Political views
99-429: The East Bengal Express was one of three trains operated between India and East Pakistan . The 256 kilometres (159 mi) long journey used to take 5 hrs 20 minutes, running at 48 kilometres per hour (30 mph). The East Bengal Express used to depart Sealdah at 23.40 hours & reach Goalundo Ghat at 05.00 hours. On return, the train used to depart Goalundo Ghat at 11.40 hours & reach Sealdah at 17.00 hours. Here
198-434: 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,
297-541: 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
396-596: A constitution for Pakistan was the Government of India Act, 1935 . The first Pakistani Constituent Assembly was elected in 1947 and after nine years adopted the first indigenous constitution, the short-lived Constitution of 1956 . In October 1958, President Iskander Mirza abrogated the constitution. Shortly afterwards General Ayub Khan deposed Iskandar and declared himself president. From 1958 to 1961, special commissions were established to study various aspects of national life, resulting in reforms across land tenure,
495-733: 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
594-472: A federal system with the principle of parity between East Pakistan and West Pakistan. Both provinces would run their separate provincial governments. The responsibilities and authority of the centre and the provinces were listed in the constitution. The central legislature had one house known as the National Assembly. There were 157 members of the National Assembly. The equality between the two wings
693-664: 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
792-658: 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
891-459: A person who was holding the office of the president, so if the sitting president was also a candidate the number of candidates would be four. The term of the president was five years to act as head of state as well as chief executive, solely responsible for the country's administration. Governors and ministers were appointed and removed by him. He was eligible to promulgate ordinances and veto against legislated laws only overridable by two-thirds of
990-405: 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
1089-526: 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
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#17327874658761188-548: 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
1287-533: Is a brief on the importance of Goalundo Ghat in earlier years: "If one goes from Calcutta to Dacca the rail journey is broken at Goalundo and from there to Narayanganj is continued by steamer. The night mail from Calcutta deposits one at Goalundo in the early hours of the morning... It (Goalundo) is situated at the junction of the Padma, or Ganges, and the Brahmaputra, and daily services of steamers connect it with
1386-554: 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
1485-742: 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
1584-698: 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
1683-510: 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
1782-479: 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
1881-687: 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
1980-638: The Sitara-e-Imtiaz and the Pride of Performance . Religion in Pakistan (1951 Official Census) Constitution of Pakistan of 1962 Elections President of Pakistan Political Affiliations [REDACTED] The Constitution of 1962 was the fundamental law of Republic of Pakistan from 8 June 1962 until martial law was declared in 25 March 1969. It was abrogated on 25 March 1969 by President Yahya Khan . Pakistan became an independent state in 1947. The first document that served as
2079-561: The separation of East Pakistan was fought. 1959: The Basic Democracy (BD) was introduced through the Basic Democracy Order. 1960 February 17: General Ayub Khan appointed a constitution commission under the supervision of Shahabuddin. 1961 May 6 (some claim April 29): Constitutional Commission submitted its report to the President. 1962 June 8: Ayub Khan enforced the constitution. 1969 March 25: Constitution of 1962
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#17327874658762178-495: 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
2277-586: 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
2475-430: The 1962 constitution of Pakistan had transferred several responsibilities to the provincial governments but in actual practice the central government or its representatives used to exercise these powers. The second martial law was imposed on 25 March 1969 by General Agha Mohammad Yahya Khan , after General Ayub Khan handed over power to the army commander-in-chief, and not the speaker of National Assembly as laid down by
2574-551: 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
2673-518: The Assembly. There was no restriction on religion for a person holding the office of the speaker of the National Assembly. Also, if the president resigned from his office or vote of no-confidence passes against him, according to the Constitution, the speaker would act as the president of the state till the election of the new president. Under these special circumstances, a non-Muslim might get
2772-659: 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
2871-685: 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,
2970-524: The Cabinet finally approved the text of the new constitution. It was promulgated by President Ayub on 1 March 1962 and finally came into effect on 8 June 1962. The Constitution contained 250 articles divided into twelve parts and three schedules. With the enforcement of this Constitution after 44 months, martial law came to an end. Pakistan was named the Republic of Pakistan . The constitution provided for
3069-509: The Constitution Commission was presented to President Ayub on 6 May 1961 (according to some writers report was presented on 29 April 1961) and thoroughly examined by the president and his Cabinet. A significant development was the creation of a uniform local government structure through a presidential order on October 27, 1959, which led to a referendum authorizing President Ayub to draft a new constitution. In January 1962,
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3168-476: The Constitution. Most of the Islamic provisions were made a part thereof. These principles of policy dealt with such matters as the Islamic way of life, national integration and solidarity, social welfare, protection of the rights of minorities, development of backward areas etc. 9. Provincial Governments: Each province had a provincial assembly organized on the lines of the National Assembly. The relationship of
