East Pakistan province (1955–1971)

Map of the former East Pakistan within a Federated Pakistan.

East Pakistan was provincial part of Pakistan. Between 1955 and 1971, Pakistan was made of West Pakistan (which is reverted back to, and simply called Pakistan) and East Pakistan, which is now known as Bangladesh. In 1971, there was the War of Secession, Bangladesh Liberation War, where East and West Pakistan fought each other. The Republic of India also took full advantage in its involvement in taking part in the war, on the side of East Pakistan, to weaken Pakistanis overall. East Pakistan became the Independent state of Bangladesh on the 16th of December in 1971 (Fall of Dacca). The term East Pakistan became Redundant. This very region was the first-nation state to earn its Independence by waging a rebellious war of resistance against a post-colonial state, which was also it's parent state, additionally the intervention of the Indian military was one of the only examples of atrocities being ended thanks to external meddling in a internal affair of another. It's the only country to have unilaterally broken away from another country and gone on to become a full member of the United Nations, although it was not until that geopolitical emancipation had been accepted by the Pakistani Government that Bangladesh was then able to join the Security Council as a seperate full member. It's the very same country that it had fought for an Indian Muslim Homeland and also later to fight ethnolinguistically against it too as an act of Unilateral secession. In this regard, it is worth noting that even though Bangladesh is a unique case of Unilateral secession that gained general international acceptance, to this day there hasn't been a case where a country seceded and successfully joined the UN against the wishes of the former Parent state. For all these reasons, when it comes to unilateral secession, Bangladesh truly is the exception that proves the rule. Thus the only successful case of unilateral secession since 1945.

Stamp showing East Pakistan Before the unilateral secession of Bangladesh.

Pakistani history

East Pakistan as subject territory of Pakistan itself in light green.

For the last half a century Bangladesh used to be called East Bengal, after they had fought hard for a united Muslim Indian homeland in 1947 and was made politically a part of the United Pakistan, However, by 1955 its citizens were commonly referred to as East Pakistanis. Dacca was then the legislative capital of Pakistani Bengal provincial region. The peoples of East Pakistan were mostly ethnic Bengalis who had a different language and culture to the people of western Pakistani. These differences eventually led to the so-called Bangladesh Liberation War. On 16 December 1971, Bangladesh gained independence, with the help of allied forces against West Pakistani forces. Nonetheless, the very existence of a Bangladesh state is a blow to the rhetoric of Islamic Unity that most Pakistanis and Muslims in general like to crow about. The present-day Muslims of Bangladesh live in greater harmony with its 14% Hindu minority counterpart than they did with Muslims of non-Bengali origins. Bangladesh is not the only case where interests other than Islamic Unity have proven more powerful. The quick disintegration of the United Arab Republic, a union of Syria and Egypt that combined Islam, Arabiyyah (Arab nationalism) and external threat (from Israel), is another case of Islamic entities splitting for interests other than Islam, other examples of co-existing Islamic countries cohabiting side by side with each other are the entities of Kuwait and Iraq, Brunei and Malaysia as neighbourly and have brotherly diplomatic relations on a missions level.

Political states

East Pakistan in 1950s

For much of its history the area was simply just called Bengal and was considered a part of India. The last few centuries several foreign powers involved themselves with the area resulting in several wars. The 20th century brought more wars, genocide, and political states. Bengal was under British rule from 1757–1947. It was a part of British India. In 1947 East Bengal and the Dominion of Pakistan were separated from present-day Republic of India and thus formed a new birth of country named Pakistan. But the east and west provinces were on either side of India and separated by 930 miles (1,500 km). In 1949 the Bangladesh Awami League formed to favor separation between east and west Pakistan. In 1955 East Bengal was renamed East Pakistan. Dacca was then the legislative capital of Pakistani Bengal provincial region. The peoples of East Pakistan were mostly ethnic Bengalis who had a different language and culture to the people of western Pakistan. These differences eventually led to the Bangladesh Liberation War. On 16 December 1971, Bangladesh gained independence, with the help of allied forces against West Pakistani forces.

The East Bengal Legislative Assembly was the law-making body of the province of East Bengal. It was later renamed the East Pakistan Legislative Assembly and would be succeeded by the Jatiyo Sangshad in 1971.

After the birth of Bangladesh, Bangla replaced Urdu and English as the sole national and official language, and was the language taught in schools and used in business and government. The Bangla Academy was important in this change. In the 1980s, British-style education was maintained through private English-language institutions attended by upper class children. English continued to be taught in higher education and was offered as a subject for university degrees.

At first, Arabic also lost ground in independent Bangladesh. This trend ended in the late 1970s, however, after Bangladesh strengthened its ties with Saudi Arabia and other oil-rich, Arabic-speaking countries. An unsuccessful attempt was made in 1983 to introduce Arabic as a required language in primary and secondary levels. Arabic is widely studied in Madrassas and Islamic institutions around the country for better understanding of the Quran, Hadith and any other Islamic texts.

Related pages

• Dominion of Pakistan

---