Bangladesh Liberation War

The Bangladesh Liberation War ([1] are also used occasionally) refers to an armed conflict between West Pakistan (now Pakistan) and East Pakistan (now Bangladesh) that lasted for roughly nine months in 1971. The war resulted in Bangladesh 's independence from Pakistan .

Reasons for war Years before the war
During Partition of India, Pakistan , as a country, gained independence on 14 August 1947 following the end of British rule over South Asian countries. The division was made based on religion. Pakistan was created out of Muslim majority territories in the West and East, and India was created out of the vast Hindu majority regions in the centre. The Western zone was popularly (and for a period of time, also officially) called West Pakistan and the Eastern zone (modern-day Bangladesh ) was called East Bengal and later, East Pakistan . The capital of Pakistan was established in Karachi in West Pakistan and then moved to Islamabad in 1958.
Economic exploitation
West Pakistan (consisting of four provinces: Punjab , Sindh, Balochistan and North-West Frontier Province ) dominated the divided country and received more money than the more populous East.

Year Spending on West Pakistan (in crore Rupees) Spending on East Pakistan (in crore Rupees) Percentage Spent on East
1950/51-54/55 1129 524 46
1955/56-59/60 1655 524 32
1960/61-64/65 3355 1404 42
1965/66-69/70 5195 2141 41
Total 12834 4300 34
Source: Reports of the Advisory Panels for the Fourth Five Year Plan 1970-75, Vol. I, published by the planning commission of Pakistan

Between 1948 and 1960, East Pakistan 's export earnings had been 70% while it only received 25% of import earning. In 1948 (shortly after independence from the UK ), East Pakistan had 11 textile mills while West had 9. In 1971, the number of textile mills in the West had grown to 150 while that in the East had only gone up to 26. A transfer of 2.6 billion dollars (in 1971 exchange rates) worth resources was also done over time from East Pakistan to West Pakistan . Moreover it was felt that much of the income generated by the east was primarily diverted towards fighting wars in Kashmir .
Difference in religious standpoints
One of the key issue was the extent to which Islam was followed. West Pakistan with an overwhelming 97% Muslim population was less liberal (in religious terms) than East Pakistan which was at least 15% non-Muslim (mainly Hindus). The difference was made further clear after Bangladeshi independence, when Bangladesh was established as a secular country under the name "People's Republic of Bangladesh " rather than as the Islamic Republic of Bangladesh.
Other factors including language
Close ties existed between East Pakistan and West Bengal , one of the Indian states bordering Bangladesh , as both were composed mostly of Bengalis. West Pakistan viewed East Pakistani links with India unfavourably as relations between India and Pakistan had been very poor since independence.

In 1948, Mohammad Ali Jinnah declared in Dhaka that "Urdu, and only Urdu", a language that was only spoken in the West by Muhajirs and in the East by Biharis, would be the sole official language for all of Pakistan , while Bangla was spoken by the majority of people. East Pakistan revolted and several students and civilians lost their lives on February 21, 1952 . The day is revered in Bangladesh and in West Bengal as the Language Martyrs' Day. Bitter feelings among East Pakistanis never ceased to grow, especially with repeated arrivals of military rulers. Later, in remembrance of the 1952 killings, UNESCO declared February 21 as International Mother Language Day.
Impact of the hurricane

Bengalis faced economic, linguistic and political hardshipsPolitical climax
The political prelude to the war included several factors. (Due to the differences between the two states, a nascent separatist movement developed in East Pakistan . Any such movements were sharply limited, especially when martial law was in force between 1958 and 1962 (under General Ayub Khan) and between 1969 and 1972 (under General Yahya Khan). These military rulers were of West Pakistani origin and continued to favour West Pakistan in terms of economic advantages. )

Thedifference situation reached a climax when in 1970 the Awami League, the largest East Pakistani political party, led by Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, won a landslide victory in the national elections winning 167 of the 169 seats allotted for East Pakistan , and a majority of the 313 total seats in the National Assembly. This gave the Awami League the right to form a government. However, the leader of Pakistan People's Party, Zulfikar Ali Bhutto, refused to allow Sheikh Mujibur Rahman to become the Prime Minister of Pakistan. Instead, he proposed a notion of two Prime Ministers. Bhutto also refused to accept Rahman's Six Points. On 3 March 1971 , the two leaders (of the two wings) along with the President General Yahya Khan met in Dhaka to decide the fate of the country. Talks failed. Sheikh Mujibur Rahman called for a nation-wide strike.
Military preparation in West Pakistan
General Tikka Khan was flown in to Dhaka to become Governor of East Bengal. East-Pakistani judges, including Justice Siddique, refused to swear him in.

