East Pakistan

East Pakistan مشرقی پاکستان
1947-1971
Flag Coat of arms
Motto: "The "defence of East Pakistan lay in West Pakistan"
Anthem: "Qaumī Tarāna" ("National Anthem")
Capital	Dhaka (proclaimed)
Common languages	Official: Bengali Unofficial minority languages: English and Urdu
Government	Military government Dictatorship
Martial Law Administrator
• 1960-62	Azam Khan
• 1962-69	Abdul Monem Khan
• 1969-71	Syed Mohammad Ahsan
• 1971	Amir Abdullah Khan Niazi
Governors
• 1955-56	Amiruddin Ahmad
• 1956-58	A. K. Fazlul Huq
• 1958-60	Zakir Husain
Legislature	East Pakistan Legislative Provincial Assembly
Historical era	Cold War
• Established	14th August 1947
• Final settlement	22 November 1954.
• Succession of Bangladesh	December 16 1971
Currency	Pakistan Rs. (M)December 16, 1971
Calling code	92
Internet TLD	.pk1
Preceded by Succeeded by Pakistan Provisional Government of the People's Republic of Bangladesh Bangladesh
Today part of	Bangladesh

The East Pakistan (Template:Lang-bn Purbo Pakistan, Mashriqī Pākistān), formally called East Pakistan, was a provincial state of Pakistan established in August 14, 1947. The provincial state existed until 16th December, 1971, and it is now the independent nation of Bangladesh. East Pakistan was created from Bengal Province based on the 'Mountbatten Plan' in what was then British India in 1947. Eastern Bengal was given to the Dominion of Pakistan and became a province of Pakistan by the name East Bengal. East Bengal was renamed East Pakistan in 1956 and later became the country of Bangladesh after the bloody Bangladesh Liberation War in 1971, which took place after the General Elections of 1970.

The East Pakistan had an area of 147,570 km² (56,977 mi²), bordering India on all three sides (East, North, and West) and Bay of Bengal from South. East Pakistan was one of the largest provincial state of Pakistan, with largest population and shared a largest economic share. In 1971, a violent Liberation war ended the writ of Pakistan, and Pakistan was divided as a result of Indo-Pakistani War of 1971. Finally, on 15th December 1971, East Pakistan was officially disestablished and became an independent state of Bangladesh.

History and partition

Main article: History of Bangladesh (1947–1971)

1947-1956 era: Alliance with Pakistan

The Bengal was divided into two provinces on 3 July, 1946 in preparation for the partition of India - the Hindu-majority West Bengal and the Muslim-majority East Bengal. The two provinces each had their own Chief Ministers. In August 1947 West Bengal became part of India and East Bengal became part of Pakistan. Tensions between East Bengal and the western wing of Pakistan led to the One-Unit policy by Bengali Prime Minister Muhammad Ali Bogra. In 1955, most of the western wing was combined to form a new West Pakistan province while East Bengal became the new province of East Pakistan. In 1955, Bogra appointed Abu Hussain Sarkar as Chief Minister and Amiruddin Ahmad as Governor.

Following the promulgation of 1956 Constitution, Major-General (retired) Iskander Mirza, who had been a soldier and civil servant, became minister of the interior; General Muhammad Ayub Khan, the Commander of Pakistan Army, became minister of defence; and Chaudhry Muhammad Ali, former head of the civil service, remained minister of finance. The main objective of the new government was to end disruptive provincial politics and to provide the country with a new constitution. The Federal Court, however, declared that a new Constituent Assembly must be called. Ghulam Mohammad was unable to circumvent the order, and the new Constituent Assembly, elected by the provincial assemblies, met for the first time in July 1955. Bogra, who had little support in the new assembly, fell in August and was replaced by Choudhry; Ghulam Mohammad, plagued by poor health, was succeeded as governor general in September 1955 by Mirza

1958-1960 era: Military Dictatorship

In East Pakistan the political impasse culminated in 1958 in a violent scuffle in the provincial assembly between members of the opposition and the police force, in which the deputy speaker was fatally injured and two ministers badly wounded. Uncomfortable with the workings of parliamentary democracy, unruliness in the East Pakistani provincial assembly elections and the threat of Baluch separatism in West Pakistan, on October 7, 1958, Mirza issued a proclamation that abolished political parties, abrogated the two-year-old constitution, and placed the country under martial law. Mirza announced that martial law would be a temporary measure lasting only until a new constitution was drafted. On October 27, he swore in a twelve-member cabinet that included Ayub as prime minister and three other generals in ministerial positions. Included among the eight civilians was Zulfikar Ali Bhutto, a former university lecturer. On the same day, the general exiled Mirza to London because "the armed services and the people demanded a clean break with the past." Until 1962, martial law continued and Ayub purged a number of politicians and civil servants from the government and replaced them with army officers. Ayub called his regime a "revolution to clean up the mess of black marketing and corruption.

