183-492: Political: [REDACTED] Yahya Khan [REDACTED] Nurul Amin [REDACTED] Tikka Khan [REDACTED] Abdul Motaleb Malik Military: [REDACTED] A. A. K. Niazi [REDACTED] [REDACTED] Rao Farman Ali [REDACTED] [REDACTED] Khadim Hussain Raja [REDACTED] [REDACTED] Pakistan Armed Forces Systematic events § indicates events in
366-552: A formal alliance with the Soviet Union in August 1971. Nixon urged President Yahya Khan multiple times to exercise restraint. His objective was to prevent a war and safeguard Pakistan's interests, though he feared an Indian invasion of Pakistan that would lead to Indian domination of the subcontinent and strengthen the position of the Soviet Union. Similarly, President Yahya feared that an independent Bangladesh could lead to
549-403: A Kashmiri Brahman, Kalhana , the region was originally known as Dhakka . The word Dhakka means watchtower . Bikrampur and Sonargaon —the earlier strongholds of Bengal rulers were situated nearby. So Dhaka was most likely used as the watchtower for fortification purpose. The history of urban settlements in the area of modern-day Dhaka dates to the first millennium. The region was part of
732-643: A climax in 1970, when the Bangladesh Awami League , the largest East Pakistani political party, led by Sheikh Mujibur Rahman , won a landslide victory in the national elections. The party won 167 of the 169 seats allotted to East Pakistan, and thus a majority of the 313 seats in the National Assembly. This gave the Awami League the constitutional right to form a government. However, Zulfikar Ali Bhutto (a former Foreign Minister),
915-554: A coalition government with Rahman as premier and Bhutto as president, but Sheikh Mujib later ruled out such a possibility. Meanwhile, the military was unaware of these developments, and Bhutto increased his pressure on Rahman to reach a decision. On 7 March 1971, Sheikh Mujibur Rahman (soon to be prime minister) delivered a speech at the Racecourse Ground (now the Suhrawardy Udyan ). In this speech he mentioned
1098-517: A common faith as an essential mobilising factor behind Pakistan's creation and the subsuming of Pakistan's multiple regional identities into one national identity. West Pakistanis were substantially more supportive than East Pakistanis of an Islamic state, a tendency that persisted after 1971. Cultural and linguistic differences between the two wings gradually outweighed any sense of religious unity. The Bengalis took great pride in their culture and language which, with its Bengali script and vocabulary ,
1281-445: A coping mechanism to deal with stress, and that when he was a soldier he was known for being morally upright, abstaining from partying unlike other officers and instead preferring to spend time with his family and also practicing Islamic rituals such as the fast of Ramadan , eventually quoting Ayub Khan who said that "Give me half a dozen officers of the calibre and moral standards of Yahya Khan and I can show you what can Pakistan do as
1464-692: A crackdown by the Pakistan Armed Forces to suppress Bengali dissent and the Bengali nationalist movement. It was seen as the sequel to Operation Blitz, which had been launched in November 1970. The Pakistani government's view was that it had to launch a campaign to neutralise a rebellion in East Pakistan to save the unity of Pakistan. As a result of Operation Searchlight, agitation turned into full-scale civil war as Bengali members of
1647-833: A further four-point condition to consider at the National Assembly Meeting on 25 March: He urged his people to turn every house into a fort of resistance. He closed his speech saying, "Our struggle is for our freedom. Our struggle is for our independence." This speech is considered the main event that inspired the nation to fight for its independence. General Tikka Khan was flown into Dacca to become Governor of East Bengal. East-Pakistani judges, including Justice Siddique, refused to swear him in. Between 10 and 13 March, Pakistan International Airlines cancelled all its international routes to urgently fly "government passengers" to Dacca. These "government passengers" were almost all Pakistani soldiers in civilian dress. MV Swat ,
1830-804: A further rise in anti-West Wing sentiment in the East Wing. By 28 July 1969, President Yahya Khan had set a framework for elections that were to be held in December 1970, with Judge Abdus Sattar appointed as Chief Election Commissioner of the Election Commission of Pakistan . On 7 December, the general elections were held all over the country. In East Pakistan, the Awami League , led by Sheikh Mujibur Rahman , held almost all seats but no seat in any of four provinces of West Pakistan. The socialist Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) had won
2013-701: A great nation of the Islamic world ." During his rule from 1969 to 1971, Mian Tufail Mohammad , a prominent leader of the Jamaat-e-Islami , the country's main Islamist party, hailed Yahya as "the champion of Islam", as there was a general view among Islamists that he would fight leftist elements of the country (the Pakistan People's Party in West Pakistan and the Awami League in what
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#17327659023682196-758: A hotbed for European rivalries. The British moved to oust the last independent Nawab of Bengal in 1757, who was allied with the French. Due to the defection of Nawab's army chief Mir Jafar to the British side, the last Nawab lost the Battle of Plassey . After the Battle of Buxar in 1765, the Treaty of Allahabad allowed the British East India Company to become the tax collector in Bengal on behalf of
2379-471: A jurisdiction covering most of modern-day Bangladesh and all of what is now Northeast India . The partition was the brainchild of Lord Curzon , who finally acted on British ideas for partitioning Bengal to improve administration, education, and business. Dhaka became the seat of the Eastern Bengal and Assam Legislative Council . While Dhaka was the main capital throughout the year, Shillong acted as
2562-412: A letter to Yahya inviting him to deal with the crisis, as it was "beyond the capacity of [civil] government to deal with the... complex situation." Some sources claim Yahya accepted Ayub's proposal on 25 March. On 26 March 1969, General Yahya appeared on national television and announced a state of martial law throughout the entirety of the country. The 1962 constitution was abrogated, the parliament
2745-583: A major Muslim-majority city . Dhaka ranks third in South Asia and 39th in the world in terms of GDP . Lying on the Ganges Delta , it is bounded by the Buriganga , Turag , Dhaleshwari and Shitalakshya rivers. Dhaka is also the largest Bengali-speaking city in the world. The area of Dhaka has been inhabited since the first millennium. An early modern city developed from the 17th century as
2928-401: A modern capital city, the population, area and social and economic diversity of Dhaka have grown tremendously. The city is now one of the most densely industrialized regions in the country. The city accounts for 35% of Bangladesh's economy . The Dhaka Stock Exchange has over 750 listed companies. Dhaka hosts over 50 diplomatic missions ; as well as the headquarters of BIMSTEC , CIRDAP , and
3111-590: A mounting humanitarian and economic crisis, India actively aided and organised the Bangladeshi resistance army, the Mukti Bahini . In 1948, Governor-General Muhammad Ali Jinnah declared that " Urdu , and only Urdu" would be Pakistan's federal language. But Urdu was historically prevalent only in the north, central, and western subcontinent ; in East Bengal, the native language was Bengali , one of
3294-608: A movement for self-determination . On 7 March 1971, Awami League leader Sheikh Mujibur Rahman addressed a massive public gathering at the Ramna Race Course Maidan in Dhaka, in which he warned of an independence struggle. Subsequently, East Pakistan came under a non-co-operation movement against the Pakistani state. On Pakistan's Republic Day (23 March 1971), Bangladeshi flags were hoisted throughout Dhaka in
3477-489: A pivotal role in sustaining the support for President Ayub Khan's campaign in the 1965 presidential elections against Fatima Jinnah . He was made GOC of the 7th Infantry Division of the Pakistan Army, which he commanded during the 1965 war with India and in the same war he also commanded the 12th Infantry Division . During these years, Yahya was also tasked in civil and administrative matters, including being
3660-576: A potential future Mughal empress before her premature death. Internal conflict in the Mughal court cut short Dhaka's growth as an imperial city. Prince Azam Shah's rivalry with Murshid Quli Khan resulted in Dhaka losing its status as the provincial capital. In 1717, the provincial capital was shifted to Murshidabad where Murshid Quli Khan declared himself as the Nawab of Bengal . Under the Nawabs of Bengal,
3843-506: A provincial capital and commercial centre of the Mughal Empire . Dhaka was the capital of a proto-industrialized Mughal Bengal for 75 years (1608–39 and 1660–1704). It was the hub of the muslin trade in Bengal and one of the most prosperous cities in the world. The Mughal city was named Jahangirnagar ( The City of Jahangir ) in honour of the erstwhile ruling emperor Jahangir . The city's wealthy Mughal elite included princes and
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#17327659023684026-557: A ship of the Pakistan Navy carrying ammunition and soldiers, was harboured in Chittagong Port, but the Bengali workers and sailors at the port refused to unload the ship. A unit of East Pakistan Rifles refused to obey commands to fire on the Bengali demonstrators, beginning a mutiny among the Bengali soldiers. The 1970 Bhola cyclone made landfall on the East Pakistan coastline during the evening of 12 November, around
4209-504: A show of resistance. On 25 March 1971, the Pakistan Army launched military operations under Operation Searchlight against the population of East Pakistan. Dhaka bore the brunt of the army's atrocities, witnessing a genocide and a campaign of wide-scale repression, with the arrest, torture, and murder of the city's civilians, students, intelligentsia , political activists and religious minorities. The army faced mutinies from
