Independence of Bangladesh |
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The Bangladesh Liberation War was a revolutionary war of independence that took place in South Asia in 1971; it resulted in the establishment of the republic of Bangladesh. [1] The war pitted East Pakistan against West Pakistan and lasted nine months. It witnessed large-scale atrocities, the exodus of 10 million refugees and the indiscriminate killing of 100,000 to 300,000 people from both sides. [2]
The war broke out on 26 March 1971 when the Pakistan Army launched a military operation called Operation Searchlight against Bengali civilians, students, intelligentsia and armed personnel who were demanding that the Pakistani military junta accept the results of the 1970 first democratic elections of Pakistan (which were won by an eastern party) or allow separation between East and West Pakistan. Bengali politicians and army officers announced the declaration of Bangladesh's independence in response to Operation Searchlight. Bengali military, paramilitary and civilians formed the Mukti Bahini ("Liberation Army"), which engaged in guerrilla warfare against Pakistani forces. The Pakistan Army, in collusion with religious extremist [3] [4] militias (the Razakars, Al-Badr and Al-Shams), engaged in the systematic genocide and atrocities against Bengali civilians, particularly nationalists, intellectuals, youth and religious minorities. [5] [6] [7] [8] [9] Bangladesh government-in-exile was set up in the city of Calcutta (now Kolkata) in the Indian state of West Bengal.
India entered the war on 3 December 1971 after Pakistan launched pre-emptive air strikes on northern India. Overwhelmed by two war fronts, Pakistani defences soon collapsed. On 16 December, the Allied Forces of Bangladesh and India defeated Pakistan in the east. The subsequent surrender resulted in the largest number of prisoners of war since World War II.
Though the United Nations condemned the human rights violations during and following Operation Searchlight, it failed to defuse the situation politically before the start of the war.
Following Sheikh Mujibur Rahman's declaration of independence in March 1971, India undertook a worldwide campaign to drum up political, democratic and humanitarian support for the people of Bangladesh for their liberation struggle. Prime Minister Indira Gandhi toured a large number of countries in a bid to create awareness of the Pakistani atrocities against Bengalis. This effort later proved vital during the war in the way it framed the world's context of the war and justified military action by India. [10] Also, following Pakistan's defeat, it ensured prompt recognition of the newly independent state of Bangladesh.
Following India's entry into the war, Pakistan, fearing certain defeat, made urgent appeals to the United Nations to intervene and force India to agree to a ceasefire. The UN Security Council assembled on 4 December 1971 to discuss the hostilities in South Asia. After lengthy discussions on 7 December, the United States made a resolution for "immediate cease-fire and withdrawal of troops". While supported by the majority, the USSR vetoed the resolution twice and the United Kingdom and France abstained on the resolution.
On 12 December, with Pakistan facing imminent defeat, the United States requested that the Security Council be reconvened. Pakistan's Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister, Zulfikar Ali Bhutto, was rushed to New York City to make the case for a resolution on the cease fire. The council continued deliberations for four days. By the time proposals were finalised, Pakistan's forces in the East had surrendered and the war had ended, making the measures merely academic. Bhutto, frustrated by the failure of the resolution and the inaction of the United Nations, ripped up his speech and left the council.
Most UN member nations were quick to recognise Bangladesh within months of its independence. [10]
Bhutan became the first country in the world to recognize the newly independent state on 6 December 1971. [11] [12] Muhammad Ullah, the President of Bangladesh, visited Bhutan accompanied by his wife to attend the coronation of Jigme Singye Wangchuck, the fourth king of Bhutan in June 1974.
