of local government, the basic democracies also performed
political and electoral functions to legitimize the government through popular support and
participation.
 In the referendum for presidential elections held on 14 February 1960 the basic democrats
voted for Ayub Khan. The monopolisation of electoral rights by the basic democrats was
strongly despised by the vast rural and urban masses, which led to mass upheaval against
Ayub in 1969.
 As a political institution, it not only failed to legitimize the regime, but also in fact lost its
legitimacy after the fall of General Ayub in 1969.

Ayub’s Economic Policy and Its Impacts on East Pakistan (1959-1969)

 Ayub gave primary importance to the economic development and planning although he
killed democracy in the country.
 The Jute prices were, thus, kept low through this ingenious method, mainly to provide
industrialists with subsidized raw material. While the annual less to agriculture sector in
United Pakistan ranged from 24 to 49% of the total output, most of it to East Pakistan 70% of
the import licenses went West Pakistan. Even within East Pakistan, the Bengali Muslims
owned only 2.9% of the industrial assets.
 Majority of the private investments in East Pakistan were by West Pakistanis which fueled
regional tensions. The Pakistan Industrial Development Corporation (PIDC) established in
1951, was primarily responsible for industrial investment in East Bengal, but their head
offices were all in West Pakistan.
 As the headquarters of major business firms and banking, their transactions were
transferred overnight to the western wing.
 East Pakistan was deprived of the benefits of industrial expansion in the West, combined
with the lack of industrial growth on its own soil.
 Due to their limited political control East Pakistanis viewed the development strategy as
another instance of West Pakistan’s dominance. Bengali frustration was fuelled by the
rapidly increasing disparity between the two regions.
 When Ayub came into power, the difference of per capita income between the East and the
West, was 30 per cent. But, at the end of second five year plan (1965) this disparity had
increased to 45 per cent. Moreover, by the end of Ayub’s regime the gap had reached to 61
per cent.
 The Bengali elite’s alienation was intensified by the fact that the economic development of
the Ayub era largely passed them by.

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 Under Ayub's highly centralized Government the Bengalis had little control over affairs even
in their own province.
 East Pakistan provided over half of the country's exports; West Pakistan secured most of her
imports. A higher proportion of government revenues were raised in Eastthan was spent
there. West Pakistan, with 45 per cent of the population, received nearly 65 per cent of the
economic development resources expended during the 1960s under the Five- Year Plans.

Martial law lifted

In 1962 President Ayub Khan lifted martial law and introduced a new constitution. In the same year,
Abdul Monem Khan, a Central Minister of Health, was made the Governor of East Pakistan. During
his governorship there were many problems in East Pakistan, though some developmental measures
were taken, including the building of:
o Parliament Building
o Dhaka (later Zia) International Airport
o Sadarghat Launch Terminal
o Kamalapur Railway Station
o Rampura TV Centre
o New High Court Building (now the Supreme Court of Bangladesh)
o Ashuganj Power Station
o Bangladesh Agriculture University
o Institute of Post Graduate Medicine and Research (IPGMR - now the Bangabondhu
o Sheikh Mujib Medical University Hospital)
o Atomic Energy Centre, Science Laboratory
o Chittagong University
o Jahangirnagar University
o Several Medical and Engineering Colleges as well as Polytechnic and Vocational Institutes
were also established
When Ayub Khan was forced to resign in 1969, Monem Khan’s rule also came to an end.

 In 1964, Presidential elections and elections to the Basic Democracies were held.
Mohammed Ayub Khan contested the presidential election and in January 1965 won the
election against Ms. Fatima Jinnah, sister of Muhammad Ali Jinnah, the candidate of the
combined opposition parties.

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Six-Point Programme

 Six-point Programme a charter of demands enunciated by the Awami League for removing
disparity between the two wings of Pakistan and to put an end to the internal colonial rule
of West Pakistan in East Bengal.
 To the old grievances of economic disparity added the complaint of negligence and
indifference of central government towards the defence of East Pakistan. Sheikh Mujibur
Rahman became vocal on this issue.
 The leaders of the opposition parties of West Pakistan convened a national convention at
Lahore on 6 February 1966 where Sheikh Mujibur Rahman presented his Six-point
Programme to bring an end to the disparities between the two wings of Pakistan.
 The opposition leaders of West Pakistan looked at Mujib's Six-point Programme as a device
to disband Pakistan, and hence they rejected his proposal outright.
 The Ayub government projected Sheikh Mujib as a separatist and later instituted
the Agartala Conspiracy Case against him. He was arrested and put on trial.
 The case led to widespread agitation in East Pakistan culminating into the mass uprising of
early 1969. Under public pressure, the government was forced to release him
unconditionally on 22 February 1969.
 The Awami League sought public mandate in favour of the Six-point Programme in the
general elections of 1970 in which Sheikh Mujib received the absolute mandate from the
people of East Pakistan in favour of his Six-point.
The Demands:
1. A truer federal type of constitution should be framed for Pakistan on the basis of the Lahore
Resolution. The constitution will be Parliamentary, with elections held on the basis of
universal adult franchise.
2. Central Government shall only deal with Defence and Foreign Affairs; all other power will
rest with the provinces.
3. There will be two separate freely convertible currencies in the two regions of the country; or
one single currency for the whole country with the provision of two reserve banks in two
provinces under a Federal Reserve Bank.
4. Control of taxation and revenue collection shall have to be invested in the federal units. The
Federal Government would receive a share from the collection.
5. There should be separate accounts for the foreign exchange of the two regions. If necessary,
the requirement of the Centre will be met by the two regions on the basis of equal rate or as
specified in the constitution.
6. The federal states should have the authority to form regional armed forces or militia or para
military forces to protect the territories.
Reasons behind its popularity
The people of East Pakistan welcomed the Six Points Programme and it gained widespread support
for a variety of reasons:
 It threatened the political and economic monopoly of West Pakistan.
 East Pakistan’s export earnings would no longer be manipulated for industrialization of West
Pakistan.
 Foreign assistance would no longer be monopolised for West Pakistan only.
 East Pakistan would no longer remain a captive market for West Pakistani products.
 East Pakistan would no longer be exploited for maintaining the vast war machine of West
Pakistan.
 Economic priorities would no longer be determined for the advantage of West Pakistan.
 It would end the dominance of West Pakistani bureaucrats.
 It became more popular following the “Agartala Conspiracy Case”.