4392-540: A slight majority of the country's population, political power remained in the hands of West Pakistanis. Since a straightforward system of representation based on population would have concentrated political power in East Pakistan, the West Pakistani establishment came up with the " One Unit " scheme, whereby all of West Pakistan was considered one province. This was solely to counterbalance the East wing's votes. After
4575-656: A solution for the crisis, some of which she heard for the first time, including a mutual withdrawal of troops from the Indo-East Pakistan borders. Nixon also expressed a wish to fix a time limit with Yahya for political accommodation in East Pakistan. Nixon asserted that India could count on US endeavors to ease the crisis within a short time. But, both Kissinger and Gandhi's aide Jayakar maintained, Gandhi did not respond to these proposals. Kissinger noted that she "listened to what was, in fact, one of Nixon's better presentations with aloof indifference" but "took up none of
4758-512: A statement blaming Pakistan for starting the conflict and blaming India for escalating it. He favored a cease-fire. The United States was secretly encouraging the shipment of military equipment from Iran, Turkey , and Jordan to Pakistan, offering to replenish those countries' weapons stocks later despite Congressional objections. The US used the threat of an aid cut-off to force Pakistan to back down, while its continued military aid to Islamabad prevented India from launching incursions deeper into
4941-583: A trilateral summit between India, Pakistan, and Bangladesh in 1998; the summit of the D-8 Organization for Economic Cooperation in 1999 and conferences of the Commonwealth , SAARC, the OIC and United Nations agencies during various years. In the 1990s and 2000s, Dhaka experienced improved economic growth and the emergence of affluent business districts and satellite towns. Between 1990 and 2005,
5124-535: A well-defined central business district . Old Dhaka is the historic commercial centre, but most development has moved to the north. In 1985, the area around Motijheel was considered the "modern" CBD, while by 2005 Gulshan was considered the "newest" part of the CBD. Many Bangladeshi government institutions can be found in Motijheel, Segunbagicha , Tejgaon , Karwan Bazar , and Sher-e-Bangla Nagar . Much activity
5307-519: Is a sovereign and independent country. On Thursday night, West Pakistani armed forces suddenly attacked the police barracks at Razarbagh and the EPR headquarters at Pilkhana in Dacca. Many innocent and unarmed have been killed in Dhaka city and other places of Bangladesh. Violent clashes between E.P.R. and Police on the one hand and the armed forces of Pakistan on the other, are going on. The Bengalis are fighting
5490-653: Is also on the record that he did not act alone.... All the major actors of the period were creatures of a historic legacy and a psycho-political milieu which did not lend itself to accommodation and compromise, to bargaining and a reasoned settlement. Nurtured on conspiracy theories, they were all conditioned to act in a manner that neglected agreeable solutions and promoted violent judgments. Yahya Khan attempted to solve Pakistan's constitutional and inter-provincial rivalry problems once he took over power from Ayub Khan in March 1969. His earlier initiatives were directed at establishing
5673-403: Is built over a network of rivers. The city’s life is strongly intertwined with the rivers, as they are used for multiple purposes, including transportation. Except Old Dhaka , which is an old bazaar -style neighbourhood, the layout of the city follows a grid pattern with organic development influenced by traditional South Asian as well as Middle Eastern and Western patterns. Growth of the city
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5856-411: Is centred around a few large roads, where road laws are rarely obeyed and street vendors and beggars are frequently encountered. For much of recent history, Dhaka was characterized by roadside markets and small shops that sold a wide variety of goods. Recent years have seen the widespread construction of shopping malls. Two of the largest shopping malls in the city and the wider South Asian region are
6039-450: Is largely unplanned and is focused on the northern regions and around the city centre, where many of the more affluent neighbourhoods may be found. Most of the construction in the city consists of concrete high-rise buildings . Middle-class and upper-class housing, along with commercial and industrial areas, occupy most of the city. However, nearly one third of Dhaka's population lives in slums , as of 2016 (see below). Dhaka does not have
6222-474: Is one of the most prominent features of modern Dhaka. In 2014, it was reported that only 7% of the city was covered by roads. The first phase of Dhaka Metro Rail from Uttara to Agargaon was inaugurated by Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on 28 December 2022. However, nearly one third of Dhaka's population lives in slums , as of 2016. The city's main river, the Buriganga River , has become one of
6405-609: Is said to have had a relationship with Akleem Akhtar , nicknamed General Rani, but they never married. His name was linked with the singer and actress Noor Jehan as well. He also had a brief relationship with a Bengali woman called Shamim K. Hussain, also known as Black Beauty . The wife of a police officer, Yahya appreciated her company not so much for her looks but mainly because she was fluent in English and could talk about Shakespeare and Lord Byron , among his favourite poets, and she eventually became influential enough to shape
6588-681: Is the namesake of the Higgs boson ); linguist Muhammad Shahidullah , Sir A F Rahman (the first Bengali vice-chancellor of the university); and historian R. C. Majumdar . The university was established in 1921 by the Imperial Legislative Council . It started with three faculties and 12 departments, covering the subjects of Sanskrit, Bengali, English, liberal arts , history, Arabic, Islamic Studies, Persian, Urdu, philosophy, economics, politics, physics, chemistry, mathematics, and law. The East Bengal Cinematograph Company produced
6771-707: Is this history that is today still reflected in the faded grandeur of the old city, now crumbling due to decades of neglect. The narrow, winding, high-walled lanes and alleyways, the old high-ceilinged houses with verandas and balconies, the old neighbourhoods, the graveyards and gardens, the mosques, the grand old mansions – these are all still there if one goes looking". Railway stations, postal departments, civil service posts and river port stations were often staffed by Anglo-Indians . The city's hinterland supplied rice, jute, gunny sacks , turmeric, ginger, leather hides, silk, rugs, saltpeter , salt, sugar, indigo , cotton, and iron. British opium policy in Bengal contributed to
6954-595: The Asia Times: At a meeting of the military top brass, Yahya Khan declared: "Kill 3 million of them and the rest will eat out of our hands". Accordingly, on the night of 25 March, the Pakistani Army launched Operation Searchlight to "crush" Bengali resistance in which Bengali members of military services were disarmed and killed, students and the intelligentsia systematically liquidated and able-bodied Bengali males just picked up and gunned down. Although
7137-628: The Bangladesh Liberation War in March 1971. Yahya Khan was central to the perpetration of Bangladesh genocide , in which around 300,000–3,000,000 Bengalis were killed, and between 200,000 to 400,000 women were raped. In December 1971, Pakistan carried out pre-emptive strikes against the Bengali-allied Indian Army, culminating in the start of the Third India–Pakistan War . The wars resulted in
7320-794: The Bangladesh genocide . These systematic killings served only to enrage the Bengalis, resulting in East Pakistan's secession later that year. Bangladeshi media and reference books in English have published casualty figures that vary greatly, from 5,000 to 35,000 in Dacca, and 300,000 to 3,000,000 for Bangladesh as a whole. Independent researchers, including the British Medical Journal , have put forward figures ranging from 125,000 to 505,000. American political scientist Rudolph Rummel puts total deaths at 1.5 million. The atrocities have been called acts of genocide . According to
7503-613: The Dutch East Indies . Bengal accounted for 50% of textiles and 80% of silks in Dutch textile imports from Asia. Silk was also exported to premodern Japan . The region had a large shipbuilding industry which supplied the Mughal Navy . The shipbuilding output of Bengal during the 16th and 17th centuries stood at 223,250 tons annually, compared to 23,061 tons produced by North America from 1769 to 1771. The Mughals decorated
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7686-818: The East Pakistan Rifles and the Bengali police. Large parts of the city were burnt and destroyed, including Hindu neighbourhoods. Much of the city's population was either displaced or forced to flee to the countryside. Dhaka was struck with numerous air raids by the Indian Air Force in December . The Pakistan Eastern Command surrendered to Lt. Gen. Jagjit Singh Aurora at the Ramna Race Course in Dhaka on 16 December 1971. After independence, Dhaka's population grew from several hundred thousand to several million in five decades. Dhaka
7869-611: The Hamoodur Rahman Commission in Pakistan concluded that overwhelming force was used. This fact, and the massacre at Jagannath Hall and nearby student dormitories of Dacca University, are corroborated by a videotape secretly filmed by Professor Nurul Ula of the East Pakistan University of Engineering and Technology , whose residence was directly opposite the student dormitories. The scale of
8052-614: The International Jute Study Group . Dhaka has a renowned culinary heritage. The city's culture is known for its rickshaws , Kacchi Biryani, art festivals , street food, and religious diversity. Dhaka's most prominent architectural landmark is the modernist Jatiyo Sangshad Bhaban ; while it has a heritage of 2000 buildings from the Mughal and British periods. The city is associated with two Nobel laureates. Dhaka's annual Bengali New Year parade, its Jamdani sari, and its rickshaw art have been recognized by UNESCO as
8235-695: The International Monetary Fund after foreign reserves fell to $ 160 million. In 1969, President Yahya also promulgated the Legal Framework Order, 1970 , which disestablished the One Unit Scheme that had formed West Pakistan and returned the provinces of West Pakistan to their pre-1955 configuration. The decree had no effect on East Pakistan . However, the dissolution of the One Unit policy did not lead to
