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88-793: Government Printing Press traces its origin to the Central Press established in 1953 by government of East Pakistan . Created as a department under the Ministry of Industries, it operated under the name of Printing Corporation of Pakistan Press, Dhaka branch. In 1971, after the Independence of Bangladesh it became the Government Printing Press. The press has a football team in the Third Division Football League of Bangladesh. On 10 July 2010,

176-544: A large-scale U.S. military intervention in the region during the Vietnam War (1955–1975). Despite its name, SEATO mostly included countries located outside of the region but with an interest either in the region or the organization itself. They were Australia (which administered Papua New Guinea , until 1975), France (which had recently relinquished French Indochina , by 1955), New Zealand , Pakistan (which, until 1971, included East Pakistan , now Bangladesh ),

264-434: A "revolution to clean up the mess of black marketing and corruption". Khan replaced Mirza as president and became the country's strongman for eleven years. Martial law continued until 1962 when the government of Field Marshal Ayub Khan commissioned a constitutional bench under Chief Justice of Pakistan Muhammad Shahabuddin, composed of ten senior justices, each five from East Pakistan and five from West Pakistan. On 6 May 1961,

352-541: A Bengali bureaucrat Iskander Mirza became the first President of Pakistan . The 1958 Pakistani coup d'état brought general Ayub Khan to power. Khan replaced Mirza as president and launched a crackdown against pro-democracy leaders. Khan enacted the Constitution of Pakistan of 1962 which ended universal suffrage. By 1966, Sheikh Mujibur Rahman emerged as the preeminent opposition leader in Pakistan and launched

440-733: A crackdown on 26 March whose purpose was to curb the resistance, some of these operations include Operation Searchlight and the 1971 Dhaka University massacre . This led to the Bangladeshi Declaration of Independence . As the Bangladesh Liberation War and the 1971 Bangladesh genocide continued for nine months, East Pakistani military units like the East Bengal Regiment and the East Pakistan Rifles defected and formed

528-664: A government under the Westminster tradition. But the League failed to win a single seat in West Pakistan, where the Pakistan Peoples Party emerged as the single largest party with 81 seats. The military junta stalled the transfer of power and conducted prolonged negotiations with the League. A civil disobedience movement erupted across East Pakistan demanding the convening of parliament. Rahman announced

616-658: A major share of exports. However, President Ayub Khan did implement significant industrialisation in East Pakistan. The Kaptai Dam was built in 1965. The Eastern Refinery was established in Chittagong . Dacca was declared as the second capital of Pakistan and planned as the home of the national parliament. The government recruited American architect Louis Kahn to design the national assembly complex in Dacca . In 1955, Prime Minister Mohammad Ali Bogra implemented

704-748: A member upon the discovery of the newly founded "Thai Autonomous Region" in Yunnan (the Xishuangbanna Dai Autonomous Prefecture in South West China ) – apparently feeling threatened by potential Maoist subversion on its land. Other regional countries like Burma and Indonesia were far more mindful of domestic internal stability rather than any communist threat, and thus rejected joining it. Malaya (independence in 1957; including Singapore between 1963 and 1965) also chose not to participate formally, though it

792-789: A mid-1950s combination of anti-communist Western states and such states in Southeast Asia. The United Kingdom, France and the United States, the latter of which joined after the U.S. Senate ratified the treaty by an 82–1 vote, represented the strongest Western powers. Canada also considered joining, but decided against it in order to concentrate on its NATO responsibilities with its limited defense capabilities. Average of contributions to civil and military budgets between 1958 and 1973: Secretaries-General of SEATO: After its creation, SEATO quickly became insignificant militarily, as most of its member nations contributed very little to

880-405: A series of major labour strikes against the economic policies of Suhrawardy were supported by the elite business community and the private sector. Furthermore, in order to divert attention from the controversial One Unit Program, Prime Minister Suhrawardy tried to end the crisis by calling a small group of investors to set up small businesses in the country. Despite many initiatives and holding off

968-604: A staff member of Government Printing Press and another of Bangladesh Government Press were arrested for leaking recruitment question papers of teachers in Rangpur. The leak was investigated by the Special Branch of Bangladesh Police. This article about a Bangladeshi organisation is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . East Pakistan East Pakistan was the eastern province of Pakistan between 1955 and 1971, restructured and renamed from

