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Revision as of 18:36, 23 January 2005 by Urnonav (talk | contribs) (temporarily removed references to Pakistani Civil War)(diff) ← Previous revision | Latest revision (diff) | Newer revision → (diff)The Bangladesh Liberation War refers to an approximately nine month long armed conflict between current day Pakistan and Bangladesh. The war resulted in independence of Bangladesh from Pakistan.
Brief overview and figures
- Location: Bangladesh
- Directly involved parties: Bangladesh Mukti Bahini (composed of Bangladesh Army and guerilla groups), Indian Army (formally, after 3 December 1971) and Pakistan Army
- Duration: 26 March 1971 - 16 December 1971
- Casualty: 3 million (estimate quoted by Bangladesh Government)
- Closely associated conflicts: Indo-Pakistani War of 1971 (3 December 1971 - 16 December 1971)
- Result: Independence of Bangladesh
- Numbef of Prisoners of War: 93,000
Reasons for war
Years before the war
Pakistan, as a nation, was created in the Partition of India of 14 August, 1947 following the end of British rule over the subcontient. The division was made based on religious variation. Pakistan was created out of Muslim majority territories in the West and East and India was created out of the vast Hindu majority regions in the centre. The Western zone was popularly (and for a period of time, also officially) called West Pakistan and the Eastern zone (current day Bangladesh) was called East Bengal and later, East Pakistan. The capital of Pakistan was established in Lahore in West Pakistan.
Economic exploitation
West Pakistan (consisting of four provinces: Punjab, Sindh, Balochistan and North-West Frontier Province) dominated over the East. Although East was more populous, there was a clear under-spending in the region.
| Year | Spending on West Pakistan (in crore Rupees) | Spending on East Pakistan (in crore Rupees) | Percentage Spent on East |
| 1950/51-54/55 | 1129 | 524 | 20 |
| 1955/56-59/60 | 1655 | 524 | 32 |
| 1960/61-64/65 | 3355 | 1404 | 42 |
| 1965/66-69/70 | 5195 | 2141 | 41 |
| Total | 12834 | 4300 | 34 |
| Source: Reports of the Advisory Panels for the Fourth Five Year Plan 1970-75, Vol. I, published by the Planning commission of Pakistan | |||
Between 1948 and 1960, East Pakistan's export earnings had been 70% while it only received 25% of import earning. In 1948 (shortly after independence from Britain), East Pakistan had 11 textile mills while West had 9. In 1971, the number of textile mills in the West had grown to 150 while that in the East had only gone up to 26. A transfer of 2.6 billion dollars (in 1971 exchange rates) worth resources was also done over time from East Pakistan to West Pakistan.
Difference in religious standpoints
One of the key issue was the extent to which Islam was followed. West Pakistan with an overwhelming 97% Muslim population was less liberal (in religious terms) that East Pakistan which had at least 15% non-Muslims (mainly Hindus). West Pakistan constantly viewed East Pakistanis friendly attitude towards India as a seccessionist move. (It is worth noting that the West Bengal, Indian state bordering Bangladesh, and East Pakistan were composed mostly of one single ethnic group, Bengalis.) The difference was made further clear after Bangladeshi independence, when Bangladesh was established as a secular country favouring the name People's Republic of Bangladesh over Islamic Republic of Bangladesh.
Other factors including language
At one point, at attempt was made to make Urdu, a minority language that was only spoken in West, the only official language for all of Pakistan, when Bangla was spoken by a majority of people. East Pakistan revolted and several students and civilians lost their lives. The day is reverred in Bangladesh and in West Bengal as the Language Martyrs' Day. Bitter feelings among East Pakistanis never ceased to grow, especially with repeated arrivals of military rulers.
Political climax
The political prelude to the war included several factors. The main problems started with repeated military cues in Pakistan. There were martial law rules between 1958 and 1962 (under General Ayub Khan) and between 1969 and 1972 (under General Yahya Khan). All of these military rulers were of West Pakistani origin and continued to favour West Pakistan in terms of economic advantages.
The situation reached climax when in 1970, Awami League, the largest East Pakistani political party, led by Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, won a landslide victory in the national elections winning 167 (169 seats were alloted for East Pakistan) seats out of 313 in the National Assembly. This gave Awami League the right to form a government. However, leader of People's Party of Pakistan, Mr. Zulfikar Ali Bhutto refused to allow Mr. Rahman to become the Prime Minister of Pakistan. Instead, he proposed a notion of two Prime Ministers. Mr. Bhutto also refused to accept Mr. Rahmans' Six Points. On 3 March 1971, the two leaders of the two wings along with the President General Yahya Khan met in Dhaka to decide the fate of the country. Talks failed. Sheikh Mujibur Rahman called for a nation-wide strike.