8418-976: The Jamuna Future Park and Bashundhara City . Under the Köppen climate classification , Dhaka has a tropical savanna climate ( Köppen Aw ). The city has a distinct monsoonal season, with an annual average temperature of 26 °C (79 °F) and monthly means varying between 19 °C (66 °F) in January and 29 °C (84 °F) in May. Approximately 87% of the average annual rainfall of 2,123 millimetres (83.6 inches) occurs between May and October. There are many parks within Dhaka City, including Ramna Park , Suhrawardy Udyan , Shishu Park , National Botanical Garden , Baldha Garden , Chandrima Uddan , Gulshan Park and Dhaka Zoo . Almost 10% of
8601-947: The Khasi and Jaintia Hills , the Naga Hills and the Lushai Hills in Surma Valley Division; and Goalpara , Kamrup , the Garo Hills , Darrang , Nowgong , Sibsagar and Lakhimpur in Assam Valley Division. The province was bordered by Cooch Behar State , Hill Tipperah and the Kingdom of Bhutan . On the political front, partition allowed Dhaka to project itself as the standard-bearer of Muslim communities in British India ; as opposed to
8784-571: The Lahore Resolution initially envisaged separate Muslim -majority states in British India's eastern and northwestern zones. A proposal for an independent United Bengal was mooted by Prime Minister Huseyn Shaheed Suhrawardy in 1946 but opposed by the colonial authorities. The East Pakistan Renaissance Society advocated the creation of a sovereign state in eastern British India. Political negotiations led, in August 1947, to
8967-487: The Mukti Bahini —a guerrilla resistance movement formed by Bengali military, paramilitary and civilians—launched a mass guerrilla war against the Pakistani military , liberating numerous towns and cities in the war's initial months. At first, the Pakistan Army regained momentum during the monsoon , but Bengali guerrillas counterattacked by carrying out widespread sabotage, including through Operation Jackpot against
9150-443: The Naib Nazim of Dhaka was in charge of the city. The Naib Nazim was the deputy governor of Bengal. He also dealt with the upkeep of the Mughal Navy. The Naib Nazim was in charge of the Dhaka Division, which included Dhaka, Comilla , and Chittagong. Dhaka Division was one of the four divisions under the Nawabs of Bengal. The Nawabs of Bengal allowed European trading companies to establish factories across Bengal. The region then became
9333-438: The National Security Council (NSC), with Major-General Ghulam Omar as its first advisor. It was formed to analyse and prepare assessments towards issues of political and national security. M.M. Ahmad , then Deputy Chairman of the Planning Commission of Pakistan told Henry Kissinger that the state "had now realized that it would have to sacrifice some of its economic growth rate for the sake of social reform and of meeting
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#17327659023689516-420: The Opium Wars with China . American traders collected artwork, handicrafts, terracotta, sculptures, religious and literary texts, manuscripts, and military weapons from Bengal. Some objects from the region are on display in the Peabody Essex Museum . The increase in international trade led to profits for many families in the city, allowing them to buy imported luxury goods. During the Indian mutiny of 1857 ,
9699-449: The Pakistan Armed Forces and the police mutinied, forming the Mukti Bahini along with members of the general public, with the goal of launching unconventional and hit-and-run operations. A government-in-exile formed across the border in India and proclaimed the independent state of Bangladesh, appointing Sheikh Mujibur Rahman as its head despite him being in a West Pakistan prison at the time. Violent disorder and chaos accompanied
9882-405: The Pakistan Navy , while the nascent Bangladesh Air Force flew sorties against Pakistani military bases. India joined the war on 3 December 1971, after Pakistan launched preemptive air strikes on northern India. The subsequent Indo-Pakistani War involved fighting on two fronts; with air supremacy achieved in the eastern theatre and the rapid advance of the Allied Forces of Mukti Bahini and
10065-566: The covert infiltration in Indian-administered Kashmir . After being controversially appointed to assume the army command in 1966, Khan succeeded to the presidency from Ayub Khan , who resigned in March 1969. Yahya Khan's presidency oversaw martial law by suspending the constitution in 1969. Holding the country's first general election in 1970, he blocked the power transition to the victorious Sheikh Mujibur Rahman from East Pakistan . In March 1971, Khan ordered Operation Searchlight in an effort to suppress Bengali nationalism . This led to
10248-458: The exclusive mandate in four provinces of West Pakistan but none in East Pakistan. The Pakistan Muslim League (PML), led by Nurul Amin , was the only party to have representation from all over the country, but it failed to gain the mandate to run the government. The Awami League had 160 seats in the National Assembly , all won from East Pakistan; the socialist PPP had 81, and the conservative PML had 10. The general elections 's results reflected
10431-438: The hansom cab as public transport in 1856. The number of carriages increased from 60 in 1867 to 600 in 1889. A modern civic water system was introduced in 1874. In 1885, the Dhaka State Railway was opened with a 144 km metre gauge (1000 mm) rail line connecting Mymensingh and the Port of Narayanganj through Dhaka. The city later became a hub of the Eastern Bengal State Railway . The first film shown in Dhaka
10614-436: The house arrest of Yahya, the man who imprisoned Mujib in the first place. Both actions made news headlines around the world. He was nominally a Shia Muslim , but was non-practising and was known to have indulged in activities prohibited in Islam such as womanizing and the consumption of alcoholic beverages . Indian journalist Dewan Berindranath argued that Yahya turned to alcohol and womanizing when he gained power, as
10797-411: The surrender of the Pakistani armed forces in East Pakistan , and East Pakistan seceded as Bangladesh . After the surrender, Khan resigned from the military command and transferred the presidency to Zulfikar Ali Bhutto . Khan remained under house surveillance prior to 1979 when he was released by Fazle Haq . Khan died the following year in Rawalpindi and was buried in Peshawar . Khan's short regime
10980-441: The 105th Independent Brigade that was deployed in LoC ceasefire region in Jammu and Kashmir in 1951–1952. Later Yahya Khan, as Vice Chief of General Staff, was selected to head of the army's planning board set up by Ayub Khan to modernize the Pakistan Army in 1954–57. Yahya also performed the duties of Chief of General Staff from 1958 to 1962 from where he went on to command two infantry divisions from 1962 to 1965. He played
11163-474: The 18th day of September when President Ayub promoted him to full General. At the age of 40, he was the youngest General of Pakistan at the time. At promotion, Yahya Khan superseded two of his seniors: Lieutenant-General Altaf Qadir and Lieutenant-General Bakhtiar Rana . After becoming the commander-in-chief of the army, Yahya energetically started reorganizing the Pakistan Army in 1966. The post-1965 situation saw major organizational and technical changes in
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#173276590236811346-438: The 1951 assassination of Liaquat Ali Khan , Pakistan's first prime minister, political power began to devolve to the new position of President of Pakistan , which replaced the office of Governor General when Pakistan became a republic, and, eventually, the military. The nominal elected chief executive, the Prime Minister, was frequently sacked by the establishment, acting through the President. The East Pakistanis observed that
11529-421: The 1970s, the people of East Pakistan had given priority to their Bengali ethnicity over their religious identity, desiring a society in accordance with Western principles such as secularism , democracy and socialism. Many Bengali Muslims strongly objected to the Islamist paradigm the Pakistani state imposed. Most members of West Pakistan's ruling elite shared a vision of a liberal society, but nevertheless viewed
11712-438: The 1971 Bangladesh War , Sarmila Bose said between 50,000 and 100,000 combatants and civilians were killed by both sides during the war. A 2008 British Medical Journal study by Ziad Obermeyer, Christopher J. L. Murray, and Emmanuela Gakidou estimated that up to 269,000 civilians died as a result of the conflict; the authors note that this is far higher than a previous estimate of 58,000 put forward by Uppsala University and
11895-448: The Administrator of the Islamabad Capital Project, "the job for major execution" being given to him. After the '65 war, Maj. Gen. Yahya Khan was appointed in the GHQ, Pakistan as the chief of staff of the army (at that time this appointment was the deputy to the commander-in-chief of the army) and was promoted to lieutenant general. Soon he was appointed as the commander-in-chief of the Pakistan Army in March 1966 and took command on
12078-438: The Assam Valley Division, Chittagong Division, Dacca Division, Rajshahi Division, and the Surma Valley Division. There were a total of 30 districts in Eastern Bengal and Assam, including Dacca, Mymensingh, Faridpur and Backergunge in Dacca Division; Tippera , Noakhali, Chittagong and the Hill Tracts in Chittagong Division; Rajshahi, Dinajpur, Jalpaiguri , Rangpur, Bogra, Pabna and Malda in Rajshahi Division; Sylhet, Cachar ,
12261-578: The Bangladeshis against Pakistan; the war would later extend into the Indo-Pakistani war of 1971 . The consequences of the war were mainly that East Pakistan became independent as Bangladesh, and that India captured approximately 15,000 square kilometres (5,800 sq mi) of land previously in West Pakistan. However, the captured territory was given back to Pakistan in the Simla Agreement signed on 2 July 1972 between Indira Gandhi and Zulfikar Ali Bhutto . The 1971 war led to increased tensions between Pakistan and India, although Pakistan recognised