MV Swat, a ship of the Pakistani Navy, carrying ammunition and soldiers, was harboured in Chittagong Port and 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 Bengali demonstrators, beginning a mutiny of Bengali soldiers.

Between 10 and 13 March, Pakistan International Airlines cancelled all their international routes to urgently fly "Government Passengers" to Dhaka . These so-called "Government Passengers" were almost exclusively Pakistani soldiers in civil uniform.
Bangobondhu's speech of 7 March
On March 7 1971 , Bangobondhu (Sheikh Mujibur Rahman) gave a speech at the Racecourse Ground (now called the Suhrawardy Udyan). In this speech he mentioned a further four-point condition to consider the National Assembly Meeting on March 25:
The immediate lifting of martial law.
Immediate withdrawal of all military personnel to their barracks.
An inquiry into the loss of life.
Immediate transfer of power to the elected representative of the people before the assembly meeting March 25.


He urged "his people" to turn every house into a fort of resistance. He closed his speech saying, "The struggle this time is for our freedom. The struggle this time is for our independence."
Violence of 25 March
On the night of 25 March, Pakistan Army began a violent effort to suppress the Bengali opposition.( In Bangladesh , and elsewhere, the Pakistani actions are referred to as genocide.) Before carrying out these acts, all foreign journalists were systematically deported from Bangladesh . Bengali members of military services were disarmed. The operation was called Operation Searchlight by Pakistani Army and was carefully devised by several top-ranked army generals to "crush" Bengalis.

Although the violence focused on the provincial capital, Dhaka , the process of ethnic elimination was also carried out all around Bangladesh . Residential halls of University of Dhaka were particularly targeted. The only Hindu residential hall — the Jagannath Hall — was destroyed by the Pakistani armed forces, and an estimated 600 to 700 of its residents were murdered.
Hindu areas all over Bangladesh suffered particularly heavy blows. By midnight , Dhaka was literally burning, especially the Hindu dominated eastern part of the city. Time magazine reported on August 2, 1971 , "The Hindus, who account for three-fourths of the refugees and a majority of the dead, have borne the brunt of the Muslim military hatred."
Mujib was arrested on the night of March 25-26, 1971 at about 1:30 a.m. (per Radio Pakistan ’s news on March 29, 1971 ) which means effectively on March 26, 1971 . On 26 March, 1971 , M A Hannan, an Awami League leader from Chittagong , is said to have made the first announcement of the declaration of independence over radio,

(Sheikh Mujibur Rahman signed an official declaration that read:


Today Bangladesh 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 Dhaka . Many innocent and unarmed have been killed in Dhaka city and other places of Bangladesh . Violent clashes between EPR and Police on the one hand and the armed forces of Pakistan on the other, are going on. The Bengalis are fighting the enemy with great courage for an independent Bangladesh . May God aid us in our fight for freedom. Joy Bangla.)



Sheikh Mujibur Rahman
25 March 1971


(Source: "The History of the Liberation Movement in Bangladesh " by J. S. Gupta)

A telegram reached some students in Chittagong . They realized the message could be broadcast from Agrabad Station of Radio Pakistan . The message was translated to Bangla by Dr Manjula Anwar. They failed to secure permission from higher authorities to broadcast the message. They crossed Kalurghat Bridge into an area controlled by East Bengal Regiment under Major Ziaur Rahman. Bengali soldiers guarded the station as engineers prepared for transmission. At 19:45 on 26 March, 1971 , Major Ziaur Rahman broadcast another announcement of the declaration of independence on behalf of Sheikh Mujibur which is as follows.


This is Shadhin Bangla Betar Kendro. I, Major Ziaur Rahman, at the direction of Bangobondhu Mujibur Rahman, hereby declare that the independent People's Republic of Bangladesh has been established. At his direction, I have taken command as the temporary Head of the Republic. In the name of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, I call upon all Bengalis to rise against the attack by the West Pakistani Army. We shall fight to the last to free our Motherland. By the grace of Allah, victory is ours. Joy Bangla.


Kalurghat Radio Station's transmission capability was limited. The message was picked up by a Japanese ship in Bay of Bengal and then re-transmitted by Radio Australia and later the British Broadcasting Corporation.