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1056-526: A struggle for independence from Pakistan during a speech on 7 March 1971 and called for a non-cooperation movement from the Bengali populace. Between 7–26 March, East Pakistan was virtually under the popular control of the Awami League. On Pakistan's Republic Day on 23 March 1971, the first flag of Bangladesh was hoisted in many East Pakistani households. Pakistan Army was ordered to immediately launch

1144-548: A system dubbed 'Basic Democracy'. Under the system, an electoral college would be responsible for electing the president and national assembly. The 1962 constitution created a gubernatorial system in West and East Pakistan. Each province ran its own separate provincial gubernatorial governments. The constitution defined a division of powers between the central government and the provinces. Fatima Jinnah received strong support in East Pakistan during her failed bid to unseat Ayub Khan in

1232-554: The 1965 presidential election . Dacca was declared as the second capital of Pakistan in 1962. It was designated as the legislative capital and Louis Kahn was tasked with designing a national assembly complex . Dacca's population increased in the 1960s. Seven natural gas fields were tapped in the province. The petroleum industry developed as the Eastern Refinery was established in the port city of Chittagong. In 1966, Awami League leader Sheikh Mujibur Rahman announced

1320-742: The Bangladesh Forces . The Provisional Government of Bangladesh allied with neighbouring India which intervened in the final two weeks of the war and secured the surrender of Pakistan's eastern command . With Ayub Khan ousted from office in 1969, Commander of the Pakistani Army, General Yahya Khan became the country's second ruling chief martial law administrator. Both Bhutto and Mujib strongly disliked General Khan, but patiently endured him and his government as he had promised to hold an election in 1970. During this time, strong nationalistic sentiments in East Pakistan were perceived by

1408-715: The British Parliament , at one point interrupting a parliamentary debate between Foreign Secretary Anthony Eden and Leader of the Opposition Clement Attlee to excoriate them both for considering the idea. Prince Norodom Sihanouk of Cambodia reported that Foster Dulles went to great efforts to convince him to join SEATO; however, he refused because "I considered SEATO an aggressive military alliance directed against neighbors whose ideology I did not share but with whom Cambodia had no quarrel". In

1496-698: The Eastern Refinery in Chittagong. The Comilla Model of the Pakistan Academy for Rural Development (present-day Bangladesh Academy for Rural Development ) was conceived by Akhtar Hameed Khan and replicated in many developing countries. In 1965, Pakistan implemented the Kaptai Dam hydroelectric project in the southeastern part of East Pakistan with American assistance. It was the sole hydroelectric dam in East Pakistan. The project

1584-510: The One Unit scheme which merged the four western provinces into a single unit called West Pakistan while East Bengal was renamed as East Pakistan. Pakistan ended its dominion status and adopted a republican constitution in 1956, which proclaimed an Islamic republic. The populist leader H. S. Suhrawardy of East Pakistan was appointed prime minister of Pakistan. As soon as he became the prime minister, Suhrawardy initiated legal work reviving

1672-479: The Pakistan Navy , had previously served as political and military adviser of East Pakistan to former President Ayub Khan. Having such a strong background in administration, and being an expert on East Pakistan affairs, General Yahya Khan appointed Vice-Admiral Syed Mohammad Ahsan as Martial Law Administrator , with absolute authority in his command. He was relieved as naval chief and received an extension from

1760-687: The People's Republic of China . His contribution in formulating the 1956 constitution of Pakistan was substantial as he played a vital role in incorporating provisions for civil liberties and universal adult franchise in line with his adherence to the parliamentary form of liberal democracy. In 1958, President Iskandar Mirza enacted martial law as part of a military coup by the Pakistan Army 's chief Ayub Khan . Roughly after two weeks, President Mirza's relations with Pakistan Armed Forces deteriorated leading Army Commander General Ayub Khan relieving

1848-622: The Philippines , Thailand , the United Kingdom (which administered Hong Kong , North Borneo and Sarawak ) and the United States . The Philippines and Thailand were the only Southeast Asian countries that actually participated in the organization. They shared close ties with the United States, particularly the Philippines , and they faced incipient communist insurgencies against their own governments. Thailand became

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1936-818: The Royal Australian Air Force deployed CAC Sabres of its No. 79 Squadron to Ubon Royal Thai Air Force Base , Thailand. The Sabres began to play a role in the Vietnam War in 1965, when their air defence responsibilities expanded to include protection of USAF aircraft using Ubon as a base for strikes against North Vietnam. In addition to joint military training, SEATO member states worked on improving mutual social and economic issues. Such activities were overseen by SEATO's Committee of Information, Culture, Education, and Labor Activities, and proved to be some of SEATO's greatest successes. In 1959, SEATO's first Secretary General, Pote Sarasin, created