12444-405: The Bengali readership. The Awami League's emphasis on secularism differentiated it from the Muslim League. In 1971, the Bangladeshi liberation struggle against Pakistan was led by secular leaders and secularists hailed the Bangladeshi victory as the triumph of secular Bengali nationalism over religion-centred Pakistani nationalism. While Pakistan's government strives for an Islamic state, Bangladesh
12627-425: The Chinese tank T-59 started replacing the US M-47/48 tanks as the Pakistan Army's MBT (Main Battle Tank) from 1966. 80 tanks, the first batch of T-59s, a low-grade version of the Russian T-54/55 series were delivered to Pakistan in 1965–66. The first batch was displayed in the Joint Services Day Parade on 23 March 1966. The 1965 War had proved that Pakistan Army's tank-infantry ratio was lopsided and more infantry
12810-428: The English East India Company, the Dutch East India Company , and French East India Company . The property of the Ahsan Manzil was initially bought by the French for their factory and later sold to the Dhaka Nawab Family. The Portuguese were reportedly responsible for introducing cheese . Dhaka saw an influx of migrants during the Mughal Empire. An Armenian community from the Safavid Empire settled in Dhaka and
12993-505: The Indian military , Pakistan surrendered in Dhaka on 16 December 1971, in what remains to date the largest surrender of armed personnel since the Second World War . Rural and urban areas across East Pakistan saw extensive military operations and air strikes to suppress the tide of civil disobedience that formed after the 1970 election stalemate . The Pakistan Army , backed by Islamists, created radical religious militias—the Razakars , Al-Badr and Al-Shams —to assist it during raids on
13176-557: The Indian officers shift books from the famous library of the Pakistan Army Staff College (now Command and Staff College ) at Quetta , where Yahya was posted as an instructor at the time of the partition of India. He renamed the 'Command and Staff College' from 'Army Staff College'. At the age of 34, he was promoted to Brigadier , then the youngest Brigadier of Pakistan. And then he was appointed as commander of
13359-514: The Liberation War Museum. The Nawabs of Dhaka owned Rolls-Royces . Austin cars were widely used. Beauty Boarding was a popular inn and restaurant. Dhaka's fortunes changed in the early 20th century. British neglect of Dhaka's urban development was overturned with the first partition of Bengal in 1905, which restored Dhaka's status as a regional capital. The city became the seat of government for Eastern Bengal and Assam , with
13542-592: The Mohsinia Madrasa, Jagannath College and the Ahsanullah School of Engineering . Horse racing was a favourite pastime for elite residents in the city's Ramna Race Course beside the Dhaka Club . The Viceroy of India would often dine and entertain with Bengali aristocrats in the city. Automobiles began appearing after the turn of the century. A 1937 Sunbeam-Talbot Ten was preserved in
13725-593: The Mughal Emperor in Delhi. The Naib Nazim continued to function until 1793 when all his powers were transferred to the East India Company. The city formally passed to the control of the East India Company in 1793. British military raids damaged a lot of the city's infrastructure. The military conflict caused a sharp decline in the urban population. Dhaka's fortunes received a boost with connections to
13908-472: The Mughal government in Bengal. The legacy of cosmopolitan trading communities lives on in the names of neighbourhoods in Old Dhaka, including Farashganj (French Bazaar), Armanitola (Armenian Quarter) and Postogola (Portuguese Quarter). According to those who lived in the historic city, "Dhaka was a courtly, genteel town – the very last flowering, in their telling, of Mughal etiquette and sensibility. It
14091-528: The Mughal need to consolidate control in eastern Bengal. The Mughals also planned to extend their empire beyond into Assam and Arakan . Dhaka and Chittagong became the eastern frontiers of the Mughal Empire. Dhaka became the capital of the Mughal province of Bengal, Bihar, and Orissa in 1610 with a jurisdiction covering modern-day Bangladesh and eastern India , including the modern-day Indian states of West Bengal , Bihar and Orissa . This province
14274-434: The Pakistan Army's systematic and deliberate campaign of killing and raping the populace of East Pakistan. The original plan for Operation Searchlight envisioned taking control of the major cities on 26 March 1971 and then eliminating all opposition, political or military within one month. The prolonged Bengali resistance had not been anticipated by Pakistani planners, however. The main phase of Operation Searchlight ended with
14457-511: The Pakistan Army. Until 1965, it was thought that army divisions could function effectively while getting orders directly from the army's GHQ. This idea failed miserably in the 1965 war, and the need to have intermediate corps headquarters in between the GHQ and the fighting combat divisions was recognized as a foremost operational necessity after the 1965 war. In the 1965 war, the Pakistan Army had only one corps headquarters (the 1 Corps ). Soon after
14640-500: The Pakistani military. Officers of Bengali origin in the different wings of the armed forces made up just 5% of the overall force by 1965; of these, only a few were in command positions, with the majority in technical or administrative posts. West Pakistanis believed that Bengalis were not "martially inclined", unlike Pashtuns and Punjabis ; Bengalis dismissed the " martial races " notion as ridiculous and humiliating. Moreover, despite huge defence spending, East Pakistan received none of
14823-667: The Peace Research Institute in Oslo. General Yahya Khan arrested Sheikh Mujibur Rahman on charges of sedition and appointed Brigadier (later General) Rahimuddin Khan to preside over a special tribunal dealing with Mujib's case. Rahimuddin gave Mujib the death sentence , but President Yahya put the verdict into abeyance. Yahya's crackdown, however, had led to the Bangladesh Liberation War within Pakistan. India would eventually be drawn into said war, fighting on behalf of
15006-416: The West Pakistani establishment swiftly deposed any East Pakistanis elected leader of Pakistan, such as Khawaja Nazimuddin , Mohammad Ali Bogra , Huseyn Shaheed Suhrawardy , and Iskander Mirza . Their suspicions were further aggravated by the military dictatorships of Ayub Khan (27 October 1958 – 25 March 1969) and Yahya Khan (25 March 1969 – 20 December 1971), both West Pakistanis. The situation reached
15189-578: The ancient district of Bikrampur , which was ruled by the Sena dynasty . Under Islamic rule, it became part of the historic district of Sonargaon , the regional administrative hub of the Delhi and the Bengal Sultanates . The Grand Trunk Road passed through the region, connecting it with North India , Central Asia and the southeastern port city of Chittagong. Before Dhaka, the capital of Bengal
15372-630: The atrocities was first made clear in the West, when Anthony Mascarenhas , a Pakistani journalist who had been sent to the province by the military authorities to write a story favourable to Pakistan, instead fled to the United Kingdom and, on 13 June 1971, published an article in The Sunday Times describing the systematic killings by the military. The BBC wrote: "There is little doubt that Mascarenhas' reportage played its part in ending
15555-666: The basis of the six-point programme . West Pakistan politicians generally felt that the proposed six-point programme was a step towards East Pakistan's full secession. While the political deadlock continued between the Awami League, the PPP, and the military government after the general elections in 1970, Yahya Khan began coordinating with his military strategists concerning ongoing dissent in East Pakistan. Both Yahya Khan and Bhutto flew to Dhaka and tried negotiations one more time in mid-March 1971, but they ultimately yielded no results. On 25 March 1971, Yahya initiated Operation Searchlight ,
15738-516: The benefits, such as contracts, purchasing and military support jobs. The Indo-Pakistani War of 1965 over Kashmir also highlighted the sense of military insecurity among Bengalis, as only an under-strength infantry division and 15 combat aircraft without tank support were in East Pakistan to repulse any Indian retaliations during the conflict. In 1947, the Bengali Muslims had identified themselves with Pakistan's Islamic project, but by
15921-510: The city is connected to a sewer system , whereas 80% is not connected. As a result, the rivers in Dhaka have severe pathogen pollution, as indicated by the fecal coliform count that is several hundred times higher than the recommended national and international standards of less than 200 cfu per litre for bathing and swimming. Chemical surveys in the rivers near Dhaka show extremely high organic pollution loading, high ammonia , and very low dissolved oxygen levels, which are close to zero in
16104-466: The city saw the introduction of electricity , railways , cinemas , Western-style universities and colleges and a modern water supply . It became an important administrative and educational centre in the British Raj, as the capital of Eastern Bengal and Assam province after 1905. In 1947, after the end of British rule, the city became the administrative capital of East Pakistan . It was declared
16287-479: The city took place under Governor Shaista Khan. The city then measured 19 by 13 kilometres (11.8 by 8.1 mi), with a population of nearly one million. Dhaka became home to one of the richest elites in Mughal India. The construction of Lalbagh Fort was commenced in 1678 by Prince Azam Shah , who was the governor of Bengal, a son of Emperor Aurangzeb and a future Mughal Emperor himself. The Lalbagh Fort
16470-596: The city with well-laid-out gardens. Caravanserai included the Bara Katra and Choto Katra . The architect of the palatial Bara Katra was Abul Qashim Al Hussaini Attabatayi Assemani. According to inscriptions in the Bangladesh National Museum, the ownership of Bara Katra was entrusted to an Islamic waqf . The Bara Katra also served as a residence for Mughal governors, including Prince Shah Shuja (the son of Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan). Dhaka
16653-654: The city witnessed revolts by the Bengal Army . Direct rule by the British crown was established following the successful quelling of the mutiny. It bestowed privileges on the Dhaka Nawab Family, which dominated the city's political and social elite. The Dhaka Cantonment was established as a base for the British Indian Army . The British developed the modern city around Ramna , Shahbag Garden, and Victoria Park . Dhaka got its own version of