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Agartala Conspiracy Case 1968

 Agartala Conspiracy Case a case framed by the Pakistan Government in 1968 during the
Ayub regime against Awami League chief Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, some in-service and ex-
service army personnel and high government officials in response to the Six Point
Programme.
 They were accused of involvement in a conspiracy to secede the East wing from Pakistan
with the help of the government of India at Agartala city of Tripura in India. The case was
thus called Agartala Conspiracy Case.
 However, the Pakistan government was compelled to withdraw the case in the face of a
mass movement in East Pakistan.
 The demand for autonomy as placed through the Six Point Programme of the Awami League
chief Sheikh Mujibur Rahman thus received the spontaneous support of the people of East
Pakistan.
 Initially the government decided to court martial the accused, but subsequently in the
interest of the proper holding of the general elections of 1970 the government resolved to
frame charge only against 35 concerned political personalities and high government officials
under civil law.
 The government was bent on identifying Sheikh Mujibur Rahman as a seperatist and an
Indian agent thereby arousing public support against him. But the approvers on the witness-
box declared that the government had compelled them by threat and persecution to submit
false evidence in its favour. Thus the governmental machination against the accused got
exposed.
 By this time the Sarbadaliya Chhatra Sangram Parishad supported by Mawlana Abdul Hamid
Khan Bhashani organised mass movement against the conspiracy of the government and
demanded immediate withdrawal of the case and release of all prisoners including Sheikh
Mujibur Rahman.
 At a point when the streets of Dhaka became a hot bed of turmoil, Sergeant Zahurul Haq,
17th accused in the case, was mercilessly shot to death while in confinement in Dhaka
Cantonment. The news of his death led a furious mob to set fire to the State Guest House as
well as other buildings.
 In the face of the mass movement, the Ayub government was ultimately compelled to
withdraw the Agartala Conspiracy Case on 22 February 1969. All the accused, including
Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, were released unconditionally.

Eleven Points Programme

 Eleven Points Programme a charter of demand framed as a remedy to acute economic
disparity between East and West Pakistan and as a programme for putting an end to the
despotic Ayub regime.
 The Six-point Movement of Awami League under the leadership of Sheikh Mujibur
Rahman initiated in 1966, sustained a temporary pause consequent upon the en-masse
arrest of the Awami League leaders including Bangabandhu, institution of Agartala
Conspiracy Case in 1968 and repression on the Awami League activists.
 The students of Dhaka University organised a united movement in 1968 which soon turned
into a mass movement. In October 1968, the East Pakistan Students League and the Menon
and Matia group of East Pakistan Students Union formed a political alliance. These two
student organisations jointly formed the 'Chhatra Sangram Parishad' in January 1968 and
declared an eleven point’s charter of demand.
 The Six Points demand of Awami League had its wide reflection on the Eleven Points demand
of the Chhatra Sangram Parishad.

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 The demands relating to the interest of the Bangali middle class peasants and workers were
also included in the Eleven Points demand. Consequently, the Eleven Points movement
addressed wide public support in East Pakistan, and the leadership of the anti-Ayub
movement virtually came within the grip of the student leaders. The student movement was
initiated in October 1968, reached its climax in January 1969, and by mid-January culminated
into a mass movement.
 The Eleven Points movement of the students had direct contribution towards preparing the
background of the War of Liberation.

Mass Upsurge of 1969

 Mass Upsurge of 1969 started with the student unrest of 1968 against the tyrannical rule
of Ayub Khan, President of Pakistan. The movement soon engulfed the whole of the then
East Pakistan, this mass upsurge was the greatest mass awakening ever since the creation of
Pakistan.
 The student agitation of 1968 turned into a mass upsurge when Maulana Abdul Hamid Khan
Bhashani asked his followers to besiege Governors House the Maulana declared a Hartal the
next day following the clash between the people and the police.
 A hartal was observed throughout East Pakistan on 8 December.
 Immediately after the 11-Point programme had been launched on 8 January 1969. They
demanded Federal form of government, election on the basis of universal adult franchise,
immediate withdrawal of emergency and release of all political detainees including Sheikh
Mujibur Rahman.
 The death of Asad stirred the entire nation and the movement took the shape of a national
upsurge.
 In this struggle for democracy and endeavour to get rid of tyranny the toiling masses of the
rural areas did not stop at merely chanting slogans against oppressive government but also
raised their voice against the oppressing class or its representatives.
 In the long run the strongman of Pakistan, General Ayub Khan, had to hand over power to
General Yahya Khan, chief of Pakistan Army. Martial Law was re-imposed, but
simultaneously it was agreed that elections would be arranged soon on the basis of universal
adult franchise, and parliamentary democracy would be introduced.
 Time line of events:
 4 January: Shorbodolio Chatro Shongram Porishad (The All Party Student
Action Committee) puts forth its 11-point agenda.
 7–8 January: Formation of a political coalition named Democratic Action
Committee (DAC) to restore democracy.
 20 January: Student activist Asaduzzaman dies as the police opens fire on
demonstrators.
 24 January: Matiur, a teenager activist, is gunned down by the police.
 15 February: Sergeant Zahurul Haq, one of the convicts of Agartala
Conspiracy Case, is assassinated in the prison of Kurmitola Cantonment.
 18 February: Dr. Shamsuzzoha of Rajshahi University is killed as the police
open fire on a silent procession in Rajshahi.
 21 February: Withdrawal of Agartala Conspiracy Case.
 23 February: Sheikh Mujibur Rahman is accorded a grand reception, where
he is given the title Bangabandhu (friend of Bengal).
 10–13 March: Ayub Khan calls for a round-table meeting with the
opposition.

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 24 March: Ayub Khan hands over power to General Yahya Khan, the
army Chief of Staff.
 The mass uprising of 1969 had a great influence in the General Elections of 1970 as well as in
the War of Liberation, 1971.
LFO (Legal Framework Order)
 The Legal Framework Order, 1970 (LFO) was a decree issued by then-President of
Pakistan Gen. Agha Muhammad Yahya Khan that laid down the political principles and laws
governing the 1970 general election, which were the first direct elections in the history of
Pakistan.
 The LFO also dissolved the "One Unit" scheme of West Pakistan, re-establishing the four
provinces of Punjab, Sindh, Balochistan and the Northwest Frontier Province.
 Pakistan would be a democratic country and the complete name of the country would be
Islamic Republic of Pakistan.
 The LFO also stipulated that the future Constitution was to include five principles.
I. The state's Islamic ideology and reserving the role of the Head of State for Muslims
exclusively.
II. Free and regular elections, both provincial and federal, based on provincial
populations and universal suffrage.
III. Judicial independence and human rights for the citizenry.
IV. Assurance of maximum autonomy for the provinces while protecting the country's
territorial sovereignty and providing sufficient powers to the Federal Government
for functioning both internally and externally.
V. Providing national participation to all citizens with the removal of all regional and
provincial disparities.
 The LFO met a long-standing demand of Bengalis by accepting proportional representation,
to the chagrin of many West Pakistanis who resisted the notion of an East Pakistani-led
government.