India was the second country to recognize Bangladesh as a separate and independent state and established diplomatic relations with the country immediately after its independence on 6 December 1971. Bangladesh had received implied recognition from India when they set up their first diplomatic missions in Kolkata and Delhi in September 1971; however, the official recognition didn't come until two months later. [13]
Myanmar (Burma) was one of the first countries to recognize Bangladesh. [14] [15] [16] [17]
The United States supported Pakistan [18] both politically and materially. US President Richard Nixon denied getting involved in the situation, saying that it was an internal matter of Pakistan, but when Pakistan's defeat seemed certain, Nixon sent the aircraft carrier USS Enterprise to the Bay of Bengal, [19] a move deemed by the Indians as a nuclear threat. Enterprise arrived on station on 11 December 1971. Declassified Indian Air Force documents reveal the Indians were planning a kamikaze-like strike attack using B1 Canberra bombers; however, on 6 and 13 December, the Soviet Navy dispatched two groups of ships, armed with nuclear missiles, from Vladivostok; they trailed US Task Force 74 in the Indian Ocean from 18 December until 7 January 1972. [20] [21] Nixon and Henry Kissinger feared Soviet expansion into South and Southeast Asia. Pakistan was a close ally of the People's Republic of China, with whom Nixon had been negotiating a rapprochement and which he intended to visit in February 1972. Nixon feared that an Indian invasion of West Pakistan would mean total Soviet domination of the region, which in turn would seriously undermine the global position of the United States and the regional position of America's new tacit ally, China. To demonstrate to China the bona fides of the United States as an ally, and in direct violation of the US Congress-imposed sanctions on Pakistan, Nixon sent military supplies to Pakistan and routed them through Jordan and Iran, [22] while also encouraging China to increase its arms supplies to Pakistan. The Nixon administration also ignored reports it received of Pakistan Army's genocidal activities in East Pakistan, most notably the Blood telegram.
The Soviet Union supported Bangladesh and Indian armies, as well as the Mukti Bahini during the war, recognising that the independence of Bangladesh would weaken the position of its rivals – the United States and China. It gave assurances to India that if a confrontation with the United States or China developed, the USSR would take countermeasures. This was enshrined in the Indo-Soviet friendship treaty signed in August 1971. The Soviets also sent a nuclear submarine to ward off the threat posed by USS Enterprise in the Indian Ocean.
At the end of the war, the Warsaw Pact countries were among the first to recognise Bangladesh. The Soviet Union accorded recognition to Bangladesh on 25 January 1972. [23] The United States delayed recognition for some months, before according it on 8 April 1972. [24]
Pakistan, which Bangladesh had gained independence from in the 1971 war, didn't recognise the country until it was pressured by other Muslim-majority nations. Bangladesh's founder, Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, was kept imprisoned by Pakistani authorities (even after the end of war) before being released in January 1972. The recognition issue had been stuck over Pakistan wanting to avoid any of its nationals being tried for war crimes. Muslim-majority countries including Jordan, Egypt, Indonesia and Saudi Arabia however pressured it because they wanted to fix this discord that had emerged in the Islamic world. Foreign ministers of seven nations went to Bangladesh to convince it to drop its planned trials. On 22 February 1974, Pakistani Prime Minister Zulfikar Ali Bhutto officially announced recognition of the country during a speech before a Lahore television studio that was filled to full capacity; he also got emotional while speaking. He added that while he didn't like it, Bangladesh's independence was a reality. In return, Bangladesh agreed to attend the Organisation of Islamic Conference summit that was being held that year in Lahore. [25] [26]
Bhutto landed in Bangladesh for a visit on 27 June 1974, the first visit by a Pakistani leader since the 1971 war. The two discussed the division of assets between the two nations and Pakistan accepting more non-Bengalis from the country. [27] However, relations between the two countries remained lukewarm because of the dispute on assets and the issues of the Bihari Muslims. After the 15 August 1975 Bangladesh coup d'état, Pakistan immediately recognized the new government and relations improved. Ambassadorial relations were established in January 1976 with Bangladeshi ambassador Zahiruddin and Pakistani ambassador Mohammad Khurshid assuming their respective posts. [28]
As a long-standing ally of Pakistan, the People's Republic of China reacted with alarm to the evolving situation in East Pakistan and the prospect of India invading West Pakistan and Pakistani-administered Kashmir. Believing that just such an Indian attack was imminent, Nixon encouraged China to mobilise its armed forces along its border with India to discourage it. However, the Chinese did not respond to this encouragement since unlike the 1962 Sino-Indian War (where India was caught entirely unaware what China was doing), the Indian Army this time was prepared and had deployed eight mountain divisions to the Sino-Indian border to guard against such an eventuality. Instead, China threw its weight behind demands for an immediate ceasefire.