16836-483: The city's area consists of water: There are 676 ponds and 43 canals. The Buriganga River flows past the southwest outskirts of Dhaka. Its average depth is 7.6 metres (25 ft) and its maximum depth is 18 metres (58 ft). It ranks among the most polluted rivers in the country. The city is surrounded by six interconnected river systems—the Buriganga and Dhaleshwari in the southwest, Turag and Tongi Khal in
17019-438: The city's economy. The hartal rate has declined since 2014. In some years, the city experienced a widespread flash flood during the monsoon. Dhaka is one of the fastest-growing megacities in the world. It is predicted to be one of the world's largest cities by 2025, along with Tokyo , Mexico City , Shanghai , Beijing and New York City . Most of its population are rural migrants, including climate refugees . Congestion
17202-421: The city's population doubled from 6 million to 12 million. There has been increased foreign investment in the city, particularly in the financial and textile manufacturing sectors. Between 2008 and 2011, the government of Bangladesh organized three years of celebrations to mark 400 years since Dhaka's founding as an early modern city. But frequent hartals by political parties have greatly hampered
17385-595: The communication channel between the United States and China , which would be used to set up the Nixon's trip in 1972. Since 1960, Pakistan was perceived in the United States as an integral bulwark against global Communism in the Cold War . The United States cautiously supported Pakistan during the 1971 conflict, although Congress kept an arms embargo in place. The economically-socialist India entered into
17568-407: The conflict between East and West Pakistan developed in March, the Dacca offices of the two government organisations directly involved in relief efforts were closed for at least two weeks, first by a general strike and then by a ban on government work in East Pakistan by the Awami League . With this increase in tension, foreign personnel were evacuated over fears of violence. Relief work continued in
17751-485: The construction of stately buildings, including the High Court and Curzon Hall. The city was home to diverse groups of people, including Armenians , Jews , Anglo-Indians and Hindus. The Hindus included both Marwaris and Bengali Hindus , with a plurality emerging by 1941 and engaged in professions like teaching, medicine, law, and business. Dhaka was the seat of government for 4 administrative divisions, including
17934-555: The country's capital and more immigrant businessmen in the Western Wing directed greater government allocations there. Due to low numbers of native businessmen in East Pakistan, substantial labour unrest and a tense political environment, there were also much lower foreign investments in the eastern wing. The Pakistani state's economic outlook was geared towards urban industry, which was not compatible with East Pakistan's mainly agrarian economy. Also, Bengalis were underrepresented in
18117-611: The country. Pakistan forces in East Pakistan surrendered in Dhaka on 16 December 1971, leading to the creation of the independent state of Bangladesh. When the news of Pakistan's surrender was broadcast by West Pakistani media, the spontaneous and overwhelming public anger over the nation's defeat by Bangladeshi rebels and the Indian Army, and over the breakup of Pakistan into two parts, boiled into street demonstrations throughout Pakistan. Rumors of an impending coup d'état by junior military officers against President Yahya Khan swept
18300-650: The country. To forestall further unrest, on 20 December 1971, he handed over the presidency and government to Zulfikar Ali Bhutto , the ambitious leader of the (at that time) powerful and popular People's Party . Yahya became the highest-ranking official in what remained of Pakistan to be forced out due to the war. Within hours of Yahya Khan stepping down, President Bhutto reversed the Judge Advocate General Branch 's verdict against Sheikh Mujibur Rahman and instead released him, allowing him to fly to London. President Bhutto also issued orders for
18483-449: The cyclone hit charged the government with "gross neglect, callous and utter indifference". They also accused the president of playing down the magnitude of the problem in news coverage. On 19 November, students held a march in Dacca protesting the slowness of the government's response. Abdul Hamid Khan Bhashani addressed a rally of 50,000 people on 24 November, where he accused the president of inefficiency and demanded his resignation. As
18666-462: The decisions of the foreign office. Yahya and his wife had a son, Ali Yahya Khan, and a daughter. Dhaka Dhaka ( / ˈ d ɑː k ə / DAH -kə or / ˈ d æ k ə / DAK -ə ; Bengali : ঢাকা , romanized : Ḍhākā , pronounced [ˈɖʱaka] ), formerly known as Dacca , is the capital and largest city of Bangladesh . It is the ninth-largest and seventh-most densely populated city in
18849-505: The disintegration of Pakistan, and said publicly in August 1971 that Indian military support for Bengali guerrillas could lead to war between India and Pakistan. In November 1971, Indian Prime Minister Indira Gandhi met Nixon in Washington. She assured him that she didn't want war with Pakistan, but he did not believe her. Witness accounts presented by Kissinger pointed out that Nixon made specific proposals to Prime Minister Gandhi on
19032-464: The dry season. In addition to the organic and pathogen pollution load from the 1.2 million m of untreated sewage, the rivers receive about 60,000 m of industrial effluent every day from nine major industrial clusters (as of 2021). There are an estimated 500–700 wet processing and dyeing textile factories releasing a range of chemicals including salts, dyes and bleaches, and 155 tanneries discharging heavy metals , including chromium . Four of
19215-549: The enemy with great courage for an independent Bangladesh. May Allah aid us in our fight for freedom. Joy Bangla [May Bangladesh be victorious]. Sheikh Mujib also called upon the people to resist the occupation forces through a radio message. Rahman was arrested on the night of 25–26 March 1971 at about 1:30 am (as per Radio Pakistan's news on 29 March 1971). A telegram containing the text of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman's declaration reached some students in Chittagong . The message
19398-480: The ethnolinguistic region. The partition was annulled by an announcement from King George V during the Delhi Durbar in 1911. The British decided to reunite Bengal while the capital of India was shifted to New Delhi from Calcutta. As a "splendid compensation" for the annulment of partition, the British gave the city a newly formed university in the 1920s. The University of Dhaka was initially modelled on
19581-425: The fall of the last major town in Bengali hands in mid-May. The total number of people killed in East Pakistan is not known with any degree of accuracy. Bangladeshi authorities claim that 3 million people were killed, while the Hamoodur Rahman Commission , an official Pakistani Government investigation, put the figure as low as 26,000 civilian casualties. In her widely discredited book Dead Reckoning: Memories of
19764-571: The field, but long-term planning was curtailed. This conflict widened into the Bangladesh Liberation War in December and concluded with the creation of Bangladesh. This was one of the first times that a natural event helped trigger a civil war. A planned military pacification carried out by the Pakistan Army —codenamed Operation Searchlight —started on 25 March 1971 to curb the Bengali independence movement by taking control of
19947-554: The first full-length silent movies in Dhaka during the 1920s, including Sukumari and The Last Kiss . DEVCO, a subsidiary of the Occtavian Steel Company, began widescale power distribution in 1930. The Tejgaon Airport was constructed during World War II as a base for Allied Forces . The Dhaka Medical College was established in 1946. At the time of the partition of India, many rich Hindu families relocated to West Bengal. Their properties were seized by
20130-593: The geopolitical landscape of South Asia, with the emergence of Bangladesh as the world's seventh-most populous country. Due to complex regional alliances, the war was a major episode in Cold War tensions involving the United States, the Soviet Union and China. The majority of member states in the United Nations recognised Bangladesh as a sovereign nation in 1972. Before the Partition of British India ,
20313-537: The heavily Hindu-dominated city of Calcutta. In 1906, the All India Muslim League was founded in the city during a conference on liberal education hosted by the Nawab of Dhaka and the Aga Khan III . The Muslim population in Dhaka and eastern Bengal generally favoured partition in the hopes of getting better jobs and educational opportunities. Many Bengalis, however, opposed the bifurcation of
20496-433: The imposition of a 75% tax on the export of cotton from Bengal, as well as the surge in imports of cheap, British-manufactured fabrics after the advent of the spinning mule and steam power. The rapid growth of the colonial capital Calcutta contributed to the decline in Dhaka's population and economy in the early 1800s. In 1824, an Anglican bishop described Dhaka as a "city of magnificent ruins". Dhaka hosted factories of
20679-583: The independence of Bangladesh following severe pressure from the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation . The United States had been a major sponsor of President Yahya's military government. American journalist Gary Bass notes in The Blood Telegram: Nixon, Kissinger, and a Forgotten Genocide , "Nixon liked very few people, but he did like General Agha Muhammad Yahya Khan." Personal initiatives of President Yahya had helped to establish
20862-433: The intangible cultural heritage of humanity. The city has produced many writers and poets in several languages, especially in Bengali and English. The origins of the name Dhaka are uncertain. It may derive from the dhak tree, which was once common in the area, or from Dhakeshwari , the 'patron Hindu goddess' of the region. Another popular theory states that Dhaka refers to a membranophone instrument, dhak which