Bhola Cyclone
 The 1970 Bhola cyclone was a devastating tropical cyclone that struck East
Pakistan and India's West Bengal on November 12, 1970.
 It remains the deadliest tropical cyclone ever recorded and one of the deadliest natural
disasters. At least 500,000 people lost their lives in the storm, primarily as a result of
the storm surge that flooded much of the low-lying islands of the Ganges Delta.
 The storm surge devastated many of the offshore islands, wiping out villages and destroying
crops throughout the region.
 The Pakistani government, led by junta leader General Yahya Khan, was criticized for its
delayed handling of the relief operations following the storm, both by local political leaders
in East Pakistan and in the international media.
 During the election that took place a month later, the opposition Awami League gained
a landslide victory in the province, and continuing unrest between East Pakistan and the
central government triggered the Bangladesh Liberation War, which led to widespread
atrocities and eventually concluded with the creation of the country of Bangladesh.
 It is said that, information received by Indian weather authorities was transmitted to East
Pakistan authorities but a large part of the population was reportedly taken by surprise by
the storm. There were indications that the storm warning system that existed in East
Pakistan was not used properly, which probably cost tens of thousands of lives.
 Pakistani radio reported that there were no survivors on the 13 islands near Chittagong.

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 The total damage from the storm was estimated at $86.4 million (1970 USD, $450 Million
2006 USD). The survivors claimed that approximately 85% of homes in the area were
destroyed or severely damaged, with the greatest destruction occurring along the coast.
 There have been mistakes, there have been delays, but by and large I'm very satisfied
that everything is being done and will be done.- Agha Muhammad Yahya Khan
 The Pakistani government said it was unable to transfer military helicopters from West
Pakistan as the Indian government did not grant clearance to cross the intervening Indian
territory, a charge the Indian government denied.
 A week after the cyclone's landfall, President Khan conceded that his government had made
"slips" and "mistakes" in its handling of the relief efforts. He said there was a lack of
understanding of the magnitude of the disaster. He also said that the general election slated
for December 7 would take place on time, although eight or nine of the worst affected
districts might experience delays, denying rumours that the election would be postponed.
 In East Pakistan by the Awami League. Relief work continued in the field, but the long-term
planning was curtailed.
 Political leaders in East Pakistan were deeply critical of the central government's initial
response to the disaster.
 A statement released by eleven political leaders in East Pakistan ten days after the cyclone
hit charged the government with 'gross neglect, callous indifference and utter indifference'.
 The Awami League, headed by Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, swept to a landslide victory in the
national elections in December 1970, in part because of dissatisfaction over failure of the
relief efforts by the national government. The elections for nine national assembly and
eighteen provincial assembly seats had to be postponed until January 18 as a result of the
storm.
 The government's handling of the relief efforts helped exacerbate the bitterness felt in East
Pakistan, swelling the resistance movement there.
 India became one of the first nations to offer aid to Pakistan, despite the generally
poor relations between the two countries, and by the end of November had pledged
$1.3 million (1970 USD, $6.9 million 2007 USD) of assistance for the relief efforts.

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General Elections 1970

 General elections were held in Pakistan on 7 December 1970. They were the first general
elections held in Pakistan (East and West Pakistan) and ultimately only general elections held
prior to the independence of Bangladesh.
 Voting took place in 300 parliamentary constituencies of Pakistan to elect members of
the National Assembly of Pakistan, which was then the only chamber of a Parliament of
Pakistan.
 The elections also saw members of the five Provincial assemblies elected
in Punjab, Sindh, North West Frontier Province, Balochistan and East Pakistan.
 The elections were a fierce contest between two socialist parties, the Pakistan Peoples
Party (PPP) and Awami League. The Awami League was the sole major party in East Pakistan,
while in the four provinces of West Pakistan, the PPP faced severe competition from the
conservative factions of Muslim League, the largest of which was Muslim League (Qayyum),
as well as Islamist parties like Jamaat-e-Islami (JI), Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam (JUI) and Jamiat
Ulema-e-Pakistan (JUP).
 The Awami League won a landslide victory by winning an absolute majority of 160 seats in
the National Assembly and 298 of the 310 seats in the Provincial Assembly of East Pakistan.
The PPP won only 81 seats in the National Assembly, but were the winning party
in Punjab and Sindh. The National Awami Party emerged victorious in Northwest Frontier
Province and Balochistan.
 The Assembly was initially not inaugurated as President Yahya Khan and the West Pakistani
leaders did not want a party from East Pakistan in government.
 This caused great unrest in East Pakistan, which soon escalated into a civil war that led to
the formation of the independent state of Bangladesh.
 The general elections of 1970 are considered one of the fairest and cleanest elections in the
history of Pakistan, with about twenty-four political parties taking part.
 The continuous public meetings of the Awami League in East Pakistan and the Pakistan
Peoples Party in Western Pakistan attracted huge crowds.
 The Awami League, a Bengali nationalist party, mobilised support in East Pakistan on the
basis of its Six-Points Program, a huge majority of the Bengali nation favoured the Awami
League
 The Pakistan Peoples Party failed to win any seats in East Pakistan. On the other hand, the
Awami League had failed to gather any seats in West Pakistan. The Awami League's failure
to win any seats in the west was used by the leftists and democratic socialists led by Zulfikar
Bhutto who argued that Mujib had received "no mandate or support from West Pakistan"
(ignoring the fact that he himself did not win any seat in East Pakistan (Awami League did
not have any candidates in West and PPP did not in the East)
 The then leaders from West Pakistan and PPP leaders, strongly opposed the idea of an East
Pakistani-led government.
 A total of 1,957 candidates filed nomination papers for 300 National Assembly seats. After
scrutiny and withdrawals, 1,579 eventually contested the elections. The Awami League ran
170 candidates, of which 162 were for constituencies in East Pakistan. Jamaat-e-Islami had
the second-highest number of candidates with 151. The Pakistan Peoples Party ran only 120
candidates, of which 103 were from constituencies in Punjab and Sindh, and none in East
Pakistan. The PML (Convention) ran 124 candidates, the PML (Council) 119 and the PML
(Qayyum) 133.
 The government claimed a high level of public participation and a voter turnout of almost
63%. The total number of registered voters in the country was 56,941,500 out of which
31,211,220 were from the Eastern Wing, while 25,730,280 from the Western Wing.
 Results:
 Awami League- 160 seats

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 Pakistan People’s Party- 81 seats

 Independents- 16 seats
 Provincial Election Results: Awami League won 288 out of 300.
 The elected Assembly initially did not meet as President Yahya Khan and the Pakistan
Peoples Party did not want the majority party from East Pakistan forming government. This
caused great unrest in East Pakistan which soon escalated into the call for independence on
March 26, 1971 and ultimately led to war of independence with East Pakistan becoming the
independent state of Bangladesh.