When Bangladesh applied for membership to the United Nations in 1972, China vetoed their application [29] because two United Nations resolutions regarding the repatriation of Pakistani prisoners of war and civilians had not yet been implemented. [30] China was also among the last countries to recognise independent Bangladesh, refusing to do so until 31 August 1975. [10] [29]
The list of countries that recognized Bangladesh upon its independence are listed according to their order in The Congressional Record (9 February 1972) of Senate. [31]
Country [32] | Date of recognition | |
---|---|---|
1 | Bhutan | 6 December 1971 [33] [34] [35] [11] [12] |
2 | India | 6 December 1971 [36] |
3 | East Germany | 11 January 1972 [37] |
4 | Poland | 12 January 1972 |
5 | Bulgaria | 12 January 1972 |
6 | Burma | 13 January 1972 |
7 | Nepal | 16 January 1972 |
8 | Barbados | 20 January 1972 |
9 | Yugoslavia | 22 January 1972 |
10 | Soviet Union | 24 January 1972 |
11 | Byelorussian SSR | 24 January 1972 [38] [39] |
12 | Ukrainian SSR | 24 January 1972 [40] [39] |
13 | Tonga | 25 January 1972 |
14 | Czechoslovakia | 26 January 1972 |
15 | Cyprus | 26 January 1972 |
16 | Hungary | 26 January 1972 |
17 | Australia | 26 January 1972 |
18 | Fiji | 26 January 1972 |
19 | New Zealand | 26 January 1972 |
20 | Senegal | 1 February 1972 |
21 | United Kingdom | 4 February 1972 |
22 | West Germany | 4 February 1972 |
23 | Finland | 4 February 1972 |
24 | Denmark | 4 February 1972 |
25 | Sweden | 4 February 1972 |
26 | Norway | 4 February 1972 |
27 | Iceland | 4 February 1972 |
28 | Austria | 4 February 1972 |
29 | Israel | 7 February 1972 [41] |
30 | Japan | 10 February 1972 |
31 | Luxembourg | 11 February 1972 |
32 | Netherlands | 11 February 1972 |
33 | Belgium | 11 February 1972 |
34 | Ireland | 11 February 1972 |
35 | Italy | 12 February 1972 |
36 | France | 14 February 1972 |
37 | Canada | 14 February 1972 |
38 | Singapore | 16 February 1972 |
39 | Mauritius | 20 February 1972 |
40 | Philippines | 24 February 1972 |
41 | Malaysia | 25 February 1972 |
42 | Indonesia | 25 February 1972 |
43 | Malawi | 29 February 1972 |
44 | Gambia | 2 March 1972 |
45 | Sri Lanka | 4 March 1972 |
46 | Republic of China | 14 April 1972 |
47 | United States | 4 April 1972 [24] |
48 | Malagasy | 14 April 1972 |
49 | Iraq | 8 July 1972 [42] |
50 | Upper Volta | 19 September 1972 |
51 | Pakistan | 22 February 1974 [25] |
52 | PR China | 31 August 1975 [29] |
Agha Muhammad Yahya Khan was a Pakistani military officer who served as the third president of Pakistan from 1969 to 1971. He also served as the fifth commander-in-chief of the Pakistan Army from 1966 to 1971.
The history of Bangladesh dates back over four millennia to the Chalcolithic period. The region's early history was characterized by a succession of Hindu and Buddhist kingdoms and empires that fought for control over the Bengal region. Islam arrived in the 8th century and gradually became dominant from the early 13th century with the conquests led by Bakhtiyar Khalji and the activities of Sunni missionaries like Shah Jalal. Muslim rulers promoted the spread of Islam by building mosques across the region. From the 14th century onward, Bengal was ruled by the Bengal Sultanate, founded by Fakhruddin Mubarak Shah, who established an individual currency. The Bengal Sultanate expanded under rulers like Shamsuddin Ilyas Shah, leading to economic prosperity and military dominance, with Bengal being referred to by Europeans as the richest country to trade with. The region later became a part of the Mughal Empire, and according to historian C. A. Bayly, it was probably the empire's wealthiest province.
Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, also known by the honorific Bangabandhu, was a Bangladeshi politician, revolutionary, statesman, activist and diarist, who was the founding leader of Bangladesh. As the leader of Bangladesh, he had held continuous positions either as Bangladesh's president or as its prime minister from April 1971 until his assassination in August 1975. His nationalist ideology, socio-political theories, and political doctrines are collectively known as Mujibism.
Zulfikar Ali Bhutto was a Pakistani barrister, politician, and statesman. He served as the fourth president of Pakistan from 1971 to 1973 and later as the ninth prime minister of Pakistan from 1973 to 1977. Bhutto founded the Pakistan People's Party (PPP) and served as its chairman until his execution for murder.
The Indo-Pakistani war of 1971, also known as the third India-Pakistan war, was a military confrontation between India and Pakistan that occurred during the Bangladesh Liberation War in East Pakistan from 3 December 1971 until the Pakistani capitulation in Dhaka on 16 December 1971. The war began with Pakistan's Operation Chengiz Khan, consisting of preemptive aerial strikes on eight Indian air stations. The strikes led to India declaring war on Pakistan, marking their entry into the war for East Pakistan's independence, on the side of Bengali nationalist forces. India's entry expanded the existing conflict with Indian and Pakistani forces engaging on both the eastern and western fronts. Thirteen days after the war started, India achieved a clear upper hand, and the Eastern Command of the Pakistan military signed the instrument of surrender on 16 December 1971 in Dhaka, marking the formation of East Pakistan as the new nation of Bangladesh. Approximately 93,000 Pakistani servicemen were taken prisoner by the Indian Army, which included 79,676 to 81,000 uniformed personnel of the Pakistan Armed Forces, including some Bengali soldiers who had remained loyal to Pakistan. The remaining 10,324 to 12,500 prisoners were civilians, either family members of the military personnel or collaborators (Razakars).
The Bangladesh Liberation War, also known as the Bangladesh War of Independence and known as the Liberation War in Bangladesh, was an armed conflict sparked by the rise of the Bengali nationalist and self-determination movement in East Pakistan, which resulted in the independence of Bangladesh. The war began when the Pakistani military junta based in West Pakistan—under the orders of Yahya Khan—launched Operation Searchlight against East Pakistanis on the night of 25 March 1971, initiating the Bangladesh genocide.
The Simla Agreement, also spelled Shimla Agreement, was a peace treaty signed between India and Pakistan on 2 July 1972 in Shimla, the capital city of the Indian state of Himachal Pradesh. It followed the Indo-Pakistani War of 1971, which began after India intervened in East Pakistan as an ally of Bengali rebels who were fighting against Pakistani state forces in the Bangladesh Liberation War. The Indian intervention proved decisive in the war and led to East Pakistan's breakaway from its union with West Pakistan and the emergence of the independent state of Bangladesh.
The independence of Bangladesh was declared from Pakistan on 26 March 1971, celebrated as Independence Day. The Bangladesh Liberation War started on 26 March and lasted till 16 December 1971 which is celebrated as Victory Day in Bangladesh. In the early hours of March 26, 1971, the undisputed leader of Bengali, Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, declared independence before being arrested by the Pakistani army. Later many others declared on behalf of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman.
The Bangladesh genocide was the ethnic cleansing of Bengalis, especially Bengali Hindus, residing in East Pakistan during the Bangladesh Liberation War, perpetrated by the Pakistan Armed Forces and the Razakars. It began on 25 March 1971, as Operation Searchlight was launched by West Pakistan to militarily subdue the Bengali population of East Pakistan; the Bengalis comprised the demographic majority and had been calling for independence from the Pakistani state. Seeking to curtail the Bengali self-determination movement, erstwhile Pakistani president Yahya Khan approved a large-scale military deployment, and in the nine-month-long conflict that ensued, Pakistani soldiers and local pro-Pakistan militias killed between 300,000 and 3,000,000 Bengalis and raped between 200,000 and 400,000 Bengali women in a systematic campaign of mass murder and genocidal sexual violence. In their investigation of the genocide, the Geneva-based International Commission of Jurists concluded that Pakistan's campaign involved the attempt to exterminate or forcibly remove a significant portion of the country's Hindu populace.
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