21045-674: The internal resistance movement linked to the Indo-Pakistani War. ‡ indicates events in the Indo-Pakistani War linked to the internal resistance movement in Bangladesh. The Bangladesh Liberation War ( Bengali : মুক্তিযুদ্ধ , pronounced [mukt̪iɟud̪d̪ʱo] ), also known as the Bangladesh War of Independence and known as the Liberation War in Bangladesh , was an armed conflict sparked by
21228-498: The land, which is flat and close to sea level. This leaves Dhaka susceptible to flooding during the monsoon seasons owing to heavy rainfall and cyclones . Due to its location on the lowland plain of the Ganges Delta, the city is fringed by extensive mangroves and tidal flat ecosystems. Dhaka District is bounded by the districts of Gazipur , Tangail , Munshiganj , Rajbari , Narayanganj , and Manikganj . The city of Dhaka
21411-630: The landscape) gardens. Once upon a time, this was the new city; and even though it is today far from the ritziest part of town, the streets here are still wider and the trees more abundant and the greenery more evident than in any other part". Some of the early educational institutions established during the period of British rule include the Dhaka College , the Dhaka Medical School , the Eden College , St. Gregory's School ,
21594-408: The larger population, West Pakistan dominated the divided country politically and received more money from the common budget. East Pakistan was already economically disadvantaged at the time of Pakistan's creation yet this economic disparity only increased under Pakistani rule. Factors included not only the deliberate state discrimination in developmental policies but also the fact that the presence of
21777-738: The late 1970s. In the 1980s, Dhaka saw the inauguration of the National Parliament House (which won the Aga Khan Award for Architecture ), a new international airport and the Bangladesh National Museum . Bangladesh pioneered the formation of the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) and hosted its first summit in Dhaka in 1985. A mass uprising in 1990 led to the return of parliamentary democracy . Dhaka hosted
21960-475: The leader of the Pakistan People's Party , refused to allow Rahman to become the Prime Minister of Pakistan. Instead, he proposed the idea of having two Prime Ministers, one for each wing. The proposal elicited outrage in the east wing, already chafing under the other constitutional innovation, the "One Unit scheme". Bhutto also refused to accept Rahman's Six Points . On 3 March 1971, the two leaders of
22143-549: The legislative capital of Pakistan in 1962. In 1971, following the Liberation War , it became the capital of independent Bangladesh. In 2008, Dhaka celebrated 400 years as a municipal city. A gamma+ global city , Dhaka is the centre of political, economic and cultural life in Bangladesh. It is the seat of the Government of Bangladesh , many Bangladeshi companies , and leading Bangladeshi educational, scientific, research, and cultural organizations. Since its establishment as
22326-684: The local populace. Members of the Pakistani military and supporting militias engaged in mass murder, deportation and genocidal rape , pursuing a systematic campaign of annihilation against nationalist Bengali civilians, students, intelligentsia , religious minorities and armed personnel. The capital, Dhaka , was the scene of numerous massacres, including the Dhaka University massacre . Sectarian violence also broke out between Bengalis and Urdu-speaking Biharis . An estimated 10 million Bengali refugees fled to neighbouring India, while 30 million were internally displaced. The war changed
22509-469: The major cities on 26 March, and then eliminating all opposition, political or military, within one month. The Pakistani state used anti-Bihari violence by Bengalis in early March to justify Operation Searchlight. Before the beginning of the operation, all foreign journalists were systematically deported from East Pakistan. The main phase of Operation Searchlight ended with the fall of the last major town in Bengali hands in mid-May. The operation also began
22692-642: The mercantile networks of the British Empire . With the dawn of the Industrial Revolution in Britain , Dhaka became a leading centre of the jute trade , as Bengal accounted for the largest share of the world's jute production. But the British neglected Dhaka's industrial and urban development until the late 19th century. Income from the pre-colonial, proto-industrialized textile industry dried up. Bengali weavers went out of business after
22875-412: The most polluted rivers in the country. Dhaka is located in central Bangladesh at 23°42′N 90°22′E / 23.700°N 90.367°E / 23.700; 90.367 , on the eastern banks of the Buriganga River . The city lies on the lower reaches of the Ganges Delta and covers a total area of 270 square kilometres (100 sq mi). Tropical vegetation and moist soils characterize
23058-550: The north, and Balu and Sitalakhya in the east—which support trade, transport, and stormwater drainage. However, the current state of the water quality of the river network is very poor, due to the discharge of untreated wastewater from households and industries. There are several lakes within the city, such as Crescent Lake, Dhanmondi Lake, Baridhara - Gulshan Lake , Banani lake , Uttara Lake, Hatirjheel-Begunbari Lake, 300 Feet Road Prionty lake, Ramna lake. Increasing air and water pollution affects public health and
23241-426: The official birth of two states, Pakistan and India, giving presumably permanent homes for Muslims and Hindus, respectively, after the British departed. The Dominion of Pakistan comprised two geographically and culturally separate areas to the east and the west, with India in between. The western zone was popularly (and, for a period, also officially) termed West Pakistan and the eastern zone (modern-day Bangladesh)
23424-532: The points." Jayakar pointed out that Gandhi listened to Nixon "without a single comment, creating an impregnable space so that no real contact was possible." She also refrained from assuring Nixon that India would follow Pakistan's suit if it withdrew from India's borders. As a result, the main agenda was "dropped altogether." On 3 December 1971, Yahya preemptively attacked the Indian Air Force and Gandhi retaliated, pushing into East Pakistan. Nixon issued
23607-521: The positive results that it might have yielded if withdrawn earlier. Yahya also made an attempt to accommodate the East Pakistanis by abolishing the principle of parity, in the hope that a greater share in the assembly would redress their wounded ethnic regional pride and ensure the integrity of Pakistan. Instead of satisfying the Bengalis , it intensified their vocalness for separatism, causing
23790-490: The pre-partition standards. The economy began to industrialize. On the outskirts of the city, the world's largest jute mill was built. The mill produced jute goods which were in high demand during the Korean War . People began building duplex houses. In 1961, Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip witnessed the improved living standards of Dhaka's residents. The Intercontinental hotel , designed by William B. Tabler ,
23973-460: The problem of disparity in the allocation of resources" between the two wings, and noted that the loss of direct US military aid meant "Pakistan had had to cut back resources devoted to the development budget in order to finance the procurement of military equipment." In 1971, Yahya conceded that he had failed to improve the national economy, “I inherited a bad economy, and I am going to pass it on,” he noted. The military government-initiated talks with
24156-405: The quality of life in the city. The air pollution is caused for example by vehicle traffic and congestion. Also, due to the unregulated manufacturing of bricks and other causes, Dhaka has very high levels of fine particulate matter ( PM2.5 ) air pollution. Water pollution is caused by the discharge of municipal wastewater from households and industry without treatment. As of 2011 only 20% of
24339-580: The removal of Bengali script from currency and stamps, which were in place since the British Raj . The movement reached its climax in 1952, when on 21 February, the police fired on protesting students and civilians, causing several deaths. The day is revered in Bangladesh as the Language Movement Day . In memory of the deaths, UNESCO declared 21 February International Mother Language Day in November 1999. Although, East Pakistan had
24522-528: The residential style of the University of Oxford . It became known as the Oxford of the East because of its residential character. Like Oxford, students in Dhaka were affiliated with their halls of residence instead of their academic departments (this system was dropped after 1947 and students are now affiliated with academic departments). The university's faculty included scientist Satyendra Nath Bose (who
24705-554: The revolt by making concessions to opposition groups including the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) and the Awami League (AL), but demonstrations continued. Rather than resigning and allowing a constitutional transfer of power, Ayub Khan requested that Yahya Khan, Commander-in-Chief of the Army, utilize the military's supra-constitutional authority to declare martial law and take power. On 24 March 1969, Ayub directed
24888-543: The rise of the Bengali nationalist and self-determination movement in East Pakistan , which resulted in the independence of Bangladesh . The war began when the Pakistani military junta based in West Pakistan —under the orders of Yahya Khan —launched Operation Searchlight against East Pakistanis on the night of 25 March 1971, initiating the Bangladesh genocide . In response to the violence, members of
25071-644: The rivers surrounding Dhaka—Buriganaga, Sitalakhya, Balu and Turag—are so polluted that they have been declared as ecologically critical areas in 2009 by the Department of Environment. This makes them unsuitable for any human use. Nevertheless, people living in low-income and slum areas still have a lot of direct contact with river water, exposing them to health risks. They use river water for dish washing, laundry, cleaning fish and vegetables, and personal washing, washing and dyeing denim , washing fish baskets or plastic sheets, collecting plastic waste and fishing. As