Reasons behind Awami Leagues Success

 A major reason for the success of the Awami League was the sense of frustration felt by the
Bengalis in East Pakistan towards their Muslim countrymen in West Pakistan.
 They also resented the fact that East Pakistan was under-represented in all aspects of
Pakistan’s administration, from the government itself to the judiciary and civil service. In the
army too, the majority of officers were from West Pakistan.
 The Bengali people also felt that their province suffered from lack of economic development.
In 1951 the per capita income of East Pakistan was 85% of that of West Pakistan. By 1970 it
was only 60%.
 The Bengalis believed that West Pakistan’s economic growth had taken place as a result of
transferring resources from East to West Pakistan. They argued that the single largest
Pakistani export was jute, which was grown predominantly in East Pakistan. But the
proceeds from the export of jute and jute products were not substantially allocated to the
development of East Pakistan.
 So when the election of December 1970 came, the Awami League was able to win support
by proposing a programme which called for a fairer share of government spending and more
power to the provinces.

Why the West did not like it

 The Awami League had won a majority in the National Assembly as a whole. That meant that
it was in a position to form the government on its own. In theory, the future Prime Minister
and the entire cabinet could come from East Pakistan.
 Although the PPP had won an overwhelming victory in West Pakistan, it was quite possible
for it to have no role in the government – unless the Awami League invited it to share
power.
 The second problem was that the Awami League had won the election on a programme
limiting the power of central government over the provinces. The call for the provinces to
have control of their foreign exchange earned from trade would greatly reduce the funds
available to the central government in West Pakistan. Consequently, there was no way that
Yayha and the West Pakistani politicians were prepared to allow the Six Points to be put into
action.

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Speech of 7th March

 Seventh March speech, the historic address delivered by Sheikh Mujibur Rahman at Ramna
Racecourse on 7 March 1971.
 In the general election held in 1970, the Awami League secured absolute majority in the
National Assembly. But when the time for transfer of power arrived, the non-Bangali leaders
of West Pakistan started conspiracy against the transfer of power to the Awami League.
 The inaugural session of the National Assembly was scheduled for 3 March. But suddenly, on
1 March, President General Yahya Khan postponed the session through a Radio
announcement.
 On hearing this news, people came out in streams onto the streets. The Bangali people of
East Bengal then started a relentless movement for establishing their rights. Protesting this
move of the Pakistani ruler Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman called a hartal in Dhaka on
2 March and another throughout the province on 3 March. On 3 March, he announced a
programme for non-cooperation while addressing a huge public rally at Paltan Maidan.
 In this backdrop, the historic public meeting at the Ramna Racecourse Maidan (now
Suhrawardy Udyan) was set for 7 March 1971.
 He called on those present to prepare for a Liberation War and announced an action
Programme of non-violent non-cooperation which was to be followed throughout
Bangladesh. He announced 35 rules for running the civil administration and effectively
became the leader of East Bengal.
 He mentioned four conditions for joining the National Assembly on 25 March:
 The immediate lifting of martial law;
 The immediate withdrawal of all military personnel to their barracks;
 The immediate transfer of power to elected representatives of the people;
 A proper inquiry into the loss of life during the conflict.
 He also gave several directives for a civil disobedience movement, instructing that:
 People should not pay taxes;
 Government servants should take orders only from him;
 The secretariat, government and semi-government offices, and courts in East
Pakistan should observe strikes, with necessary exemptions announced from time to
time;
 Only local and inter-district telephone lines should function;
 Railways and ports could continue to function, but their workers should not co-
operate if they were used to repress the people of East Pakistan.

Non-Cooperation Movement/ Parallel Government

 The mass movement initiated under the directives of Bangabandhu' Sheikh Mujibur Rahman
in the then East Pakistan against the Pakistan government which continued from 2 March to
25 March 1971.
 This movement was directed for autonomy of East Pakistan as against the administration of
the centre.
 On 7 March, Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman declared the programme of non-
cooperation movement through his guideline speech delivered in the Race Course Maidan.
 Apart from this, Awami League organised this movement through various instructions for its
activists.
 People at large started non-cooperation movement under the leadership of Awami League
in order to establish their rights.

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 This movement spread over the whole of East Pakistan. The fight for liberation started as a
consequence of non-cooperation movement and the nine months war resulted in the
emergence of independent sovereign Bangladesh.
 The programme of non-cooperation was announced on behalf of Awami League through a
press release. Hartal was called from the day following in all the government offices,
secretariat, High Court and subordinate courts, semi-government and autonomous bodies,
PIA, railway and other means of communications, industrial and commercial organisations.
 National mourning day was observed all over the province on 3 March, the day on which the
National Assembly was scheduled to be in session. Half-day hartal was declared everyday
beginning from 6 March. The observance of hartal continued throughout East Pakistan.
People from all walks of life including labourers, officials, students and teachers, lawyers,
artists and litterateurs joined the movement.
 The government with the help of the army and para military forces tried to curb the
movement. A large number of people were killed or wounded by army firing in Dhaka, Tongi,
Chittagong, Rajshahi, Jessore, Khulna and in other places of the province.
 President Yahya on 6 March again called the session of the National Assembly to be held on
25 March. But the Bangalis turned furious consequent upon the appointment of Lt General
Tikka Khan as the governor of East Pakistan, and the speech of Yahya Khan to the nation
supporting the ruthless brutality of the government upon the activists of the movement.
 On 7 March, Sheikh Mujibur Rahman delivered a pre-scheduled speech in the Race Course
with guidelines for movement. In the speech he highlighted four vital points: a) withdrawal
of martial law, b) retreat of the army to the barrack, c) to investigate into the killing of the
people in the province and d) transfer of power to the elected representatives.
 The Non-Cooperation Movement got new momentum after 7 March. All the departments of
the government of East Pakistan began to follow the instructions of the Awami League.
 Sheikh Mujib, in response to army instruction made a vow at the cost of life to continue the
movement in order to attain independence so that the next generation may lead a life in
liberty with self-respect.