3267-546: 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
3366-654: 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
3465-402: The National Assembly. However, the president was not empowered to dissolve the Assembly except at the cost of his office also. On a charge of violating the Constitution or gross misconduct, the president might be impeached by the National Assembly for which one-third of the total members of the National Assembly must give written notice to the speaker for the removal of the president. The president
3564-611: The Objective Resolution was included in the Constitution's Preamble. The teachings of the Quran and Islamiyat were to be made compulsory. The President was to be Muslim. Pakistan was declared an Islamic republic through the first amendment. No un-Islamic law would be enacted, and all the existing laws would be Islamized etc. 4. Position of the President: Under the Constitution of 1962 US-type presidential system
3663-861: 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,
3762-853: 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
3861-666: 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
3960-818: 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
4059-467: The appointees of the President and were accountable to him: Hence the provincial executive was under the control of the centre. This centralism bore more disastrous results in respect of provincial autonomy. Consequently, the federal structure practically seemed unitary due to which the demand of provincial autonomy became more popular and widespread which threatened our solidarity in the later stage. 2. A Written and Detailed Document: The 1962 constitution
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4158-486: 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,
4257-581: The cabinet were not members of the legislature. The ministers could attend its meetings but like the US system, neither the president nor his cabinet colleagues were responsible. 6. Indirect Election: It was an innovation in the 1962 Constitution. It was a general impression that one of the causes of the failure of the constitutional machinery was the direct and adult suffrage and without proper and necessary political education and training. Hence this constitution provided an indirect method of election for President and
4356-491: The chance to be an acting president of Pakistan. The Constitution of 1962 provided for elections of the central and provincial legislatures for a term of five years. The members of the assemblies were elected by the Basic Democrats. The National Assembly was exclusively empowered to legislate for the central subjects. However, it could legislate on matters falling under provincial jurisdiction. The power to impose taxes
4455-416: 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
4554-501: The constitution of 1962 federal system was adopted. The powers of the central government were enumerated in the Federal List while all the residuary powers were given to the provinces to meet the demand of provincial autonomy. However, within this federal structure, the central government was made domineering even at the cost of provincial autonomy. Besides administrative matters, centralism was reflected. The provincial governors were
4653-503: The constitution. On assuming the presidency, General Yahya Khan acceded to popular demands by abolishing the one-unit system in West Pakistan on 1 July 1970 and ordered general elections on the principle of one man one vote. The first-ever general elections were held in December 1970, however, the government was not transferred to the Awami League Elections. This resulted in the destruction of national unity and eventually,
4752-557: 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
4851-547: 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 ,
4950-534: 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
5049-505: 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
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#17327874658765148-502: 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
5247-474: 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
5346-482: The inquiry report submitted by the Supreme Judicial Council on the ground of misbehaviour or physical or mental inability to perform their duties. By induction of the first amendment, the judiciary had full, power to pass judgment over the views of the legislature. Moreover, the court also enjoyed the power of judicial review of executive actions. 8. Fundamental Rights add Principles of Policy: In
5445-531: 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)
5544-658: 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
5643-418: The legal system, administration, and education. On 17 February 1960, Ayub Khan appointed a commission to report on the future constitutional framework for the country. The commission was headed by the former Chief Justice of Pakistan , Muhammad Shahabuddin , and had ten other members, five each from East Pakistan and West Pakistan, composed of retired judges, lawyers, industrialists and landlords. The report of
5742-437: The legislative assemblies was envisaged. Accordingly, the primary voters would elect the Basic Democrats who had then to elect the representatives to higher positions. 7. Independence of Judiciary: Proper safeguards were introduced in the 1962 Constitution to ensure the independence of the judiciary. Judges of the superior courts were appointed by the President and were ensured the security of service. They could be removed from
5841-531: 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
5940-478: The line from Calcutta to Goalundo, on the southern bank of the Padma in 1871. This article about transport in Bangladesh is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . This Indian express train article 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
6039-466: 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
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#17327874658766138-690: 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
6237-509: 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
6336-406: The original constitution, there was no list of fundamental rights. It was due to the first amendment in the constitution in 1963 that these were included and made their part, before that these were laid down in the directive principles of policy. The list of fundamental rights contained almost all the rights secured to its citizens by a modern state. The Principles of Policy were also incorporated into