25254-479: The same time as a local high tide , killing an estimated 300,000 people. A 2017 World Meteorological Organization panel considers it the deadliest tropical cyclone since at least 1873. A week after the landfall, President Khan conceded that his government had made "slips" and "mistakes" in its handling of the relief efforts due to a lack of understanding of the magnitude of the disaster. A statement released by eleven political leaders in East Pakistan ten days after
25437-453: The sons of Mughal emperors. The pre-colonial city's glory peaked in the 17th and 18th centuries, when it was home to merchants from across Eurasia . The Port of Dhaka was a major trading post for both riverine and seaborne trade. The Mughals decorated the city with well-laid gardens, tombs, mosques, palaces, and forts. The city was once called the Venice of the East . Under British rule ,
25620-464: The state of Bangladesh on 26 March 1971 . Most Bengalis supported this move, although some Islamists and Biharis opposed it and sided with the Pakistan Army instead. Pakistani President Agha Muhammad Yahya Khan ordered the Pakistani military to restore the Pakistani government's authority, beginning the civil war. The war led a substantial number of refugees (estimated at the time to be about 10 million) to flood India's eastern provinces . Facing
25803-719: The state under laws that eventually became known as the Vested Property Act . The development of the "real city" began after the partition of India . After partition, Dhaka became known as the second capital of Pakistan . This was formalized in 1962 when Ayub Khan declared the city as the legislative capital under the 1962 constitution . New neighbourhoods began to spring up in formerly barren and agrarian areas. These included Dhanmondi (rice granary), Katabon (thorn forest), Kathalbagan (jackfruit grove), Kalabagan (banana grove), Segunbagicha (teak grove) and Gulshan (flower garden). Living standards rapidly improved from
25986-533: The station and also read the Declaration on 27 March 1971. He broadcast the announcement of the declaration of independence on behalf of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman: This is Swadhin Bangla Betar Kendra. I, Major Ziaur Rahman, at the direction of Bangobondhu Mujibur Rahman, hereby declare that Independent People's Republic of Bangladesh has been established. At his direction, I have taken the command as
26169-406: The summer retreat of the administration. Lieutenant Governors were in charge of the province. They resided in Dhaka. The Lt Governors included Sir Bampfylde Fuller (1905-1906), Sir Lancelot Hare (1906-1911), and Sir Charles Stuart Bayley (1911-1912). Their legacy lives on in the names of three major thoroughfares in modern Dhaka, including Hare Road, Bayley Road , and Fuller Road. The period saw
26352-631: The temporary Head of the Republic. In the name of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, I call upon all Bengalees to rise against the attack by the West Pakistani Army. We shall fight to the last to free our motherland. Victory is, by the Grace of Allah, ours. Joy Bangla. The Kalurghat Radio Station's transmission capability was limited, but the message was picked up by a Japanese ship in the Bay of Bengal . It
26535-591: The third attempt. Yahya Khan served in World War II as a lieutenant and later captain in the 4th Infantry Division (India) . He served in Iraq , Italy and North Africa. He was a POW in Italy before returning to India. After the partition of India , he decided to join the Pakistan Army in 1947, he had already reached to the rank of major (acting lieutenant-colonel). In this year he was instrumental in not letting
26718-463: The two most easterly branches of the Indo-European languages . Bengali speakers constituted over 56% of Pakistan's population. The government stand was widely viewed as an attempt to suppress the culture of the eastern wing. The people of East Bengal demanded that their language be given federal status alongside Urdu and English. The Language Movement began in 1948, as civil society protested
26901-568: The two wings along with the President General Yahya Khan met in Dacca to decide the fate of the country. After their discussions yielded no satisfactory results, Sheikh Mujibur Rahman called for a nationwide strike . Bhutto feared a civil war, therefore, he sent his trusted companion, Mubashir Hassan . A message was conveyed, and Rahman decided to meet Bhutto. Upon his arrival, Rahman met with Bhutto and both agreed to form
27084-417: The ugly political reality: the Pakistani electorate was deeply polarized along regional lines, particularly between East Pakistan and West Pakistan. As a result, Pakistan stood politically divided. A series of bilateral talks between the PPP and Mujibur Rahman produced no results and were unable to come to an agreement regarding any transfer of power from West Pakistan's representatives to East Pakistan's, on
27267-403: The violence focused on the provincial capital, Dacca, it also affected all parts of East Pakistan. Residential halls of the University of Dacca were particularly targeted. The only Hindu residential hall— Jagannath Hall —was destroyed by the Pakistani armed forces, and an estimated 600 to 700 of its residents were murdered. The Pakistani army denied any cold-blooded killings at the university, but
27450-431: The war had started, the United States had imposed an embargo on military aid to both India and Pakistan. This embargo did not affect the Indian Army but produced major changes in the Pakistan Army's technical composition. US Secretary of State Dean Rusk well summed it up when he said, "Well if you are going to fight, go ahead and fight, but we're not going to pay for it". Pakistan now turned to China for military aid, and
27633-467: The war. It helped turn world opinion against Pakistan and encouraged India to play a decisive role", with Indian Prime Minister Indira Gandhi saying that Mascarenhas' article led her "to prepare the ground for India's armed intervention". Sheikh Mujibur Rahman was arrested by the Pakistani Army. Yahya Khan appointed Brigadier (later General) Rahimuddin Khan to preside over a special tribunal prosecuting Rahman with multiple charges. The tribunal's sentence
27816-559: The world with a density of 23,234 people per square kilometer within a total area of approximately 300 square kilometers. Dhaka is a megacity , and has a population of 10.2 million residents as of 2024, and a population of over 23.9 million residents in Dhaka Metropolitan Area . It is widely considered to be the most densely populated built-up urban area in the world. Dhaka is the most important cultural, economic, and scientific hub of Eastern South Asia , as well as
27999-468: Was Gour . Even earlier capitals included Pandua , Bikrampur and Sonargaon. The latter was also the seat of Isa Khan and his son Musa Khan , who both headed a confederation of twelve chieftains that resisted Mughal expansion in eastern Bengal during the late 16th century. Due to a change in the course of the Ganges, the strategic importance of Gour was lost. Dhaka was viewed with strategic importance due to
28182-791: Was East Pakistan and now Bangladesh) and also push for the Islamization of the Constitution . More generally, Yahya used the intelligence services (the ISI and the IB ) "to keep secular political parties under check", mobilizing the Information Ministry for propaganda and pushing the idea that they put "Islam and Pakistan in danger." Towards the end of his life, during and following his imprisonment, Yahya slowly abandoned drinking altogether as he "turned extremely religious." Yahya
28365-456: Was almost exclusively Muslim and was dominated by the Punjabi - Pashtun - Mohajir peoples, and East Pakistan , whose population was largely ethnically Bengali and approximately three-fourths Muslim (as of the 1961 Census). In addition, Yahya also inherited the challenge of transforming a country essentially ruled by one man into a democratic country, which was the ideological basis of the anti-Ayub movement of 1968–69. Once in office, Yahya Khan
28548-410: Was considered the chief architect of the 1971 Bangladesh genocide . Khan was commissioned into the British Indian Army in 1939. He fought in the Second World War in the Mediterranean theatre and was promoted to major (acting lieutenant-colonel). Following the creation of Pakistan in 1947, he advanced in the Pakistan Army . During the Second India–Pakistan War of 1965, Khan helped in executing
28731-416: Was declared the national capital by the Constituent Assembly of Bangladesh in 1972. The post-independence period witnessed rapid growth as Dhaka attracted migrant workers from across rural Bangladesh . 60% of population growth has been due to rural migration. The city endured socialist unrest in the early 1970s, followed by a few years of martial law . The stock exchange and free market were restored in
28914-434: Was dissolved, and Ayub's civilian officials were dismissed. In his first nationwide address, Yahya maintained, "I will not tolerate disorder. Let everyone remain at his post." Yahya Khan's new military government featured several active duty military officials: When Yahya Khan assumed the office on 25 March, he inherited a two-decade constitutional problem of inter-provincial ethnic rivalry between West Pakistan , which
29097-533: Was established in 1956 to coordinate the city's development. The first master plan for the city was drawn up in 1959. The Southeast Asia Treaty Organization established a medical research centre (now called ICDDR,B ) in the city in 1960. The early period of political turbulence was seen between 1947 and 1952, particularly the Bengali Language Movement . From the mid-1960s, the Awami League's 6-point autonomy demands began giving rise to pro-independence aspirations across East Pakistan . In 1969, Sheikh Mujibur Rahman
29280-404: Was established secular. After the liberation victory, the Awami League attempted to build a secular order and the pro-Pakistan Islamist parties were barred from political participation. The majority of East Pakistani ulama had either remained neutral or supported the Pakistani state, since they felt that the break-up of Pakistan would be detrimental for Islam. Although East Pakistan accounted for
29463-440: Was home to an array of Mughal bureaucrats and military officials, as well as members of the imperial family. The city was guarded by Mughal artillery like the Bibi Mariam Cannon (Lady Mary Cannon). Islam Khan I was the first Mughal governor to reside in the city. Khan named it "Jahangirnagar" ( The City of Jahangir ) in honour of the Emperor Jahangir. The name was dropped soon after the English conquered. The main expansion of