26 March 1971 is hence considered the official Independence Day and according to all Bangladeshi sources, the name Bangladesh was in effect henceforth. Certain sources, especially of Indian and Pakistani origin, continued to use the name " East Pakistan " until the following 16 December.

The main war

As political events gathered momentum, the stage was set for a clash between the Pakistan Army and the insurgents. Though smaller(maoist) style paramilitary bands started emerging, the Mukti Bahini emerged increasingly visible. Headed by Colonel Muhammad Ataul Gani Osmani, a retired Pakistan Army officer.After the declaration of Independence , the Pakistan military sought to quell them, but increasing numbers of Bengali soldiers defected to the underground " Bangladesh army". These Bengali units slowly merged into the Mukti Bahini and bolstered their weaponry. They then jointly launched operations against the Pakistan Army killing many in the process. This setback prompted the Pakistan Army to induct Razakars, a paramilitary force, from the local populace to bolster their numbers. These people were essentially viewed as traitors and with suspicion by local Bengalis, as a vast majority of these recruits were Bihari Muslims who had settled during the time of partition. This helped Pakistan stem the tide somewhat as the monsoon approached in the months of June and July.

Undeterred by this setback, Mukti Bahini regrouped as they gained in strength and capability. (Aided by the Indian government in West Bengal , they were equipped and trained to counter the Pakistan Army. As) there was no action during the monsoon, it was seen by the Pakistan military brass as a weakening of the Bangladesh cause. However it was merely the lull before the storm. After sensing the enormity of the issue, the army was beefed up as the troop strength was increased to more than 80,000. This caused a rise in tensions across the border as India realised the gravity of the situation. The Indian military were preparing for the eventual onslaught with the aid of the separatists and waited for the end of the monsoon season to enable easy passage. The Indians aimed to bypass the villages and towns and instead concentrate on the cities and the highways which ultimately would lead to the capture of Dhaka .

Pakistan decided to nullify such an attack and on December 3 and launched a series of preemptive air strikes. (The attack was modelled on the Operation Focus employed by Israel Air Force during the Six-Day War.) However the plan failed to achieve the desired success and was seen as an open act of unprovoked aggression by the Indians. Indira Gandhi then ordered the immediate mobilisation of troops and launched the full scale invasion. This marked the official start of the India-Pak war with fighting commencing in West Pakistan . The Indian Army, far superior in numbers and equipment to that of Pakistan , executed a three-pronged pincer movement on Dhaka launched from the Indian states of West Bengal, Assam, and Tripura. In all these places the Mukti Bahini and the local Bengalis played a vital role in aiding the Indian Army. It was backed up by the Indian Air Force which achieved near air supremacy towards the end of the war as the entire East Pakistan airbase with all the flights were destroyed. The Indian Navy, also annihilated the eastern wing of the Pakistan Navy and blockaded the East Pakistan ports, thereby cutting off any escape routes for the stranded Pakistani warriors. The fledgling Bangladesh Navy (comprising officers and sailors who defected from Pakistan Navy) aided the Indians in the marine warfare, carrying out attacks, most notably Operation Jackpot.

Meanwhile, on the ground, nearly 3 brigades of Mukti Bahini along with the Indian forces fought in a conventional formation. This was supplemented by guerrilla style attacks on Pakistanis who were facing hostilities on land, air, water in both covert and overt ways. Undeterred, Pakistan tried to fight back and boost the sagging morale by incorporating the Special Services Group commandos in sabotage and rescue missions. This however could not stop the juggernaut of the invading columns whose speed and power were too much to contain for the Pakistan Army. On 16 December, within just 12 days, the capital Dacca fell to the Mitro Bahini — the allied forces. Lt. Gen. Niazi surrendered to the combined forces headed by its commander Lt. Gen. Jagjit Singh Aurora by signing the Instrument of Surrender at Ramna Racecourse, 16:31 Indian Standard Time. Bangladesh became liberated.
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Billy I Ahmed is a Columnist and Researcher


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Billy I Ahmed is a Tea Planter turned into a Columnist and Researcher, writing for leading English Dailies and Journal in Bangladesh as well as overseas online newsletter. Billy is a Fellow Member of Business AssociationUK and Diploma in Tropical Agriculture UK. Billy I Ahmed Experienced in writing feature articles • Well versed in copyediting and proof reading. • Strong technical command of English language familiar with virtually all writing styles serious commitment to excellence lexicography.
Please visit my website http://www.journalhome.com/profiles/Billy http://www.writesight.com/writer/Billy
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