Military preparation of West Pakistan
General Tikka Khan, also called Butcher of Balochistan for his barbaric military operation in the West Pakistani province was flown in to Dhaka to become Governor of East Bengal. (Later he was also named Butcher of the Bangladesh.) East-Pakistani judges, including Justice Siddique, refused to swear him in.
MV Swat, a ship of Pakistan Navy, carrying mass amount of ammunition and soldiers, was harboured in Chittagong Port. Because of opposition of Bengali workers and sailors at the port to unload the ship. A unit of East Pakistan Rifles refused to obey command to fire on Bengali demonstrators. This was the onset of mutinee of Bengali soldiers.
Between 10-13 March, Pakistan International Airlines cancelled all their international routes to urgently fly "Government Passengers" to Dhaka. These so-called "Government Passengers" were almost exclusively Pakistani soldiers in civil uniform.
Bangobondhu's speech of 7 March
On 7 March 1971, Bangobondhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman gave a speech at the Racecourse Ground (now called Ramna Park). In this speech he mentioned a further four-point condition to consider the National Assembly Meeting on 25 March:
- The immediate withdrawal of the martial law.
- Immediate withdrawal of all military personnel to their barracks.
- An inquiry into the loss of life.
- Immediate transfer of power to the elected representative of the people before the assembly meeting March 25.
He urged "his people" to turn every house into a fort of resistance. He closed his speech saying, "The struggle this time is for our freedom. The struggle this time is for our independence."
Genocide on 25 March
On 25 March night, Pakistan Army carried out mass genocide in all of Bangladesh. Men, women, childern, elderly were all equally slaughtered. Before carrying out the genocide, all foreign journalists were systematically deported from Bangladesh. Bengali members of military services were disarmed. The operation was called Operation Searchlight by Pakistani Army and was carefully devised by several top-ranked army generals to "crush" Bengalis.
Although the genocide focused on the provincial capital, Dhaka, the process of ethnic elimination was also carried out all around Bangladesh. Residential halls of University of Dhaka were particulary targeted. Hindu areas all over Bangladesh suffered particularly heavy blows. By midnight, Dhaka was literally burning.
Declaration of independence
Soon after the beginning of the military crackdown in Dhaka on 25 March, M A Hannan made the first declaration of independence over radio. However, this was not heard by many.
Sheikh Mujibur Rahman signed an "official" declaration that read:
"Today Bangladesh is a sovereign and independent country. On Thursday night West Pakistani armed forces suddenly attacked the police barracks at Razarbagh and the EPR headquarters at Pilkhana in Dhaka. Many innocent and unarmed have been killed in Dhaka city and other places of Bangladesh. Violent clashes between EPR and Police on the one hand and the armed forces of Pindi on the other, are going on. The Bengalis are fighting the enemy with great courage for an independent Bangladesh. May God aid us in our fight for freedom. Joy Bangla.
Sheikh Mujibur Rahman 25 March 1971"
(Source "The History of the Liberation Movement in Bangladesh" by J. S. Gupta)
A telegram reached some students in Chittagong. They realised the message could be broadcast from Agrabad Station of Radio Pakistan. The message was translated to Bangla by Dr Manjula Anwar. They failed to secure permission from higher authorities to broadcast the message. They crossed Kalurghat Bridge into an area controlled by East Bengal Regiment under Major Ziaur Rahman. Bengali soldiers guarded the station as engineers prepared for transmission. At 19:45 on 26 March 1971, Major Ziaur Rahman broadcast the following message which is considered the official declaration of independence.
"This is Shadhin Bangla Betar Kendro. I, Major Ziaur Rahman, at the direction of Bangobondhu Mujibur Rahman, hereby declare that the independent People's Republic of Bangladesh has been established. At his direction, I have taken command as the temporary head of the republic. In the name of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, I call upon all Bengalis to rise against the attck by the west Pakistani Army. We shall fight to the last to free our motherland. By the grace of Allah, victory is ours. Joy Bangla."
Kalurghat Radio Station's transmission capability was limited. The message was picked up by a Japanese ship in Bay of Bengal and then re-transmitted by Radio Australia and later the British Broadcasting Corporation's.
26 March 1971 is hence considered the official Independence Day and according to all Bangladeshi sources, the name Bangladesh was in effect henceforth. Certain sources, especially of Indian and Pakistani origin, continue to call Bangladesh, East Pakistan until 16 December.