2024-1006: The SEATO Graduate School of Engineering (currently the Asian Institute of Technology ) in Thailand to train engineers. SEATO also sponsored the creation of the Teacher Development Center in Bangkok, as well as the Thai Military Technical Training School, which offered technical programs for supervisors and workmen. SEATO's Skilled Labor Project (SLP) created artisan training facilities, especially in Thailand, where ninety-one training workshops were established. SEATO also provided research funding and grants in agriculture and medical fields. In 1959, SEATO set up

2112-806: The Sitara-e-Imtiaz and the Pride of Performance . Religion in Pakistan (1951 Official Census) Southeast Asia Treaty Organization The Southeast Asia Treaty Organization ( SEATO ) was an international organization for collective defense in Southeast Asia created by the Southeast Asia Collective Defense Treaty signed in September 1954 in Manila , Philippines. The formal institution of SEATO

2200-495: The six-point movement for autonomy and democracy. The 1969 uprising in East Pakistan contributed to Ayub Khan's overthrow. Another general, Yahya Khan , usurped the presidency and enacted martial law . In 1970, Yahya Khan organised Pakistan's first federal general election . The Awami League emerged as the single largest party, followed by the Pakistan Peoples Party . The military junta stalled in accepting

2288-586: The six-point movement in Lahore . The movement demanded greater provincial autonomy and the restoration of democracy in Pakistan. Rahman was indicted for treason during the Agartala Conspiracy Case after launching the six-point movement. He was later released in the 1969 uprising in East Pakistan . Ayub Khan resigned in March 1969. Below includes the historical six points: Muhammad Ayub Khan

2376-607: The world's largest delta , 700 rivers, and tropical hilly jungles. The Chittagong Division of East Pakistan was home to hill ranges and forests (mainly in the Chittagong Hill Tracts and Sylhet). The Khulna Division and parts of the Dacca and Chittagong Divisions were largely Deltaic. East Pakistan was almost entirely an alluvial plain which consists of lower course of the Padma and Jamuna. Climatically, East Pakistan

2464-551: The Adamjee family were pioneers of industrialisation in the region. Many of modern Bangladesh's leading companies were born in the East Pakistan period. An airline founded in British Bengal, Orient Airways , launched the vital air link between East and West Pakistan with DC-3 aircraft on the Dacca - Calcutta - Delhi - Karachi route. Orient Airways later evolved into Pakistan International Airlines , whose first chairman

2552-659: The Bangladesh Liberation Forces. In April 1971, Lieutenant-General Tikka Khan succeeded General Yaqub Khan as the Corps Commander. General Tikka Khan led the massive violent and massacre campaigns in the region. He is held responsible for killing hundreds of thousands of Bengali people in East Pakistan, mostly civilians and unarmed peoples. For his role, General Tikka Khan gained the title of "Butcher of Bengal". General Khan faced an international reaction against Pakistan, and therefore, General Tikka

2640-685: The Bay of Bengal until the Army reached the shore. The Indian Air Force dismantled the capability of the Pakistan Air Force in East Pakistan. Air Commodore Inamul Haque Khan , Dacca airbase's AOC, failed to offer any serious resistance to the actions of the Indian Air Force. For the most part of the war, the IAF enjoyed complete dominance in the skies over East Pakistan. On 16 December 1971,

2728-790: The Cholera Research Laboratory in Bangkok, later establishing a second Cholera Research Laboratory in Dacca , East Pakistan . The Dacca (now Dhaka) laboratory soon became the world's leading cholera research facility and was later renamed the International Centre for Diarrhoeal Disease Research, Bangladesh . SEATO was also interested in literature, and a SEATO Literature Award was created and given to writers from member states. Though Secretary of State John Foster Dulles considered SEATO an essential element in U.S. foreign policy in Asia, historians have considered

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2816-546: The Indian Navy until the end of the conflict. Admiral Shariff's effective plans made it nearly impossible for the Indian Navy to land its naval forces on the shores of East Pakistan. The Indian Navy was unable to land forces in East Pakistan and the Pakistan Navy was still offering resistance. The Indian Army , entered East Pakistan from all three directions of the province. The Indian Navy then decided to wait near