Operation Searchlight

 Operation Searchlight The ruthless and brutal armed operation undertaken by the Pakistan
army on 25 March 1971 in order to curb the movement of the freedom loving Bangalis
against the autocratic rule of the Pakistani rulers.
 The purpose of this operation was to arrest or kill the distinguished Awami League leaders,
student leaders and Bangali intellectuals of the then East Pakistan
 Military operations were being taken under 'Operation Searchlight' on and from 11-30 pm of
25 March to middle of May in all the big towns of the province.
 The Operation Searchlight was scheduled to be launched at 13 hours of 26 March. But in the
evening of 25 March the Awami League chief Sheikh Mujibur Rahman having no positive and
tangeable result in his discussion with President Yahya Khan had a clarian call to the people
to prepare themselves for an all-out struggle.
 The following measures were scheduled to be taken under Operation Searchlight:
I. The operation shall be started simultaneously in the whole of East Pakistan.
II. Maximum number of politicians and student leaders, teachers and extremist
activists of cultural organisations shall have to be arrested.
III. All sorts of domestic and international communications must be disrupted.
Telephone exchange, radio, TV, teleprinter service, transmitter in the foreign
consulates must be disrupted.

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 The Pakistani soldiers came out of the cantonment at 11-30 pm, launched indiscriminate
attack on the demonstrating Bangalis in the Farm Gate area, and thus initiated the Operation
Searchlight. Then as per schedule they launched simultaneous attack on Peelkhana and
Rajarbagh. At 1-30 am they arrested Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman from his
residence.
 At dead of night they launched operation at the residential quarters of the teachers of Dhaka
University. The Pak army launched indiscriminate attack and created havoc within the very
month of March under the 'Operation Searchlight' having their post at the cantonment.
 On the eve of the genocide on 25 March, President Yahya Khan left Dhaka for Karachi. But
Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto, the president of the Pakistan People's Party, who came to Dhaka for
having a dialogue with Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, observed the operation from the Hotel
Intercontinental of Dhaka. On the day following on the eve of his departure, Bhutto highly
appreciated the action of the army on the previous night and commented, 'Thanks to God
that Pakistan could have been saved'.
 More than 10,000 people were killed in this brutal operation.

Genocide of 1971
 Genocide, 1971 mass killing of the people in East Pakistan by the then Pakistan occupation
army and their collaborators during the War of Liberation in 1971.
 It was estimated to be as high as three million. The genocide committed by the Pakistan
army is one of the worst holocausts in world history.
 The Genocide started with the army crackdown in Dhaka at midnight of 25 March 1971.
 In retaliation the Bangali nationalists began to organise resistance with effect from 26 March
following the declaration of independence of Bangladesh. This further intensified the
military action of Pakistan government. The Pakistan army started an undeclared war against
the unarmed civilians of Bangladesh.
 They used warplanes and gunships to contain the nationalist forces. Men, women and
children of hundreds of villages, cities, and towns were killed and maimed indiscriminately.
Arsoning, raping and looting knew no limit. Out of fear and intimidation, millions of Bangalis
left their home and took shelter in various refugee camps set up by the Government of India
along the border areas.
 In containing the freedom fighters the Pakistan government had raised paramilitary forces
with the designations of Razakar, Al-Badr and Al-Shams. These armed forces joined the army
in killing and terrorising the people.
 Many people, including intellectuals of the country were lifted by them from their residence
for interrogation and only a few of them returned home. They were tortured and brutally
killed mostly by bayonet charges and gun-shots at the genocide camps.
 All these savageries were resorted to for exterminating the Mukti Bahini and their
supporters.
 No international action was taken against the perpetrators of this most barbarous genocide
according to UNO convention on genocide and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.
 The genocide continued till the surrender of the Pakistan army on 16 December 1971.

The War of Liberation

 The War of Liberation began on 26 March 1971 and ended with the liberation of Bangladesh
on 16 December 1971.
 The armed struggle was the culmination of a series of events, situations and issues
contributing to the progressively deteriorating relations between East and West Pakistan.

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 The general elections of 1970 had made Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, chief
of Awami League which bagged 167 seats out of 169, the sole spokesman of the people of
East Pakistan and majority leader in the Pakistan National Assembly.
 But the Pakistan civil and military ruling clique had refused to transfer power to the majority
leader Sheikh Mujibur Rahman and his party. Sheikh Mujib also refused to yield to the
pressure put on him for undue accommodation. Sheikh Mujib's historic address on 7 March
1971 made this point quite clear to the Pakistani military junta.
 Thus began the civil disobedience movement. Meanwhile talks started between Sheikh
Mujib and President Yahya Khan to resolve the outstanding issues.
 While holding talks, the Pakistani military junta was bringing more troops to Bangladesh, and
at the same time wantonly killing innocent civilians all over the country.
 No sooner the talks failed, the genocide began with the Pakistan army's crackdown on the
people of East Pakistan on the midnight of 25 March 1971.
 The Bangali soldiers serving in the then Pakistan Armed Forces and para militia forces
declared instantly their solidarity with the people's liberation war.
 The Pakistan Army was ordered to launch operation on Bangali people at midnight of 25
March.
 The first column of the Pakistan army faced obstruction at Farmgate, about one kilometre
from the cantonment, due to a huge road block created by placing big tree trunks across the
road. The hulks of old cars and unserviceable steam roller were also used in creating the
blockade.
 Soon guns silenced them. The army moved into the city before scheduled time and started
the genocide.
 The military forces killed everybody in sight on the footpath and destroyed everything on
their way.
 They also killed many teachers of Dhaka University. The Hindu concentrated areas of old
Dhaka were particularly targeted. They started killing the people, burnt their houses, looted
their valuables and raped their women. The genocide that was perpetrated on the unarmed
people was flashed in the world press.
 On the night of 25 March Sheikh Mujibur Rahman was taken prisoner by the Pakistan army.
 There were spontaneous uprisings throughout Bangladesh following the declaration of
independence on 26 March 1971. These uprisings were participated by government officials,
political activists, students, workers, peasants, professionals and members of the public.
 After initial resistance, many freedom fighters crossed over into Indian Territory to have safe
sanctuary, due mainly to the enemy's overwhelming superiority of trained soldiers and
modern weapons.
 The scattered and temporarily retreating rudimentary liberation forces were soon brought
under a unified command.
 Colonel MAG Osmany was to command the liberation forces, later named as mukti bahini.
 An exile government called the People's Republic of Bangladesh Government
alias Mujibnagar Government was formed on 10 April with Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur
Rahaman as President of the Republic, Syed Nazrul Islam as Vice President and Tajuddin
Ahmed as Prime Minister.
 All of Bangladesh was divided into eleven sectors and different sub-sectors for operational
purposes during the Sector Commander's conference held from 10 to 17 July 1971 and later
on in three different brigades.
 On 27 March, Prime Minister of India Mrs. Indira Gandhi expressed full support of her
government to the freedom struggle of the Bangalis. Indian Border Security Force (BSF)
opened Bangladesh-India border to allow the tortured and panic stricken Bangalis to have
safe shelter in India.

