Bangladesh’s 1971 Liberation: When a Nation Rose to Defend Its Dignity |
New Delhi: Bangladesh did not appear on the map because two governments signed an agreement. It was born out of anger, loss and courage on the streets and in the villages of what was then East Pakistan. For years, Bengalis felt they were treated as second-class citizens inside their own country. By 1971, that sense of injustice had turned into a fight for survival.
When Pakistan was created in 1947, its two halves were split by a long stretch of Indian territory. Most Pakistanis lived in the eastern wing, but power rested in the west. Senior posts in the army and civil service went largely to people from West Pakistan. Major industries were set up there. Economic plans and public investment favoured the western wing, even though East Pakistan earned a big share of foreign exchange through jute and agriculture.
Language and culture became another area of hurt. Many in the ruling elite pushed Urdu as the only national language and looked down on Bengali. The language movement of the 1950s, in which students were killed demanding recognition for Bengali, left a deep mark. Over the years, this fed a feeling that East Pakistan was being ruled, not represented.
The breaking point came after the 1970 general elections. Sheikh Mujibur Rahman and his party, the Awami League, won a clear majority in the national assembly. On paper, this meant a government led by Bengalis in Islamabad. In reality, power was not handed over. Talks dragged on, and the military rulers refused to accept the Awami League’s mandate. For many Bengalis, this was proof that the system would never........