2904-596: The Manila Pact a failure, and the pact is rarely mentioned in history books. In The Geneva Conference of 1954 on Indochina , Sir James Cable , a British diplomat and naval strategist, cabled the Foreign Office and described SEATO as "a fig leaf for the nakedness of American policy", citing the Manila Pact as a "zoo of paper tigers ". As early as the 1950s Aneurin Bevan unsuccessfully tried to block SEATO in

2992-654: The NFC Award Program, Suhrawardy's political position and image deteriorated in the four provinces in West Pakistan. Many nationalist leaders and activists of the Muslim League were dismayed by the suspension of the constitutionally obliged NFC Program. His critics and Muslim League leaders observed that with the suspension of the NFC Award Program, Suhrawardy tried to give more financial allocations, aids, grants, and opportunities to East Pakistan than West Pakistan, including West Pakistan's four provinces. During

3080-861: The Pakistan Armed Forces surrendered to the joint liberation forces of Mukti Bahini and the Indian Army, headed by Lieutenant-General Jagjit Singh Arora , the General Officer Commanding-in-Chief (GOC-in-C) of the Eastern Command of the Indian Army. Lieutenant General AAK Niazi, the last corps commander of Eastern Corps , signed the Instrument of Surrender at about 4:31 pm. Over 93,000 personnel, including Lt. General Niazi and Admiral Shariff, were taken as prisoners of war . On 16 December 1971,

3168-853: The Pakistan Army. This started the nine-month long Bangladesh Liberation War in which the freedom fighters , joined in December 1971 by 400,000 Indian soldiers , faced the Pakistani Armed Forces of 365,000 plus paramilitary and collaborationist forces . An additional approximately 25,000 ill-equipped civilian volunteers and police forces also sided with the Pakistan Armed Forces. Bloody guerrilla warfare ensued in East Pakistan. The Pakistan Armed Forces were unable to counter such threats. With no intel and low morale, they performed poorly and were inexperienced in guerrilla tactics, Pakistan Armed Forces and their assets were defeated by

3256-666: The Pakistani Armed Forces and the central military government. Therefore, Khan and his military government wanted to divert the nationalistic threats and violence against non-East Pakistanis. The Eastern Command was under constant pressure from the Awami League and requested an active-duty officer to control the command under such extreme pressure. The high flag rank officers, junior officers, and many high command officers from Pakistan's Armed Forces were highly cautious about their appointment in East-Pakistan, and

3344-818: The Pakistani National Assembly and the East Pakistani provincial assembly became members of the Constituent Assembly of Bangladesh. Due to the strategic importance of East Pakistan, the Pakistani union was a member of the Southeast Asia Treaty Organization . The economy of East Pakistan grew at an average of 2.6% between 1960 and 1965. The federal government invested more funds and foreign aid in West Pakistan, even though East Pakistan generated

3432-400: The U.S. between 1952 and 1957, and as Prime Minister of Thailand from September 1957 to 1 January 1958. Unlike the NATO alliance, SEATO had no joint commands with standing forces. In addition, SEATO's response protocol in the event of communism presenting a "common danger" to the member states was vague and ineffective, though membership in the SEATO alliance did provide a rationale for

3520-401: The alliance. While SEATO military forces held joint military training, they were never deployed because of internal disagreements. SEATO was unable to intervene in conflicts in Laos because France and the United Kingdom rejected the use of military action. As a result, the U.S. provided unilateral support for Laos after 1962. Though sought by the U.S., involvement of SEATO in the Vietnam War

3608-401: The assignment of governing East Pakistan and appointment of an officer was considered highly difficult for the Pakistan High Military Command. East Pakistan's Armed Forces, under the military administrations of Major-General Muzaffaruddin and Lieutenant-General Sahabzada Yaqub Khan , used an excessive amount of show of military force to curb the uprising in the province. With such action,

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3696-416: The commission sent its draft to President Ayub Khan. He thoroughly examined the draft while consulting with his cabinet. In January 1962, the cabinet finally approved the text of the new constitution , promulgated by President Ayub Khan on 1 March 1962, which came into effect on 8 June 1962. Under the 1962 constitution, Pakistan became a presidential republic . Universal suffrage was abolished in favour of

3784-430: The constitutional right to form a government without forming a coalition with any other party. Khan invited Mujib to Rawalpindi to take the charge of the office, and negotiations took place between the military government and the Awami Party. Bhutto was shocked with the results and threatened his fellow Peoples Party members if they attended the inaugural session at the National Assembly , famously saying he would "break