29646-410: Was ignored by the ruling (West Pakistani) establishment, rising political discontent and cultural nationalism in East Pakistan was met by brutal and suppressive force from the ruling elite of the West Pakistan establishment, in what came to be termed Operation Searchlight . The Pakistan Army's violent crackdown led to Awami League leader Sheikh Mujibur Rahman declaring East Pakistan's independence as
29829-452: Was initially termed East Bengal and later East Pakistan. Although the two zones' population was close to equal, political power was concentrated in West Pakistan, and it was widely perceived that East Pakistan was being exploited economically, leading to many grievances. Administration of two discontinuous territories was also seen as a challenge. On 25 March 1971, after an election won by an East Pakistani political party (the Awami League )
30012-440: Was intended to be the viceregal residence of Mughal governors in eastern India. Before the fort's construction could be completed, the prince was recalled by Emperor Aurangzeb. The fort's construction was halted by Shaista Khan after the death of his daughter Pari Bibi , who is buried in a tomb in the centre of the unfinished fort. Pari Bibi, whose name means Fairy Lady , was legendary for her beauty, engaged to Prince Azam Shah, and
30195-439: Was involved in the city's textile trade, paying a 3.5% tax. The Armenians were very active in the city's social life. They opened the Pogose School . Marwaris were the Hindu trading community. Dhaka also became home to Jews and Greeks. The city has a Greek memorial . Several families of Dhaka's elite spoke Urdu and included Urdu poets. Persians also settled in the city to serve as administrators and military commanders of
30378-457: Was known as Bengal Subah . The city was founded during the reign of Emperor Jahangir . Emperor Shah Jahan visited Dhaka in 1624 and stayed in the city for a week, four years before he became emperor in 1628. Dhaka became one of the richest and greatest cities in the world during the early period of Bengal Subah (1610-1717). The prosperity of Dhaka reached its peak during the administration of governor Shaista Khan (1644-1677 and 1680–1688). Rice
30561-444: Was later antedated to 28 August 1938. An infantry officer from the 4th/10th Baluch Regiment ( 4th Battalion of 10th Baluch Regiment , later amalgamated with the modern and current form of Baloch Regiment , 'Baloch' was spelled as 'Baluch' in Yahya's time), Yahya saw action during World War II in North Africa where he was captured by the Axis Forces in June 1942 and interned in a prisoner of war camp in Italy from where he escaped in
30744-469: Was never made public, but Yahya caused the verdict to be held in abeyance in any case. Other Awami League leaders were arrested as well, while a few fled Dacca to avoid arrest. The Awami League was banned by General Yahya Khan. The violence unleashed by the Pakistani forces on 25 March 1971 proved the last straw to the efforts to negotiate a settlement. Following these incidents, Sheikh Mujibur Rahman signed an official declaration that read: Today, Bangladesh
30927-494: Was opened in 1966. Estonian-American architect Louis I. Kahn was enlisted to design the Dhaka Assembly, which was originally intended to be the federal parliament of Pakistan and later became independent Bangladesh's parliament. The East Pakistan Helicopter Service connected the city to regional towns. The Dhaka Stock Exchange was opened on 28 April 1954. The first local airline Orient Airways began flights between Dhaka and Karachi on 6 June 1954. The Dhaka Improvement Trust
31110-400: Was originally from Peshawar . Yahya studied in the prestigious Colonel Brown Cambridge School in Dehradun and later enrolled at the University of the Punjab in Lahore , from where he graduated with a B.A. degree, finishing first in his class. Yahya Khan was commissioned into the British Indian Army from the Indian Military Academy , Dehradun on 15 July 1939, his date of commission
31293-418: Was played by order of Subahdar Islam Khan I during the inauguration of the Bengal capital in 1610. Some references also say it was derived from a Prakrit dialect called Dhaka Bhasa; or Dhakka, used in the Rajtarangini for a watch station; or it is the same as Davaka, mentioned in the Allahabad pillar inscription of Samudragupta as an eastern frontier kingdom. According to Rajatarangini written by
31476-405: Was posted in Chakwal, Punjab, British India, when Yahya Khan was born. He was rewarded with the title of Khan Sahib for having removed the bodies of many freedom fighters, including Bhaghat Singh , as they were executed in secrecy and the British needed to get rid of the corpses without attracting much attention, operations Saadat Ali Khan carried out "efficiently and faithfully." Yahya's father
31659-578: Was regarded as the leading cause of the breakup of Pakistan. He is viewed negatively in both Bangladesh, being considered the chief-architect of the genocide, and in Pakistan. Agha Muhammad Yahya Khan was born in Chakwal , Punjab , British India , in a Qizilbash family on 4 February 1917, according to the references written by Russian sources. His family descended from the elite soldier class of Iranian conqueror Nader Shah . Yahya Khan spoke Persian . He and his family were of Pashtun origin. Few Pakistanis knew anything about Yahya Khan when he
31842-446: Was released from prison amid a mass upsurge which led to the resignation of Ayub Khan in 1970. The city had an influential press with prominent newspapers like the Pakistan Observer , Ittefaq , Forum , and the Weekly Holiday . During the political and constitutional crisis in 1971, the military junta led by Yahya Khan refused to transfer power to the newly elected National Assembly, causing mass riots, civil disobedience, and
32025-419: Was required. Three more infantry divisions (9, 16 and 17 Divisions) largely equipped with Chinese equipment and popularly referred to by the rank and file as "The China Divisions" were raised by the beginning of 1968. Two more corps headquarters: the 2 Corps Headquarters (Jhelum-Ravi Corridor) and the 4 Corps Headquarters (Ravi-Sutlej Corridor) were raised, also in East Pakistan a corps-sized formation (which
32208-560: Was screened on the Riverfront Crown Theatre on 17 April 1898. The film show was organized by the Bedford Bioscope Company. The electricity supply began in 1901. This period is described as being "the colonial-era part of Dhaka, developed by the British during the early 20th century. Similar to colonial boroughs the length and breadth of the Subcontinent, this development was typified by stately government buildings, spacious tree-lined avenues, and sturdy white-washed bungalows set amidst always overgrown (the British never did manage to fully tame
32391-493: Was tasked with leading the country, drafting of a provisional constitution, resolving the One Unit question, and satisfying the frustrations and the sense of exploitation stirring in the "East Wing" (East Pakistan) by government policies since 1948. The American political scientist Lawrence Ziring observed: Yahya Khan has been widely portrayed as a ruthless uncompromising insensitive and grossly inept leader.... While Yahya cannot escape responsibility for these tragic events, it
32574-412: Was then re-transmitted by Radio Australia and later by the BBC. Yahya Khan Agha Muhammad Yahya Khan (4 February 1917 – 10 August 1980), widely known as Yahya Khan , was a Pakistani army officer, who was the third president of Pakistan from 1969 to 1971. He also served as the fifth commander-in-chief of the Pakistan Army from 1966 to 1971. Along with General Tikka Khan , he
32757-860: Was then sold at eight maunds per rupee. Thomas Bowrey, an English merchant sailor who visited the city between 1669 and 1670, wrote that the city was 40 miles in circuit. He estimated the city to be more populated than London with 900,000 people. Bengal became the economic engine of the Mughal Empire. Dhaka played a key role in the proto-industrialization of Bengal. It was the centre of the muslin trade in Bengal , leading to muslin being called "daka" in distant markets as far away as Central Asia . Mughal India depended on Bengali products like rice, silk and cotton textiles. European East India Companies from Britain, Holland, France, and Denmark also depended on Bengali products. Bengal accounted for 40% of Dutch imports from Asia, with many products being sold to Dutch ships in Bengali harbours and then transported to Batavia in
32940-412: Was titled as the Eastern Command ) was created. A sustained anti-regime mass movement began in the fall of 1968 in West Pakistan. The uprising spread to East Pakistan and gathered strength, adding to a tense political climate that had worsened following President Ayub Khan 's implementation of the 1966 Tashkent Agreement and sacking of Foreign Minister Zulfikar Ali Bhutto . Ayub Khan tried to quell
33123-415: Was translated into Bengali by Manjula Anwar. The students failed to secure permission from higher authorities to broadcast the message from the nearby Agrabad Station of Pakistan Broadcasting Corporation , but the message was read several times by the independent Swadhin Bangla Betar Kendro Radio established by rebel Bangali Radio workers in Kalurghat. Major Ziaur Rahman was requested to provide security for
33306-446: Was unacceptable to the West Pakistani elite, who believed that it had assimilated considerable Hindu cultural influences. West Pakistanis, in an attempt to "Islamise" the East, wanted the Bengalis to adopt Urdu. The activities of the language movement nurtured a sentiment among Bengalis in favour of discarding Pakistan's communalism in favour of secular politics. The Awami League began propagating its secular message through its newspaper to
33489-403: Was vaulted into the presidency two years ago. The stocky, bushy–browed Pathan had been the army chief of staff since 1966... According to Indian journalist Dewan Barindranath's book Private Life of Yahya Khan (published in 1974), Yahya's father, Saadat Ali Khan, worked in the Indian Imperial Police , in the Punjab province. He joined as a head constable and retired as a deputy superintendent. He
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