1960-1970 era: years of neglecting

During the years between 1960 and 1965, the annual rate of growth of the gross domestic product per capita was 4.4 percent in West Pakistan versus just 2.6 percent in East Pakistan. Furthermore, Bengali politicians pushing for more autonomy complained that much of Pakistan's export earnings were generated in East Pakistan by the export of Bengali jute and tea. As late as 1960, approximately 70 percent of Pakistan's export earnings originated in the East Wing, although this percentage declined as international demand for jute dwindled. By the mid-1960s, the East Wing was accounting for less than 60 percent of the nation's export earnings, and by the time of Bangladesh's independence in 1971, this percentage had dipped below 50 percent. This reality did not dissuade Mujib from demanding in 1966 that separate foreign exchange accounts be kept and that separate trade offices be opened overseas. By the mid-1960s, West Pakistan was benefiting from Ayub's "Decade of Progress," with its successful "green revolution" in wheat, and from the expansion of markets for West Pakistani textiles, while the East Pakistani standard of living remained at an abysmally low level. Bengalis were also upset that West Pakistan, because it was the seat of government, was the major beneficiary of foreign aid.

1971: The Final stand

The tension between East and West Pakistan reached a climax in 1970 when the Awami League, the largest East Pakistani political party, led by Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, won a landslide victory in the national elections in East Pakistan. The party won 167 of the 169 seats allotted to East Pakistan, and thus a majority of the 300 seats in the National Assembly. This gave the Awami League the constitutional right to form a government. However, Yahya Khan, the leader of Pakistan, refused to allow Rahman to become the Prime Minister of Pakistan. This increased agitation for greater autonomy in the East.

Independence

See also: Bangladesh Liberation War

Separatist/nationalistic flag of East Bengal

The tension between East and West Pakistan reached a climax in 1970 when the Awami League, the largest East Pakistani political party, led by Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, won a landslide victory in the national elections in East Pakistan. The party won 167 of the 169 seats allotted to East Pakistan, and thus a majority of the 300 seats in the National Assembly. This gave the Awami League the constitutional right to form a government. However, Yahya Khan, the leader of Pakistan, refused to allow Rahman to become the Prime Minister of Pakistan. This increased agitation for greater autonomy in the East.

On 26 March 1971, the day after the military crackdown on civilians in East Pakistan, Sk. Mujibur Rahman declared the independence of Bangladesh just after midnight of March 25, 1971 before he was arrested by Pakistan army. All major Awami League leaders including elected leaders of national Assembly and Provincial Assembly fled to neighboring India and an exile government was formed headed by Sk. Mujibur Rahman. While he was in Pakistan Prison, Syed Nazrul Islam was the acting President with Tazuddin Ahmed as the Prime Minister. The exile government took oath on April 17, 1971 at Mujib Nagar, within East Pakistan territory of Kustia district and formally formed the government. Col (retd) MAG Osmani was appointed the commander in chief of liberation forces and whole East Pakistan was divided into eleven sectors headed by eleven sector commanders. All sector commanders were Bengali officers from Pakistan army. This started the Bangladesh Liberation War in which the freedom fighters, joined in December 1971 by 400,000 Indian soldiers, faced the Pakistani Army of 100,000 plus paramilitary and collaborationist forces. An additional approximately 25,000 ill-equipped civilian volunteers and police forces also sided with the Pakistan army. On 16 December 1971, the Pakistani Army surrendered to the joint liberation forces of Bangladesh freedom fighters and Indian army Headed by Lt. Gen Jagjit Singh Arora. Air Vice Marshall AK Khondoker represented the Bangladesh freedom fighters. Pakistan General AAK Niazi signed the surrender letter. Bangladesh quickly gained recognition from most countries and with the signing of the Shimla Accord, most of the countries accepted the new state. Bangladesh joined the United Nations in 1974. Sk. Mujib returned to free Bangladesh on January 10, 1972. Upon his request, India withdrew all of its forces. 40,000 Pakistan soldiers and 45,000 civilians were transferred to India as prisoners of war.