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 The governments of West Bengal, Bihar, Assam, Meghalaya and Tripura established refugee
camps along the border.
 These camps became ready ground for recruitment of the freedom fighters. The students,
peasants, workers and political activists joined the Mukti Bahini with high spirit to liberate
Bangladesh from the Pakistan army.
 They were given training on tactics and the use of arms and explosives.
 On completion of training, they were posted to different sectors to fight the enemy.
 Besides Mukti Bahini, many other bahinis were organised inside Bangladesh at different
places to fight Pakistan Army. These Bahinis included Kader Bahini of Tangail, Latif Mirza
Bahini of Sirajganj, Akbar Hossain Bahini of Jhinaidah, Hemayet Bahini of Faridpur etc.
 Mukti Bahini consisted of the regular and the irregular forces. The regulars were later called
'Niamita Bahini' (regular force) and the irregulars were called 'Gana Bahini' (people's force).
The regulars included East Bengal Regiment and EPR troops. The irregular forces, which after
initial training joined different sectors, consisted of the students, peasants, workers and
political activists.
 Irregular forces were inducted inside Bangladesh territory to adopt guerilla warfare against
the enemy.
 The Mukti Bahini had fought many successful battles in putting up initial resistance.
 Having realised that the Pakistan army could not be defeated by conventional warfare
method, it was decided to create large guerilla forces all over the country. All Sector
commanders were accordingly ordered to recruit, train and induct guerillas inside the
country.
 The joint command of the Mukti Bahini and the Indian army was underway from November
1971.
 The joint command of the Mukti Bahini and the Indian Army, however, started operation
from the evening of 3 December, when the Pakistan Air Force bombed Amritsar, Sreenagar
and the Kashmir valley.
 Immediately, the Indian armed forces were ordered to hit back the Pakistan army and thus
the Indo-Pak war broke out. The Mukti Bahini and the Indian army continued advancing
inside Bangladesh and the defeat and surrender of the Pakistan army became a matter of
time.
 The instrument of surrender was signed by Lieutenant Jagit Sing Aurora and Lieutenant
General Niazi at the Ramna Racecourse (now Suhrawardy Udyan) at one minute past 5 p.m
on 16 December 1971.

Mujibnagar Government

 Mujibnagar Government the government constituted at Mujibnagar to conduct the

Bangladesh War of Liberation, formed on 10 April 1971 after the declaration of
independence on 26 March 1971.

 This government had also been known as Mujibnagar Government in-exile, as the activities
of the government had been conducted from outside of the territory of Bangladesh.

 Formation of the government On 10 April a government was formed consisting of the top
ranking leaders of awami league. The oath taking ceremony of the government took place
on 17 April at Baidyanathtala, in the district of Meherpur, which was later renamed as
Mujibnagar.

 The incumbents of the government were:

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I. Sheikh Mujibur Rahman- President

II. Syed Nazrul Islam- Vice President

III. Tajuddin Ahmed- Prime Minister

 It actually served as the voice of the people of Bangladesh.

 They urged for support to the international community.

 The Mujibnagar Government had discharged entire duties in leading the Liberation War,
creating public opinion in favor of newly-independent Bangladesh in the world arena,
managing the refugees, standing beside the war-torn countrymen and leading the wartime
government.

 The military wing of the provisional government was the Mukti Bahini. The Bangladeshi
liberation guerrillas were based in camps on the East Pakistan-India border. [3]In December, it
joined Indian forces as part of a combined Bangladesh-Indian allied offensive against
Pakistan, which resulted in victory.

 The provisional government established an elaborate structure of administrative

departments.

 Yusuf Ali and J. G. Bhowmik served as the chief Relief Commissioners for Bangladeshi
refugees.
 The noted artist Quamrul Hassan served as Director of Art and Design. Calcutta
and Agartala were the main centres of the government-in-exile.

Killing of Intellectuals
 Killing of Intellectuals a planned killing of the Bangali intellectuals representing one of the
most brutal and savage carnages in history.
 The killing of the intellectuals, educationists, journalists, litterateurs, physicians, scientists,
lawyers, artists, philosophers and political thinkers was executed by a group of collaborators
under the directive and guidance of the Pakistani military rulers in occupied Bangladesh
during the War of Liberation in 1971.

 The intellectuals were the philosophers and guide in infusing in the people of East Bengal
the spirit of Bangali nationalism, and they inspired the people in all the mass movements
against disparity and repressive measure of the Pakistani rulers.

 Hence the intellectuals have all through been the targets of the rulers of Pakistan.

 The killing of the intellectuals was obviously the execution of a blue print of the military
junta chalked out with an avowed object of eliminating the intellectuals, thereby reducing
the Bangali nation into intellectual bankruptcy and depriving them of leadership.

 The extreme right wing Islamist militia groups Al-Badr and Al-Shams executed the brutal
killings, having been provided with arms and support by the Pakistan army.

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 The killing of the intellectuals virtually began following the army crackdown in Dhaka on the
night of 25 March.

 They targeted victims and killed them. Some of the teachers of Dhaka University were killed
on the night of 25 March. But the planned killing of the intellectuals took a serious turn
especially in Dhaka during three or four days preceding the surrender of the Pakistan army
on 16 December. On the night of 14 December, over 200 of intellectuals were abducted
from their homes in Dhaka. The act of killing was initiated in Dhaka and gradually spread
over the whole of East Pakistan especially in the district and subdivisional towns.

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Tactics of Warfare
 Composition and tactics of the combatants would be as follows: (i) Guerrilla teams
comprising 5 to 10 trained members would be sent to specific areas of Bangladesh with
specific assignments; (ii) Combat soldiers would carry out frontal attacks against the enemy.
Between 50 and 100 per cent would carry arms. Intelligence volunteers would be engaged to
collect information about the enemy among whom 30 percent would be equipped with
weapons;
 The regular forces would be organised into battalions and sectors.
 The following strategies would be adopted while carrying out military operations against the
enemy; (i) a large number of guerrillas would be sent out inside Bangladesh to carry out
raids and ambushes; (ii) industries would be brought to a standstill and electricity supply
would be disrupted; (iii) Pakistanis would be obstructed in exporting manufactured goods
and raw materials; (iv) communication network would be destroyed in order to obstruct
enemy movements; (v) enemy forces would be forced to disperse and scatter for strategic
gains; (vi) attacks would be launched on scattered enemy soldiers in order to annihilate
them.
 The whole area of Bangladesh would be divided into 11 sectors.

