BANGLADASH

A LOST COLONY
Flashback: division of Bengal in 1905
In 1905 British Viceroy , Lord George Nathaniel Curzon, after conspiring with the
Muslim elite ,d separate the Muslim majority east Bengal and aasam to make a separate
province .
This decision was highly protested by the Bengal Hindus in west Bengal.
This division was to win the heart of suppressed and under developed Muslim populated
east Bengal. Who felt deprived with the rising control of Hindus of Bengal in jobs
industry and economy.
Lord Curzon toured east Bengal and addressing the Muslim landlords at Dacca at the
appointed assemblage he said in a lengthy speech that Bengal’s partition would yield
untold benefits to the Muslim community.
It thus can be said that the idea of separate Muslim homeland was conceived by Lord
Curzon first before Iqbal or Chaudhary rehmat ali.
Outcome of this division

• Muslim elite of Bengal moved to protect the economic rights of elite as well as
middle class Bengali Muslims and in return they offered full support to British
Government, while rest of India was struggling against the imperial power.
• But this didn’t mean that they gave up on their nationalism.
• The Muslim card was played as a means to get autonomy for the Muslim elite and
jobs for the middle class.
Why Jinnah and Muslim league had support from the
Muslims of east Bengal for Pakistan Movement 1947?

 The Muslim elite in all the majority Muslim areas supported Jinnah because they feared domination
by a Hindu-dominated center.
 Theory of a big Muslim happy family overwhelmed them which undermined the ground realities.
 In east Bengal and in all other federating units, Muslim league had a great support by the Muslim
aristocracy and landlords.
 The popular nationalist ethos of the people of these five provinces were not only ignored but
suppressed by labeling them Indians and communists.
After the establishment of Pakistan:

• Muslim league leaders thought it appropriate to improve Urdu as the only national
language,
• It still exists in a conservative circle that one nation should have one language.
• PM Liaqat Ali Khan on February 1948 asserted : “Pakistan has been created because of
the demand of the hundred million Muslims is this subcontinent and the language of this
hundred million Muslims' is Urdu.”

• This was totally unacceptable to the Bengali Muslims. Though their elite class tried to
handle the situation but situation was worse among local middle class and students in
east Pakistan.
Muhammad Ali Jinnah jumped
into the debate….

On march 1948 , Jinnah declared in an address,” let me tell you in the clearest language that there is no
truth that your normal life is going to be touched or disturbed so far as your Bengali language is concerned.
But ultimately it is for you, the people of this province. But let me make it clear to you that the state
language of Pakistan is going to be Urdu and no other language. Anyone who tried to mislead you is really
a enemy of Pakistan. Without one state language, no nation can remain tied up solidly together and
function.”

The people who came to hear Jinnah went back enraged and rampaged on the way back.
Things needed be to understand
• Bengali Muslims couldn’t give up on their Nationalism over religion.
• Urdu was the language of 3% Pakistanis while Bengali was the language of 54%
Pakistanis‘
• Bengali is older than Urdu in history
• One language was necessary for the people of East Bengal because they would have
been placed in a disadvantageous position in competition with the Punjabi and mohajirs
of west Pakistanis.
• This clearly meant supremacy of Urdu, over peoples of other nationalities residing in
Pakistan, who spoke different languages.
 Bengali protest continued…

• Bengalis were not prepared to accept and continued protest,

• These protests took violent turn on 21 February 1952, when the state government opened fire
on the protesting students and 7,9 students died and several injured .
• The attempt by the students to construct a memorial ( Shaheed Minar) was foiled and
government had to give in .
• This memorial was also a rallying point for Bengali Nationalists even during the liberation
was against Pakistan.
• After the serious struggle 3rd draft of the constitution in 1954 Bengali and Urdu would be
the national language at the same time English as official language for 25years.

• But it was an expensive trade as they had to had to accept the idea of “one unit”, there by
giving away their majority in the assembly.
• Sheikh Maqsood Ali ,CSP in Pakistan and Bangladesh stated,: “ the Bengalis suspected
further that to prevent them from playing their due role in the politics of former Pakistan,
the design of west Pakistani power elite was to isolate east Bengal from the minority
provinces of west Pakistan through consolidation of the four provinces of west Pakistan
into :one unit” .presumably the west Pakistani feudal-military-bureaucratic power elite
feared that without a ONE Unit, Bengalis would come as a united group, by wining the
support of the minority provinces and by isolating Punjab, they would have sufficient
majority to rule Pakistan.”
Change of power side by side
• Gen Ayub lost his public support and handed over power to Gen Yahiya Khan who imposed martial law immediately on
23rd march 1969
• One unit scheme was over thrown by Gen Yahiya in 1969 after the Martial law takeover
• 1962 constitution was abrogated
• Yahiya promised for the fairest elections and in 1970 Oct. elections ZA Bhutto ‘s PPP secured majority seats from
Punjab only .
• On the other hand Mujib (Awami League) appeared as a successful party in elections.
• Constituent Assembly was under the influence of Bhutto was reluctant to transfer power to Awami League. And was
delaying the Assembly Session.
• In NWFP and in BAOCHISTAN ,political leaders Wali Khan and Ghua Bakhsh Bizenjo showed inclination to awami
league and demand the transfer of power to awani league and boycotted constituent assembly and Bhutto.
Bhutto-Mujib Clash