Government

On 14 October 1955, the last governor of East Bengal (Amiruddin Ahmad) became the first Governor of East Pakistan. At the same time the last Chief Minister of East Bengal became the first Chief Minister of East Pakistan. This system lasted until the military coup of 1958 when the post of Chief Minister was abolished in both East Pakistan and West Pakistan. From 1958 to 1971 the administration was largely in the hands of the President of Pakistan and the Governor of East Pakistan who at times held the title of Martial Law Administrator.

Military presence

Main article: Evolution of Pakistan Eastern Command plan

Since its unification with Pakistan, the East Pakistan had only consisted of only 1 infantry brigade, which was made up of 2 battalions, the 1st East Bengal Regiment and the 1/14 or 3/8 Punjab Regiment in 1948. Between them these two battalions boasted only 5 rifle companies (a single battalion normally had 5 companies). This weak brigade, under the command of Brigadier Ayub Khan (local rank Major General – GOC 14 Division), and a few EPR wings, was tasked with defending East Pakistan during the Kashmir War of 1947. The Pakistan Air Force and Navy had little presence in the region. Only one Combatant Squadron No. 14 Tail Choppers was active in East Pakistan which was commanded by a Squadron Leader or Major. The Navy had only 4 gunboats, inadequate to function in deep water. The Marines were also presented tasked to carried out the shoreline and riverine operations. All these services operated under one single high command, the Eastern Military High Command, commanded by a 3 star officer who is designated as its unified commander.

Governors

Tenure	Governor of East Pakistan	Political Affiliation
14 October 1955 – March 1956	Amiruddin Ahmad	Muslim League
March 1956 – 13 April 1958	A. K. Fazlul Huq	Muslim League
13 April 1958 – 3 May 1958	Hamid Ali (acting)	Awami League
3 May 1958 – 10 October 1958	Sultanuddin Ahmad	Awami League
10 October 1958 – 11 April 1960	Zakir Husain	Muslim League
11 April 1960 – 11 May 1962	Lieutenant-General Azam Khan, PA	Military Administration
11 May 1962 – 25 October 1962	Ghulam Faruque	Independent (politician)
25 October 1962 – 23 March 1969	Abdul Monem Khan	Civil Administration
23 March 1969 – 25 March 1969	Mirza Nurul Huda	Civil Administration
25 March 1969 – 23 August 1969	Major-General Muzaffaruddin, PA	Military Administration
23 August 1969 – 1 September 1969	Lieutenant-General Sahabzada Yaqub Khan, PA	Military Administration
1 September 1969 – 7 March 1971	Vice-Admiral Syed Mohammad Ahsan, PN	Military Administration
7 March 1971 – April 1971	Lieutenant-General Sahabzada Yaqub Khan, PA	Military Administration
April 1971 – 31 August 1971	Lieutenant-General Tikka Khan, PA	Military Administration
31 August 1971 – 14 December 1971	Abdul Motaleb Malik	Independent
14 December 1971 – 16 December 1971	Lieutenant-General Amir Abdullah Khan Niazi, PA	Military Administation
16 December 1971	Province of East Pakistan dissolved

Chief Ministers

Tenure	Chief Minister of East Pakistan	Political Party
August 1955 – September 1956	Abu Hussain Sarkar	Shramik Krishak Samajbadi Dal
September 1956 – March 1958	Ata-ur-Rahman Khan	Awami League
March 1958	Abu Hussain Sarkar	Shramik Krishak Samajbadi Dal
March 1958 – 18 June 1958	Ata-ur-Rahman Khan	Awami League
18 June 1958 – 22 June 1958	Abu Hussain Sarkar	Shramik Krishak Samajbadi Dal
22 June 1958 – 25 August 1958	Governor's Rule
25 August 1958 – 7 October 1958	Ata-ur-Rahman Khan	Awami League
7 October 1958	Post abolished
16 December 1971	Province of East Pakistan dissolved

See also

• Partition of British India
• East Bengal
• West Pakistan
• Bangladesh Liberation War
• Biharis
• Indo-Pakistani War of 1971
• The Blood telegram

External links

• Government of Bangladesh
• Government of Pakistan