Geo-Political History of Bangladesh

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Geo-Political History of Bangladesh (1947-Present)


1947–70
On 3 June 1947 Mountbatten Plan outlined the partition of British India. On 20 June,
the Bengal Legislative Assembly met to decide on the partition of Bengal. At the preliminary
joint meeting, it was decided (120 votes to 90) that if the province remained united it should
join the Constituent Assembly of Pakistan. At a separate meeting of legislators from West
Bengal, it was decided (58 votes to 21) that the province should be partitioned and West
Bengal should join the Constituent Assembly of India. At another meeting of legislators from
East Bengal, it was decided (106 votes to 35) that the province should not be partitioned and
(107 votes to 34) that East Bengal should join the Constituent Assembly of Pakistan if Bengal
was partitioned. On 6 July, the Sylhet region of Assam voted in a referendum to join East
Bengal. Cyril Radcliffe was tasked with drawing the borders of Pakistan and India, and the
Radcliffe Line established the borders of present-day Bangladesh. The Dominion of Pakistan
was created on 14 August 1947.
East Bengal, with Dhaka its capital, was the most populous province of the 1947
Pakistani federation (led by Governor General Muhammad Ali Jinnah, who promised freedom
of religion and secular democracy in the new state). East Bengal was also Pakistan's most
cosmopolitan province, home to peoples of different faiths, cultures and ethnic groups.
Partition gave increased economic opportunity to East Bengalis, producing an urban
population during the 1950s.
Khawaja Nazimuddin was East
Bengal's first chief minister with
Frederick Chalmers Bourne its governor.
The All Pakistan Awami Muslim League
was formed in 1949 as a centre-left
alternative to the centre-right All
Pakistan Muslim League. In 1950, the
East Bengal Legislative Assembly
enacted land reform, abolishing the
Permanent Settlement and the
zamindari system. The 1952 Bengali
Language Movement was the first sign
of friction between the country's
geographically-separated wings. The
Awami Muslim League was renamed the
more-secular Awami League in 1953.
The first constituent assembly was dissolved in 1954; this was challenged by its East Bengali
speaker, Maulvi Tamizuddin Khan. The United Front coalition swept aside the Muslim League
in a landslide victory in the 1954 East Bengali legislative election. The following year, East
Bengal was renamed East Pakistan as part of the One Unit program and the province became
a vital part of the Southeast Asia Treaty Organization.

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Pakistan adopted its first constitution in 1956. Three Bengalis were its Prime Minister
until 1957: Nazimuddin, Mohammad Ali of Bogra and Suhrawardy. None of the three
completed their terms, and resigned from office. The Pakistan Army imposed military rule in
1958, and Ayub Khan was the country's strongman for 11 years. Political repression increased
after the coup. Khan introduced a new constitution in 1962, replacing Pakistan's
parliamentary system with a presidential and gubernatorial system (based on electoral
college selection) known as Basic Democracy. In 1962 Dhaka became the seat of the National
Assembly of Pakistan, a move seen as appeasing increased Bengali nationalism. The Pakistani
government built the controversial Kaptai Dam, displacing the Chakma people from their
indigenous homeland in the Chittagong Hill Tracts. During the 1965 presidential election,
Fatima Jinnah lost to Ayub Khan despite support from the Combined Opposition alliance
(which included the Awami League). The Indo-Pakistani War of 1965 blocked cross-border
transport links with neighboring India in what is described as a second partition. In 1966,
Awami League leader Sheikh Mujibur Rahman announced a six point movement for a federal
parliamentary democracy.
According to senior World Bank officials, Pakistan practiced extensive economic
discrimination against East Pakistan: greater government spending on West Pakistan,
financial transfers from East to West Pakistan, the use of East Pakistan's foreign-exchange
surpluses to finance West Pakistani imports, and refusal by the central government to release
funds allocated to East Pakistan because previous spending had been under budget; East
Pakistan generated 70 percent of Pakistan's export revenue with its jute and tea. Sheikh
Mujibur Rahman was arrested for treason in the Agartala Conspiracy Case, and was released
during the 1969 uprising in East Pakistan which resulted in Ayub Khan's resignation. General
Yahya Khan assumed power, reintroducing martial law.
Ethnic and linguistic discrimination was common in Pakistan's civil and military
services, in which Bengalis were under-represented. Fifteen percent of Pakistani central-
government offices were occupied by East Pakistanis, who formed 10 percent of the military.
Cultural discrimination also prevailed, making East Pakistan forge a distinct political identity.
Pakistan banned Bengali literature and music in state media, including the works of Nobel
laureate Rabindranath Tagore. A cyclone devastated the coast of East Pakistan in 1970, killing
an estimated 500,000 people, and the central government was criticized for its poor response.
After the December 1970 elections, calls for the independence of East Bengal became louder;
the Bengali-nationalist Awami League won 167 of 169 East Pakistani seats in the National
Assembly. The League claimed the right to form a government and develop a new
constitution, but was strongly opposed by the Pakistani military and the Pakistan Peoples
Party (led by Zulfikar Ali Bhutto).