6435-463: 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
6534-537: 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
6633-423: 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
6732-409: The provincial governors with their assemblies was the same as that of the President with the National Assembly. The East and West Pakistan assemblies used to meet at Dacca and Lahore respectively. Each had 155 members, at least of who were women. The governors appointed by the President, had a Council of Ministers in the same manner, as the President, who belonged to their respective provinces. Although
6831-432: The provincial governors, all the top-ranking officials were appointed by him. The president also enjoyed certain legislative, military and judicial powers. The provincial setup also followed the central structure. In short, it was the President who was all in all. 5. Unicameral Legislature: The 1962 Constitution like the previous constitution provided for a unicameral legislature called National Assembly. Its total strength
6930-463: The railway systems at Narayanganj and Chandpur, and with the steamer services to Madaripur, Barisal, Sylhet, and Cachar. There are also daily services of steamers up the Padma to Digha Ghat in the dry season, and Buxar in the rains, and up the Brahmaputra to Dibrugarh. From that it will be seen that Goalundo occupies a very strong strategic position in the waterways of Bengal, a position which has been made much stronger by railway development."The rail link
7029-480: 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
7128-482: 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
7227-461: 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
7326-470: 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
7425-517: 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
7524-404: 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
7623-401: Was 156 (later 218 and then 313, who were elected by the electoral college of Basic Democrats. Besides, certain seats were also reserved for women. Its term was 5 years, which was fixed. The members were elected based on parity of representation between the East and West wings. The proceedings of the Assembly might not be challenged in any court of law. Unlike the previous practices, the members of
7722-547: 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
7821-411: 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
7920-417: 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
8019-601: 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
8118-424: 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
8217-558: 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
8316-665: 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
8415-472: 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
8514-429: Was enforced to overcome political instability and establish a firm socio-economic and political order. All the executive authority was vested in the President who was unanimously responsible for the business of the central government. All the ministers were appointed by him, and they were accountable to him alone. They could participate in the deliberations of the legislature, but they were not responsible for it. Along with
8613-463: 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
8712-582: Was formed by not less than 80,000 Basic Democrats, equally distributed between the two provinces. Under the Constitution of 1962, if the number of candidates for election to the office of President exceeded three, the Speaker of the National Assembly was to convene a joint session of the members of the National and Provincial Assemblies to select only three candidates for election, the remaining candidates then would not be eligible. This screening did not apply to
8811-566: 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
8910-529: 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
9009-613: 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
9108-567: Was laid with the central legislature. The Assembly had to serve as a court in cases of impeachment or conviction or declare the president incapacitated. It could amend the Constitution with a two-thirds majority. However, if the president's veto was overridden, he had the right to ask for the assent of the Electoral College. The provincial assemblies' procedure was identical to that of the National Assembly. Urdu and Bengali were recognised as national languages. 1. Federal System: Under
9207-435: Was maintained in it. The constitution provided for a presidential form of government , as opposed to the parliamentary form of government under the 1956 Constitution. The president, who had to be a Muslim not less than 35 years of age and qualified for election as a member of the National Assembly, was to be elected indirectly by an electoral college following the provisions outlined in the Constitution. The Electoral College
9306-630: Was permanently suspended at the outbreak of the Indo-Pakistani War of 1965 . Prior to 1965, when armed conflict broke out between India and Pakistan, rail links existed between India and East Pakistan. Three trains ran between the two countries carrying goods and passengers: (1) East Bengal Express between Sealdah and Goalundo Ghat via Gede – Darshana (2) East Bengal Mail between Sealdah and Parbatipur Junction via Gede–Darshana, and (3) Barisal Express between Sealdah and Khulna via Petrapole–Benapole . Eastern Bengal Railway opened
9405-411: 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,
9504-497: 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
9603-678: 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
9702-406: Was to be removed from office if the resolution for impeachment was passed by votes of not less than three-fourths of the total members of the Assembly. A significant feature of the impeachment procedure was that if the resolution for the removal of the president failed to obtain one-half of the total number of members of the National Assembly, the movers of the resolution would cease to be members of
9801-403: Was written in nature and character. It consisted of 250 Articles and 3 Schedules. Thus, it was a comparatively detailed document. Keeping in view the lack of democratic values and established norms it was thought expedient to give a detailed code of constitutional law as could regulate the conduct of different political institutions. 3. Islamic Provisions: Like the previous constitution of 1956,
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