3872-403: The early 1970s, the question of dissolving the organization arose. Pakistan withdrew in 1973, after East Pakistan seceded and became Bangladesh on 16 December 1971. South Vietnam was defeated in war and annexed by North Vietnam and France withdrew financial support in 1975, and the SEATO council agreed to the phasing-out of the organization. After a final exercise on 20 February 1976,

3960-433: The elite monopolist and the business community angrily refused to adhere to his policies. The business community in Karachi began its political struggle to undermine any attempts of financial distribution of the US$ 10 million ICA aid to the better part of East Pakistan and to set up a consolidated national shipping corporation. In the financial cities of West Pakistan, such as Karachi , Lahore , Quetta , and Peshawar ,

4048-534: The exportation of Bengali jute and tea. As late as 1960, approximately 70% of Pakistan's export earnings originated in East Pakistan, although this percentage declined as international demand for jute dwindled. By the mid-1960s, East Pakistan was accounting for less than 60% of the nation's export earnings, and by the time Bangladesh gained its independence in 1971, this percentage had dipped below 50%. In 1966, Mujib demanded that separate foreign exchange accounts be kept and that separate trade offices be opened overseas. By

4136-449: The following. At the time of the Partition of British India , East Bengal had a plantation economy . The Chittagong Tea Auction was established in 1949 as the region was home to the world's largest tea plantations. The East Pakistan Stock Exchange Association was established in 1954. Many wealthy Muslim immigrants from India, Burma , and former British colonies settled in East Pakistan. The Ispahani family , Africawala brothers, and

4224-502: The government sent Rear-Admiral Mohammad Shariff as Flag Officer Commanding of Eastern Naval Command (Pakistan). Admiral Shariff served as the deputy of General Niazi when doing joint military operations. However, General Niazi proved to be a failure and ineffective ruler. Therefore, General Niazi and Air Commodore Inamul Haque Khan , AOC, PAF Base Dacca, failed to launch any operation in East Pakistan against Indian or its allies. Except for Admiral Shariff who continued to keep pressure on

4312-415: The government. The tense relations 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 , (Mujib), won a landslide victory in the national elections in East Pakistan. The party won 160 of the 162 seats allotted to East Pakistan, and thus a majority of the 300 seats in the Parliament. This gave the Awami League

4400-531: The joint electorate system. There was strong opposition and resentment to the joint electorate system in West Pakistan. The Muslim League had taken the cause to the public and began calling for the implementation of a separate electorate system. In contrast to West Pakistan, the joint electorate was highly popular in East Pakistan. The tug of war with the Muslim League to establish the appropriate electorate caused problems for his government. The constitutionally obliged National Finance Commission Program (NFC Program)

4488-460: The last days of his Prime ministerial years, Suhrawardy tried to remove the economic disparity between the Eastern and Western wings of the country but to no avail. He also tried unsuccessfully to alleviate the food shortage in the country. Suhrawardy strengthened relations with the United States by reinforcing Pakistani membership in the Central Treaty Organization and the Southeast Asia Treaty Organization . Suhrawardy also promoted relations with

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4576-477: The legs" of any member of his party who dared enter and attend the session. However, fearing East Pakistani separatism, Bhutto demanded Mujib to form a coalition government. After a secret meeting held in Larkana , Mujib agreed to give Bhutto the office of the presidency with Mujib as prime minister. General Yahya Khan and his military government were kept unaware of these developments and under pressure from his own military government, refused to allow Rahman to become

4664-477: The lingering threat coming from communist North Vietnam and the possibility of the domino theory with Indochina turning into a communist frontier, SEATO got these countries under its protection – an act that would be considered to be one of the main justifications for the U.S. involvement in the Vietnam War . Cambodia, however rejected the protection in 1956. The majority of SEATO members were not located in Southeast Asia . To Australia and New Zealand, SEATO

4752-466: 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 East Pakistan's standard of living remained at an abysmally low level. Bengalis were also upset that West Pakistan, the seat of the national government, received more foreign aid. However, East Pakistan did nonetheless benefit from industrialisation and development, which