Guerrilla Warfare

 Guerrilla warfare is a form of irregular warfare in which small groups of combatants, such as
paramilitary personnel, armed civilians, or irregulars, use military tactics including
ambushes, sabotage, raids, petty warfare, hit-and-run tactics, and mobility, to fight a larger
and less-mobile traditional military.
 Tactically, guerrillas usually avoid confrontation with large units and formations of enemy
troops, but seek and attack small groups of enemy personnel and resources to gradually
deplete the opposing force while minimizing their own losses.
 In addition to traditional military methods, guerrilla groups may rely also on destroying
infrastructure, using improvised explosive devices.

Response of the World

 The first country to support Bangladesh in the War of Liberation was India. Around ten
million Bengalis took refuge in India when Pakistani forces started their genocide campaign.
The government of Indira Gandhi and the people of India extended support to all who took
refuge in India.
 The Soviet Union also supported Bangladesh and in August 1971 signed a Treaty of Peace,
Friendship and Commerce with India. So the Indian government knew that if it went to war
with Pakistan it could rely on Soviet support.
 The Soviet Union also used its veto in the United Nations to prevent opposition to the
Liberation War.
 With Soviet support, came assistance from other Eastern European countries.
 Unfortunately, the governments of some states, including the USA and China, did not
support Bangladesh in the Liberation War, but the common people of many countries
sympathized with the hardships of the people of Bangladesh and provided them with
practical assistance.
 Bhutan was the first country to recognise Bangladesh as an independent sovereign country,
closely followed, on 6 December 1971, by India.

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 By that time, a full-scale war had broken out between India and Pakistan. The Indian forces
and the Mukti Bahini jointly formed combined forces and directed attacks within East
Pakistan. At the same time, Indian air forces and the freedom fighters conducted air raids on
important Pakistani installations. The Indian Navy also joined in this operation.
 Due to the intensive attack of the combined forces, the Pakistani invading forces were
compelled to surrender unconditionally. On 16 December, Lt. General Niazi, Commander of
the occupation forces, surrendered at the Suhrawardy Uddyan to the combined forces along
with 93 thousand soldiers and weapons.

The War of Liberation now over, people are coming back from India, in January 1972, Sheikh
Mujibur Rahman comes back a well. Now it is the time to rebuild the nation! Thus difficult times
arise, fairytale phase is over, damage of war as well as Bhola cyclone needs to be mended! Loss of
lives, of general people as well as the intellectuals hamper the progress….so does poverty and
unstable situation due to black marketing & lack of reforms.

Constitution of 1972

 Constitution of the People's Republic of Bangladesh was adopted by the Constituent

Assembly on 4 November 1972 and came into force on 16 December of the same year,
marking the Victory Day.
 After the war of Liberation, a Constitution Drafting Committee was formed in 1972. The
committee included 34 members with Dr. Kamal Hossain as its chairman.
 A parliamentary political system was established. It declared nationalism, socialism,
democracy and secularism as the fundamental principles of the republic. It proclaimed
fundamental human rights, including freedom of speech, freedom of religion, freedom of
movement, freedom of assembly, the right to education and public healthcare among
others. A two thirds vote of parliament was required to amend the constitution.

1973 General Elections

 The first General elections were held in newly independent Bangladesh on 7 March 1973.
The result was a victory for the Bangladesh Awami League, who won 293 of the 300 seats,
including eleven constituencies where they were elected unopposed without a vote.
 Reserved Women Seats=15.
 Other major parties who took part in it are, Jatiyo Samajtantrik Dal, National Awami Party
(Mozaffar), National Awami Party (Bhashani), Communist Party of Bangladesh etc.
 Voter turnout was 54.9%.
Special Power Act 1974

 Special Powers Act 1974 promulgated on 9 February 1974 (Act XlV of 1974) providing special
measures for prevention of certain prejudicial activities and for conducting more speedy trial
and effective punishment for certain grave offences.
 It was a follow-up of the repealed Security Act, 1952, Public Safety Ordinance, 1958 and
Bangladesh Scheduled Offences (Special Tribunal) Order, 1972 (President's Order No. 50 of
1972).
 Political exigencies were, however, instrumental in prompting amendments or deletion, or
insertion of additional provisions, especially with regard to freedom of the press.
 The major insertions were related to counterfeiting currency notes and government stamps,
smuggling, adulteration of food and drink, drugs and cosmetics, conspiracy to commit
offences as well as related offences by companies.

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Second Revolution

The second revolution according to Sheikh Mujibur Rahman was a reformation of the government
and the whole system.

Objectives
Sheikh Mujibur Rahman spelled out four objectives of his Second Revolution on 26 March 1975 at
the public meeting held at Suhrawardy Udyan. He said,
The Second Revolution is not an end in itself. It was only a step forward for increased production,
family planning, fighting against corruption and national unity. The ultimate object is the creation of
a society free from exploitation where there would be no torture, repression, injustice or corruption
and to retain the honour and dignity of Bangladesh as an independent and sovereign state.
The clearly stated four objectives to create a society free from exploitation through Second
Revolution were:
 To weed out corruption
 To increase production in agriculture and industry
 To control population growth
 To foster national unity

Features
The basic concept of the reformation included certain features as indicated by the fourth
amendment of the constitution and the subsequent government orders were:
 Presidential Form of Government
 One-Party System
On 24 February 1975 Sheikh Mujibur Rahman announced the formation of the only legal
political party of the country BAKSAL. The announcement automatically abolished all
other political parties of the country.
It advocated state socialism as a part of the group of reforms under the theory of Second
Revolution. BAKSAL was the decision-making council to achieve the objectives of the
Second Revolution.
 Reorganized Administrative Structure
 Compulsory Multipurpose Village Level Cooperatives
 Controlled civil liberties
The Second Revolution imposed a greater control over the civil liberties including the basic
rights of political activities, freedom of speech and the judiciary.

The entire system including the very basis of the judiciary was changed. Contrary to the
previous system, the President was given the full authority to appoint or remove any judge
including the Chief Justice simply by an order on the ground of 'misbehavior and incapacity'.

Bangladesh Krishak Sromik Awami League

 Bangladesh Krishak Sramik Awami League (BAKSAL) the only legally recognised party of
Bangladesh founded on 7 June 1975 following the Fourth Amendment to the Constitution of
Bangladesh.
 Under the Fourth Amendment (Article 117A), Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman was
entrusted with the responsibility of forming a new 'national party' which would try to tackle
the social, political and economic destabilisation consequent upon the War of Liberation on
the one hand, and on the other, reconstruct the nation from the debris of the war.

