What happened to Bangladesh in 1970 and the subsequent events were merely a continuation of the conspiracy to fragment India and disperse its Muslims. India, which accounted for a quarter of the world's economy (24.4%) (1) before the British occupation, was never expected by the British colonialists to remain unified after they were forced to withdraw following World War II. The Muslims were the target of the division and fragmentation of greater India, as they would inevitably have returned to rule a unified India in the first free elections. Even the Punjab region was divided into two parts before India's independence.
The First Partition
“Divide and conquer” is a malicious old imperial British policy based on division and fragmentation, fostering enmity and discord among people. The partition of the Bengal region (Bangladesh), which was one of the largest Muslim concentrations in India at the time, began in the early 20th century, more than 40 years before India's independence. This was because Muslims in India never ceased their resistance to British colonialism since they were afflicted by it with the arrival of the British East India Company to the subcontinent. The first partition of the Bengal region occurred in 1905, separating the eastern areas from the western ones. However, this decision exacerbated nationalist sentiments, prompting Britain to reverse it in 1911.
Britain did not forget that this region (Bangladesh) should be divided, so when independence and the separation of Pakistan occurred, they decided to revive the old division of the region, separating the western part from the eastern one, allowing only East Bengal to join the newly formed state of Pakistan.
Planning the Separation of East Pakistan from West Pakistan
The planning to separate East Pakistan (Bangladesh) from unified Pakistan began immediately after its independence. The Awami League party and its leader were among the main tools of separation. There is no doubt that the failed Pakistani administration contributed to fueling the conflict between the two parts of Pakistan. The conspirators exploited economic disparities, linguistic and cultural differences, and political repression to ignite the separatist tendency among the Bengalis.
In the 1950s and 1960s, East Pakistan (now Bangladesh) witnessed several attempts and movements aiming to separate from West Pakistan. Here are some notable events from that period:
- Bengali Language Movement:
The Bengali Language Movement, also known as “Bhasha Andolon,” was a significant political movement in East Pakistan (now Bangladesh) during the 1950s. The movement demanded the recognition of the Bengali language as an official language alongside Urdu in Pakistan.
The movement began in the late 1940s, after the partition of India, when the Pakistani government led by Muhammad Ali Jinnah issued an oppressive decision to make Urdu the only official language of the country, disregarding the tens of millions who spoke Bengali. This decision inevitably angered the Bengalis, who formed the majority.
On February 21, 1952, students and political activists organized widespread protests in Dhaka, demanding the recognition of the Bengali language. Many students were killed during these protests. After years of protests and pressure, the Pakistani government relented and announced in 1956 that Bengali would be an official language alongside Urdu.
Thus, the Bengali Language Movement was a turning point in the history of East Pakistan, contributing to the strengthening of Bengali national identity and eventually leading to the independence movement in 1971. (2)
- 1954 Elections in East Pakistan:
The 1954 elections in East Pakistan (now Bangladesh) were a critical moment in the history of the nascent state. These elections saw a significant rise in Bengali nationalist sentiments, laying the foundation for a prolonged struggle for independence.
The results of these elections saw the rise of Bengali nationalism and a rejection of the dominance of West Pakistan. The election results marked the beginning of a deep political crisis between East and West Pakistan, exacerbated by the refusal of the West Pakistani elite to recognize the legitimacy of the elections and their failure to implement promises of autonomy. (3)
- Six-Point Program of 1966:
The Six-Point Program was a political plan presented by Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, leader of the Awami League, in 1966. The stated aim of the program was to achieve extensive autonomy for East Pakistan (now Bangladesh) within the framework of a unified Pakistan. However, a quick review of the “Six Points” shows that it aimed for complete separation. The points were as follows: (4)
First: Almost complete autonomy.
Second: Complete control of Bangladesh over its economic resources, including taxes.
Third: Complete control over foreign trade.
Fourth: A separate currency for Bangladesh.
Fifth: A separate armed force for Bangladesh to maintain security.
Sixth: Control over foreign affairs.
These were demands for complete separation, not just autonomy, as the drafters claimed!
- 1970 Elections: The Straw that Broke the Camel's Back:
In the 1970 elections, the Awami League won a landslide victory, giving it the right to form the government. However, the central government in West Pakistan, led by General Yahya Khan, refused to recognize these results. This was a golden opportunity seized by India, which was waiting for Pakistan to stumble, and by Bengali separatists.
The Awami League party, led by Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, managed to achieve its separatist goal. However, the political entity that emerged—named Bangladesh—was politically flawed from its inception. Since then, Bangladesh has lived in poor political, economic, and environmental conditions. The country has not experienced stable democracy to this day. Dictatorship began under the state's founder, Sheikh Mujibur Rahman himself, who consolidated absolute power, declared a state of emergency, persecuted political opponents, implemented extreme socialist secularism, and abolished all parties except his own. He was overthrown by the military in a 1975 coup, during which he and all his family members, except two daughters, were killed. One of the surviving daughters, Sheikh Hasina Wazed, was in Germany at the time.
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- https://www.eh-exhibition.uni-bayreuth.de/en/Statistical-Tools11/index.html.
- M، A، Goni, The Bengali Language Movement: History and Ideology (Dhaka, 2006).
- S، Sinha, Pakistan’s General Elections, 1954 (Dhaka, 1980).
- Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, The Six Point Programme (Dhaka, 1966).
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