4840-453: The newly independent state Bangladesh, which means "country of Bengal " or "country of Bengalis " in Bengali language . East Pakistan was renamed from East Bengal by the One Unit Scheme of Pakistani Prime Minister Mohammad Ali of Bogra . The Constitution of Pakistan of 1956 replaced the Pakistani monarchy with an Islamic republic . Bengali politician H.S. Suhrawardy served as the Prime Minister of Pakistan between 1956 and 1957 and

4928-509: The only officers to object to the plans. When it became obvious that military action in East Pakistan was inevitable, Admiral Ahsan resigned from his position as martial law administrator in protest, and immediately flew back to Karachi , West Pakistan. Disheartened and isolated, Admiral Ahsan took early retirement from the Navy and quietly settled in Karachi. Once Operation Searchlight and Operation Barisal commenced, Air Marshal Masud flew to West Pakistan, and unlike Admiral Ahsan, tried to stop

5016-423: The pact with NATO. Organizationally, SEATO was headed by the Secretary General, whose office was created in 1957 at a meeting in Canberra , with a council of representatives from member states and an international staff. Also present were committees for economics, security, and information. SEATO's first Secretary General was Pote Sarasin , a Thai diplomat and politician who had served as Thailand's ambassador to

5104-463: The president from his presidency and forcefully exiling President Mirza to the United Kingdom. General Ayub Khan justified his actions after appearing on national radio declaring that: "the armed forces and the people demanded a clean break with the past...". Until 1962, the martial law continued while Field Marshal Ayub Khan purged a number of politicians and civil servants from the government and replaced them with military officers. Ayub called his regime

5192-537: The prime minister of Pakistan. This increased agitation for greater autonomy in East Pakistan. The military police arrested Mujib and Bhutto and placed them in Adiala Jail in Rawalpindi. The news spread like a fire in both East and West Pakistan, and the struggle for independence began in East Pakistan. The senior high command officers in Pakistan Armed Forces, and Zulfikar Ali Bhutto, began to pressure General Yahya Khan to take armed action against Mujib and his party. Bhutto later distanced himself from Yahya Khan after he

5280-423: The province of East Bengal and covering the territory of the modern country of Bangladesh . Its land borders were with India and Burma , with a coastline on the Bay of Bengal . East Pakistanis were popularly known as "Pakistani Bengalis"; to distinguish this region from India's state West Bengal (which is also known as "Indian Bengal"), East Pakistan was known as "Pakistani Bengal". In 1971, East Pakistan became

5368-480: The religions of Buddhism , Christianity and Hinduism. East Pakistan was home to immigrant Muslims from across the Indian subcontinent , including West Bengal , Bihar , Sindh , Gujarat , the Northwest Frontier Province , Assam , Orissa , the Punjab and Kerala . A small Armenian and Jewish minority resided in East Pakistan. The Asiatic Society of Pakistan was founded in Old Dacca by Ahmad Hasan Dani in 1948. The Varendra Research Museum in Rajshahi

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5456-404: The results, leading to civil disobedience, the Bangladesh Liberation War , 1971 Bangladesh genocide and persecution of Biharis . The East Pakistan Provincial Assembly was the legislative body of the territory, it was the largest provincial legislature in Pakistan and elections were held only twice in 1954 and 1970. During the Bangladesh Liberation War in 1971, most Bengali members elected to

5544-461: The situation became highly critical and civil control over the province slipped away from the government. On 24 March, dissatisfied with the performance of his generals, Yahya Khan removed General Muzaffaruddin and General Yaqub Khan from office on 1 September 1969. The appointment of a military administrator was considered quite difficult and challenging with the crisis continually deteriorating. Vice-Admiral Syed Mohammad Ahsan , Commander-in-Chief of

5632-406: The territory of East Pakistan was handed over to the Indian Army under the surrender agreement from West Pakistan and in the Simla Agreement became the newly independent state of Bangladesh . The Eastern Command, civilian institutions, and paramilitary forces were disbanded in the following months. In contrast to the desert and rugged mountainous terrain of West Pakistan, East Pakistan featured

5720-466: The use of the East's foreign exchange surpluses to finance the West's imports. The discrimination occurred despite the fact that East Pakistan generated a major share of Pakistan's exports. The annual rate of growth of the gross domestic product per capita was 4.4% in West Pakistan versus 2.6% in East Pakistan from 1960 to 1965. Bengali politicians pushed for more autonomy, arguing that much of Pakistan's export earnings were generated in East Pakistan from