• Right after the result of the election 1970,Awami Leage appeared as majority party and hoping to make the
government,
• Bhutto feared to lose to control over country to East Pakistan, he along with his party tried to pressurized the
constituent Assembly to postponed the first session of Assembly.
• Bhutto actually wanted to deal with the Mjuib about the six point agenda outside of the assembly session while mujib
wanted to discuss it in the assembly session.
• These six points were the outcome of the long list of economic and political grievances of the Bengalis and were based
on Lahore Resolution original political formulation.
Bhutto-Mujib Clash
• So Bhutto declared boycott of the first session of the newly elected Constituent Assembly, unless mujib agreed to
negotiate on his six points before the session.
• He declared, “we can not go there only to endorse the constitution already prepared by a party and return humiliated.”
• He made it clear that he was willing to accept a “two-subject center”. But his main objection was the separate currency
demand.
• He was also hopping to come on some arrangements about taxation and foreign trade.
• Mujib asked for two reserved banks as Bengalis had seen the transfer of capital from east to west Pakistan . So it wasn’t
the big deal to shift the state bank of Pakistan to Dacca and to appoint a Bengali governor wasn’t a high cost.
 Exploitation of East Pakistan

• Historians and political analysts data showed,

• Total government expenditure (1950-70) was $30.95 billion, out of which West Pakistan had lion’s share of US $
21-49 billion means over 69persent. While East Pakistan got US $ 9.45billion (30.45%) of 55% of population.
• The Punjabi establishment did not accept the appropriation of government revenue in proportion to the population
ration as long as east Pakistan remained in the country. But once that half of the country was lost and in the
remaining Pakistan that Punjab constituted 56% of the population, its establishment was reminded that distribution
on population was the best.
“why Bangladesh”
• In a paper “why banbladash” by group of scholors in Vienna collected dafa from the govt of Pakistan’s
official papers showing how east Pakistan was being exploited by west Pakistan.
• “in foreign trade east Pakistan exports constituted 59% of the total but imports 30% of the total
imports. While during the same period, west Pakistan earned 41% of the total foreign exchange and
was allowed 70% of the foreign trade earnings.
• Surplus generated by east Pakistan was invested in the infrastructure and industry of west Pakistan. It
was a secured market for the west Pakistani goods.
• Between 1964-69, west Pakistan exported goods worth rs 5.29 billion to east Pakistan while it imported
goods worth Rs. 3.17 billion. Of the total foreign assistance almost 80% was consumed by west
Pakistan.one the whole 77% of the funds allocated for development went to west Pakistan in the first
20 years.
 “why Bangladesh”

• Because of these policies that east Pakistan’s population was disillusioned with the rule of the Punjabi-dominated
establishment.
• The net outflow of financial resources from east to wrest Pakistan led to the inclusion of a rather impractical demand of
two separate but exchangeable curre cies in the six points of the Awami League in march 1966.
• Business class had little to say in the ruling elite (feudle class, military civil bureaucracy).
• All important investments in the jute anf paper industry in east Pakistan were owned by te big business houses of west
Pakistan.
• East Pakistan was their undisputed market of over 50 million peple.
• Because of the loss of east Pakistan,Pakistan had to devalue its currency by 135% In 1972,as a result its textile anf
consumer industry had a great fall.
Reaction of east Bengal middle classes.

• They were bitter because of their meagre share in govt serices. By 1971,the
share of 54% of east Pakistani Bengalis in the central civil services was
16%,in foreign setvies 15%, in army out of total 17 generals only one was
Bengali.0
• In PIA (a state owned airline), only 280 out of 7000 employes were
Bengalis.
 Why did people of east Pakistan not join west
Bengal of India after liberation in 1971?

• Fear of Hindu domination?

• Two nation theory?
• International pressure on India?
• After the liberation movement of 1971, people of Bangladesh refused to be the part of India (west bangal) and on the other
hand west bangal was not interested in separating from India.
• No possibility of having an independent bangal state comprising east and west bangal
• A strong dislike for India's big brother attitude is also explains why Bangladesh didn’t join India although its liberation
war was supported by Indian military.
• By then PM indra Gandhi wasn’t interested in annexing Bangladash because of the international pressure (Russia, United
States).
• Secondly it wasn’t wise for India to have the solid Muslim pockets within its fold. As it is at present, Muslims of India
constitute around 15% of the country’s population and often difficult to manage.