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 Thus authorised, Sheikh Mujibur Rahman formed a national party which he named
Bangladesh Krishak Sramik Awami League. The rules of BAKSAL required all other parties and
associations including various services and forces to join the national party and work
unitedly in fighting corrosive forces and in rebuilding the nation.
 Elaborating on the various aspects, scopes and prospects of BAKSAL, Sheikh Mujib
characterised it as a 'second revolution'.

Sheikh Mujibur Rahman 1972-1975

 The first government of the new nation of Bangladesh was formed in Dhaka with Justice
Abu Sayeed Choudhury as President, and Sheikh Mujibur Rahman -- who was released from
Pakistani prison in early 1972 - as Prime Minister.
 Sheikh Mujib took control of a country where Indian troops were still stationed. He
convinced Indian authorities to withdraw their troops from Bangladesh, which they did by
15 March 1972.
 The Government of Sheikh Mujib repatriated the stranded Bangladeshis from Pakistan.
 After the war, reconstruction of the country was difficult as many intellectuals were killed
during the war of liberation.
 Mujib established the Jatiyo Rakkhi Bahini (National Defense Force), which was a
paramilitary force. They were supposed to fight against corruption but instead of doing so,
many members of this force fell to the trap of corruption.
 Despite substantial foreign aid, mostly from India and the Soviet Union there was rampant
corruption and black marketeering. This situation prompted Mujib to issue a warning
against hoarders and smugglers. Mujib backed up his threat by launching a mass drive
against hoarders and smugglers, backed by the Jatiyo Rakkhi Bahini. The situation only
temporarily buoyed the legitimate economy of the country.
 The country Mujib returned to was scarred by civil war. The number of people killed, raped,
or displaced could be only vaguely estimated. The task of economic rehabilitation,
specifically the immediate goal of food distribution to a hungry populace, was frustrated by
crippled communications and transportation systems.
 The new nation faced many other seemingly insurmountable problems inhibiting its
reconstruction. One of the most glaring was the breakdown of law and order. In the wake
of the war of independence, numerous bands of guerrillas still roamed the countryside,
fully armed and outside the control of the government. Some armed groups took the law
into their own hands and set up territories under their own jurisdiction.
 Most Bangadeshis still revered the Bangabandhu at the time of the first parliamentary
elections held under the 1972 constitution were in March 1973. The Awami League won
282 out of 289 directly contested seats.
 The new Bangladesh Government focused on relief, rehabilitation, and reconstruction of
the economy and society.
 In December 1974, Mujib decided that continuing economic deterioration and mounting
civil disorder required strong measures. In February 1975, he set up BAKSAL.
 On 15th August, 1975, Sheikh Mujibur Rahman along with most of his family members were
assassinated.

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Mujibs Economic Policies

 The Mujib government faced serious challenges, including the rehabilitation of millions of
people displaced in 1971. Organising the supply of food, health aids and other necessities.
The effects of the 1970 cyclone had not worn off, and the state's economy had immensely
deteriorated by the conflict.
 Economically, Mujib embarked on a huge nationalization program. By the end of the year,
thousands of Bengalis arrived from Pakistan, and thousands of non-Bengalis migrated to
Pakistan; and yet many thousand remained in refugee camps.
 Major efforts were launched to rehabilitate an estimated 10 million refugees. The economy
began recovering and a famine was prevented.
 A five-year plan released in 1973 focused state investments into agriculture, rural
infrastructure and cottage industries. But a famine occurred in 1974 when the price of rice
rose sharply. In that month there was "widespread starvation started in Rangpur district.
 Government mismanagement had been blamed for that."
 During Mujib regime the country witnessed industrial decline, growing Indian control
over Bangladesh's industries and counterfeit money scandals.

Mujib’s Foreign Policies

 After Bangladesh achieved recognition from major countries, Mujib helped Bangladesh enter
into the United Nations and the Non-Aligned Movement.
 He travelled to the United States, the United Kingdom and other European nations to obtain
humanitarian and developmental assistance for the nation.
 Mujib maintained a close tie with India. He signed a treaty of friendship with India, which
pledged extensive economic and humanitarian assistance and began training Bangladesh's
security forces and government personnel.
 Mujib sought Bangladesh's membership in the Organisation of the Islamic Conference and
the Islamic Development Bank and made a significant trip to Lahore in 1974 to attend the
OIC summit, which helped repair relations with Pakistan to an extent.
 Bangladesh joined the Organization of the Islamic Conference, the Commonwealth of
Nations and the Non-Aligned Movement.
 Mujib declared that Bangladesh would be the "Switzerland of the East" and by this
declaration he meant that Bangladesh would steer clear from the Cold War and would
remain non-partisan in the tug of Cold War between the US and the Soviet Union.
 In the Delhi Agreement of 1974, Bangladesh, India and Pakistan pledged to work for regional
stability and peace. The agreement paved the way for the return of interned Bengali officials
and their families stranded in Pakistan, as well as the establishing of diplomatic relations
between Dhaka and Islamabad.
 Japan became a major aid provider to the new country.
 Although Israel was one of early countries to recognize Bangladesh, the government in
Dhaka strongly supported Egypt during the Arab-Israeli War of 1973. In return, Egypt gifted
Bangladesh's military with 44 tanks.
 Many Eastern European countries, particularly Yugoslavia, East Germany and Poland,
enjoyed excellent relations with Bangladesh.
 The Soviet Union supplied several squadrons of Mig-21 planes for the Bangladesh Air Force.

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Jatiya Rakshi Bahini

 Jatiya Rakkhi Bahini was an elite para-military force formed on 8 February 1972 by the
government led by Sheikh Mujibur Rahman.
 Initially formed to curb the insurgency and maintain law and order the force became
involved in numerous charges of human rights abuse including political killings, shooting
by death squads, and rape.
 During the Liberation War of Bangladesh numerous civilians joined the war after being
trained by the Indian forces Tajuddin Ahmed felt these people should come under national
service as they had arms and training. Tajuddin Ahmed asked Sheikh Mujibur Rahman to
form a para-military force for them.
 Allegations against them:
 Curbing of press freedom
 Forced disappearances and illegal detentions
 Corruption

JSD:

 The Jatiya Samajtantrik is a political party in Bangladesh.

 The Jatiya Samajtantrik Dal (JASAD) was formed in 1972 when it split from Bangladesh
Chhatra League, the student wing of the Bangladesh Awami League.
 It had an armed wing, Gonobahini, which led a violent left-wing insurgency against the
government of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman.
 Before the coup of 15 August 1975, Jatiya Samajtantrik Dal had planned to organize a mass
upsurge to form a democratic national government replacing Sheikh Mujibur Rahman.

Fourth Amendment refers to Second Revolution

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