5808-404: The violence in East Pakistan. When he failed in his attempts to meet General Yahya Khan, Masud too resigned from his position as AOC of Dacca airbase and took retirement from Air Force. Lieutenant-General Sahibzada Yaqub Khan was sent into East Pakistan in an emergency, following a major blow of the resignation of Vice Admiral Ahsan. General Yaqub temporarily assumed the control of the province, he

5896-443: Was Pakistan's first pop star and became popular in India as well. Shabnam was a leading actress from East Pakistan. Feroza Begum was a leading exponent of Bengali classical Nazrul geeti . Jasimuddin and Abbasuddin Ahmed promoted Bengali folk music. Munier Chowdhury , Syed Mujtaba Ali , Nurul Momen , Sufia Kamal and Shamsur Rahman were among the leading literary figures in East Pakistan. Several East Pakistanis were awarded

5984-411: Was a hotbed of Bengali nationalism . There were open calls for self-determination . When the federal general election was held, the Awami League emerged as the single largest party in the Pakistani parliament. The League won 167 out of 169 seats in East Pakistan, thereby crossing the half way mark of 150 in the 300-seat National Assembly of Pakistan . In theory, this gave the League the right to form

6072-417: Was also made the corps-commander of Eastern Corps . General Yaqub mobilised the entire major forces in East Pakistan. Sheikh Mujibur Rahman made a declaration of independence at Dacca on 26 March 1971. All major Awami League leaders including elected leaders of the National Assembly and Provincial Assembly fled to neighbouring India and an exile government was formed headed by Sheikh Mujibur Rahman. While he

6160-490: Was an important center of research on the Indus Valley civilization . The Bangla Academy was established in 1954. Among East Pakistan's newspapers, The Daily Ittefaq was the leading Bengali language title; while Holiday was a leading English title. At the time of partition, East Bengal had 80 cinemas. The first movie produced in East Pakistan was The Face and the Mask in 1955. Pakistan Television established its second studio in Dacca after Lahore in 1965. Runa Laila

6248-424: Was arrested by Military Police along with Mujib. Soon after the arrests, a high-level meeting was chaired by Yahya Khan. During the meeting, high commanders of the Pakistan Armed Forces unanimously recommended an armed and violent military action. East Pakistan's Martial Law Administrator Admiral Ahsan , Governor of East Pakistan, and Air Commodore Zafar Masud , Air Officer Commanding of Dacca 's only airbase, were

6336-591: Was considered to have been largely developed by American diplomat George F. Kennan . President Dwight D. Eisenhower 's Secretary of State John Foster Dulles (1953–1959) is considered to be the primary force behind the creation of SEATO, which expanded the concept of anti-communist collective defense to Southeast Asia. Then-Vice President Richard Nixon advocated an Asian equivalent of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization ( NATO ) upon returning from his Asia trip of late 1953, and NATO

6424-558: Was controversial for displacing over 40,000 indigenous people from the area. The centrally located metropolis Dacca witnessed significant urban growth. Although, East Pakistan had a larger population, West Pakistan dominated the divided country politically and received more money from the common budget. According to the World Bank , there was much economic discrimination against East Pakistan, including higher government spending on West Pakistan, financial transfers from East to West, and

6512-530: Was denied because of lack of British and French cooperation. Both the United States and Australia cited the alliance as justification for involvement in Vietnam. U.S. membership in SEATO provided the United States with a rationale for a large-scale U.S. military intervention in Southeast Asia. Other countries, such as the UK and key states in Asia, accepted the rationale. In 1962, as part of its commitment to SEATO,

6600-665: Was discerned by the Kaptai Dam in the Chittagong Hill Tracts for instance. Economists in East Pakistan argued a "Two Economies Theory" within Pakistan itself, which was founded on the Two-Nation Theory with India. The so-called Two Economies Theory suggested that East and West Pakistan had different economic features which should not be regulated by a federal government in Islamabad. East Pakistan

6688-472: Was discovered in the northeastern part of East Pakistan in 1955 by the Burmah Oil Company . Industrial use of natural gas began in 1959. The Shell Oil Company and Pakistan Petroleum tapped 7 gas fields in the 1960s. The industrial seaport city of Chittagong hosted the headquarters of Burmah Eastern and Pakistan National Oil . Iran, an erstwhile leading oil producer, assisted in establishing