1971
March–June
The 7 March Speech of Bangabandhu was a speech given by Sheikh Mujibur Rahman,
the founding father of Bangladesh on 7 March 1971 at the Ramna Race Course in Dhaka to a
gathering of over two million people. It was delivered during a period of escalating tensions

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between East Pakistan and the


powerful political and military
establishment of West Pakistan. In
the speech, Rahman proclaimed:
"This time the struggle is for our
freedom. This time the struggle is
for our independence." He
announced a civil disobedience
movement in the province, calling
for "every house to turn into a
fortress". The speech inspired the
Bengali people to prepare for a war
of independence amid widespread
reports of armed mobilisation by West Pakistan. The Bangladesh Liberation War began 18
days later, when the Pakistan Army launched Operation Searchlight against Bengali civilians,
intelligentsia, students, politicians, and armed personnel.
At first, resistance was spontaneous and disorganised, and was not expected to be
prolonged. However, when the Pakistani Army cracked down upon the population, resistance
grew. The Mukti Bahini became increasingly active. The Pakistani military sought to quell
them, but increasing numbers of Bengali soldiers defected to this underground "Bangladesh
army". These Bengali units slowly merged into the Mukti Bahini and bolstered their weaponry
with supplies from India. Pakistan responded by airlifting in two infantry divisions and
reorganising their forces. They also raised paramilitary forces of Razakars, Al-Badrs and Al-
Shams (who were mostly members of the Muslim League and other Islamist groups), as well
as other Bengalis who opposed independence, and Bihari Muslims who had settled during the
time of partition.
On 17 April 1971, a provisional government was formed in Meherpur District in
western Bangladesh bordering India with Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, who was in prison in
Pakistan, as President, Syed Nazrul Islam as Acting President, Tajuddin Ahmad as Prime
Minister, and General Muhammad Ataul Ghani Osmani as Commander-in-Chief, Bangladesh
Forces. As fighting grew between the occupation army and the Bengali Mukti Bahini, an
estimated 10 million Bengalis sought refuge in the Indian states of Assam and West Bengal.

June–September
Bangladesh forces command was set up on 11 July, with Col. M. A. G. Osmani as
commander-in-chief (C-in-C) with the status of Cabinet Minister, Lt. Col., Abdur Rabb as chief
of Staff (COS), Group Captain A K Khandker as Deputy Chief of Staff (DCOS) and Major A R
Chowdhury as Assistant Chief of Staff (ACOS).
General Osmani had differences of opinion with the Indian leadership regarding the
role of the Mukti Bahini in the conflict. Indian leadership initially envisioned Bengali forces to
be trained into a small elite guerrilla force of 8,000 members, led by the surviving East Bengal
Regiment soldiers operating in small cells around Bangladesh to facilitate the eventual Indian

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intervention, but with the Bangladesh government in exile, General Osmani favored a
different strategy:

 Bengali conventional forces would occupy lodgment areas inside Bangladesh


and then the Bangladesh government would request international diplomatic
recognition and intervention. Initially Mymensingh was picked for this
operation, but Gen. Osmani later settled on Sylhet.
 Sending the maximum number to guerrillas inside Bangladesh as soon as
possible with the following objectives:
 Increasing Pakistani casualties through raids and ambush.
 Cripple economic activity by hitting power stations, railway lines,
storage depots and communication networks.
 Destroy Pakistan army mobility by blowing up bridges/culverts, fuel
depots, trains and river crafts.
 The strategic objective was to make the Pakistanis spread their forces
inside the province, so attacks could be made on isolated Pakistani
detachments.
Bangladesh was divided into eleven
sectors in July, each with a commander
chosen from defected officers of the Pakistani
army who joined the Mukti Bahini to conduct
guerrilla operations and train fighters. Most
of their training camps were situated near the
border area and were operated with
assistance from India. The 10th Sector was
directly placed under the Commander in Chief
(C-in-C) General M. A. G. Osmani and included
the Naval Commandos and C-in-C's special
force. Three brigades (11 Battalions) were
raised for conventional warfare; a large
guerrilla force (estimated at 100,000) was
trained.
Three brigades (eight infantry
battalions and three artillery batteries) were
put into action between July and September.
During June and July, Mukti Bahini had
regrouped across the border with Indian aid
through Operation Jackpot and began sending 2000–5000 guerrillas across the border, the
so-called Monsoon Offensive, which for various reasons (lack of proper training, supply
shortage, lack of a proper support network inside Bangladesh) failed to achieve its objectives.
Bengali regular forces also attacked BOPs in Mymensingh, Comilla and Sylhet, but the results
were mixed. Pakistani authorities concluded that they had successfully contained the
Monsoon Offensive, which proved a near-accurate observation.