6776-523: Was dissolved on 30 June 1977, after many of its members lost interest and withdrew. The Southeast Asia Collective Defense Treaty was signed on 8 September 1954 in Manila , as part of the American Truman Doctrine of creating anti-communist bilateral and collective defense treaties. These treaties and agreements were intended to create alliances that would keep communist powers in check ( Communist China , in SEATO's case). This policy

6864-463: Was essentially humid, hot climate with heavy to very heavy rainfall. The implication of East Pakistan's heavy rainfall was that the main crops that were grown in East Pakistan were rice, tea, and jute. East Pakistan inherited 17 districts from British Bengal. In 1960, Lower Tippera was renamed Comilla. In 1969, two new districts were created with Tangail separated from Mymensingh and Patuakhali from Bakerganj. East Pakistan's districts are listed in

6952-563: Was established on 19 February 1955 at a meeting of treaty partners in Bangkok , Thailand. The organization's headquarters was also in Bangkok. A total of eight members joined the organization in its lifetime. Primarily created to block further communist gains in Southeast Asia, SEATO is generally considered a failure, as internal conflict and dispute hindered general use of the SEATO military; however, SEATO-funded cultural and educational programs left longstanding effects in Southeast Asia. SEATO

7040-566: Was home to 55% of Pakistan's population. The largest ethnic group of the province were Bengalis , who in turn were the largest ethnic group in Pakistan . Bengali Muslims formed the predominant majority, followed by Bengali Hindus , Bengali Buddhists and Bengali Christians . East Pakistan also had many tribal groups, including the Chakmas , Marmas , Tangchangyas , Garos , Manipuris , Tripuris , Santhals and Bawms . They largely followed

7128-529: Was immediately suspended by Prime Minister Suhrawardy despite the reserves of the four provinces of West Pakistan in 1956. Suhrawardy advocated for the USSR-based Five-Year Plans to centralise the national economy. In this view, East Pakistan's economy would be quickly centralised and all major economic planning would be shifted to West Pakistan. Efforts leading to centralising the economy were met with great resistance in West Pakistan when

7216-665: Was in a Pakistan prison, Syed Nazrul Islam was the acting president with Tajuddin Ahmed as the prime minister. The exile government took oath on 17 April 1971 at Mujib Nagar, within East Pakistan territory of Kushtia district, and formally formed the government. Colonel MOG 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 who had defected from

7304-609: Was kept updated with key developments due to its close relationship with the United Kingdom. The states newly formed from French Indochina ( North Vietnam , South Vietnam , Cambodia and Laos ) were prevented from taking part in any international military alliance as a result of the Geneva Agreements signed 20 July of the same year concluding the end of the First Indochina War . However, with

7392-466: Was removed as Commander of the Eastern front. He installed a civilian administration under Abdul Motaleb Malik on 31 August 1971, which proved to be ineffective. However, during the meeting, with no high officers willing to assume the command of East Pakistan, Lieutenant-General Amir Abdullah Khan Niazi volunteered for the command of East Pakistan. Inexperienced and the large magnitude of this assignment,

7480-497: Was replaced by general Yahya Khan who became the Chief Martial Law Administrator . Khan organised the 1970 Pakistani general election . The 1970 Bhola cyclone was one of the deadliest natural disasters of the 20th century. The cyclone claimed half a million lives. The disastrous effects of the cyclone caused huge resentment against the federal government. After a decade of military rule, East Pakistan

7568-527: Was seen as a more satisfying organization than ANZUS – a collective defense organization with the U.S. The United Kingdom and France joined partly due to having long maintained colonies in the region, and partly due to concerns over developments in Indochina . The U.S., upon perceiving Southeast Asia to be a pivotal frontier for Cold War geopolitics, saw the establishment of SEATO as essential to its Cold War containment policy . The membership reflected

7656-729: Was the East Pakistan-based industrialist Mirza Ahmad Ispahani . By the 1950s, East Bengal surpassed West Bengal in having the largest jute industries in the world. The Adamjee Jute Mills was the largest jute processing plant in history and its location in Narayanganj was nicknamed the Dundee of the East . The Adamjees were descendants of Sir Haji Adamjee Dawood , who made his fortune in British Burma . Natural gas

7744-485: Was the model for the new organization, with the military forces of each member intended to be coordinated to provide for the collective defense of the member states. The organization, headquartered in Bangkok , was created in 1955 at the first meeting of the Council of Ministers set up by the treaty. This was contrary to Dulles's preference to call the organization "ManPac" (Manila Pact) to avoid public identification of

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