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Guerrilla operations, which slackened during the training phase, picked up after
August. Economic and military targets in Dacca were attacked. The major success story was
Operation Jackpot, in which naval commandos mined and blew up berthed ships in
Chittagong, Mongla, Narayanganj and Chandpur on 15 August 1971.

October–December
Bangladeshi conventional forces
attacked border outposts. Kamalpur,
Belonia and the Battle of Boyra are a few
examples. 90 out of 370 BOPs fell to Bengali
forces. Guerrilla attacks intensified, as did
Pakistani and Razakar reprisals on civilian
populations. Pakistani forces were
reinforced by eight battalions from West
Pakistan. The Bangladeshi independence
fighters even managed to temporarily
capture airstrips at Lalmonirhat and
Shalutikar. Both of these were used for flying in supplies and arms from India. Pakistan sent
another five battalions from West Pakistan as reinforcements. But All their strategies failed.
On 16 December 1971, Lt. Gen Amir Abdullah Khan Niazi, CO of Pakistan Army forces located
in East Pakistan signed the Instrument of Surrender. At the time of surrender only a few
countries had provided diplomatic recognition to the new nation. Over 93,000 Pakistani
troops surrendered to the Indian forces and Bangladesh Liberation forces, making it the
largest surrender since World War II, although the Pakistani Army had fought gallantly
according to Indian Army Chief Sam Manekshaw.

1972-Modern Era
In 8th January 1972 Government of Pakistan relieved Bangobandhu due to utmost
pressure given by international sectors. 10th January Bangabandhu directly goes to the
racecourse field from airport and then he gave his valuable speech towards the nation. 12
January Bangabandhu takes the responsibility as a prime minister.
1973 Awamilegue won 293 seats among 300 seats under national parliament election.
3 September Awamilegue creat ‘Oikkofront’ with CPV and NAP. On 6 September,
Bangobandhu went to Algeria to join the summit of the Non-Aligned Movement. 17th
October he went to Japan.
Pakistan recognized Bangladesh on 22 February 1974. 23 February Bangobandhu went
to Pakistan to attend conference of Islamic conference society (OIC). Bangladesh secured
membership of the United Nation on 17 September and Bangabandhu delivered a speech in
Bangla on September 25 for the first time in the General Assembly of the United Nations.
In 25 January 1975 Bangabandhu elected as president. 24 February with others
political committee Bangladesh Farmer Worker Awami legue were built. In 15 August very

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early morning the greatest Bengali of thousand years the leader of Bangladesh was killed with
his family by some hypocrite army officers.
Mujib's death plunged the nation into many years of political turmoil. The coup
leaders were soon overthrown and a series of counter-coups and political assassinations
paralysed the country. Order was largely restored after a coup in 1977 gave control to the
army chief Ziaur Rahman. Declaring himself President in 1978, Ziaur Rahman signed the
Indemnity Ordinance, giving immunity from prosecution to the men who plotted Mujib's
assassination and overthrow. In May 1981, Zia was assassinated in Chittagong by dissident
elements of the military. The attempted coup never spread beyond that city, and the major
conspirators were either taken into custody or killed. In accordance with the constitution,
Vice-President Justice Abdus Sattar was sworn in as acting president.
In 1982 General Ershad assumed power in army coup,
suspended political parties and constitution. A year later,
General Ershad became president. During 1986 Ershad
elected to five-year term, martial law was lifted, constitution
reinstated. Next year, following demonstrations and strikes,
a state of emergency was declared. During 1990 President
Ershad stepped down following protests. In 1991, Ershad
convicted and jailed for illegal possession of weapons,
corruption.
In 1991 Begum Khaleda Zia, widow of President Ziaur
Rahman, becomes prime minister, shifts power away from
presidency. The year 1991 is remarkable for the nation
because this year Bangladesh came back to democracy rule.
But it is our pot luck after taking authority B.N.P engaged with corruption. They wanted to fill
all vacancy by their party people democracy came as personal development.
In 1996 Awami League returns to power under with Sheikh Hasina Wajed, the
daughter of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman.
In 2001 the Four Party Alliance led by the Bangladesh Nationalist Party won over a
two-thirds majority in Parliament. Begum Khaleda Zia was sworn in on 10 October 2001, as
Prime Minister.
During 2006 a horrible political crisis started and until 2008 Bangladesh was under the
rule of Caretaker government.
In 2009 after the election under Caretaker government, Bangladesh Awami League
and its Grand Alliance (a total of 14 parties) won the general election. Since 2009 Bangladesh
Awami League and its Grand Alliance won 3 consecutive election.

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