The Bangladesh Liberation War (1971-1971) occurred after Partition, where West and East Pakistan began to experience conflict and discontent due to its geographic separation and its economic, language, ethnic, and religious differences. Bengali nationalists advocated for self-determination and independence from West Pakistan. In 1970, Pakistan’s General Election granted Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, a Bengali from East Pakistan, a majority. Deliberations over forming a government failed, prompting West Pakistan to instigate a crackdown in East Pakistan with increased military presence and martial law. On March 25, 1971, Sheikh Mujib declared Bangladesh independent.
Bengali nationalists urged resistance and used guerrilla tactics to combat the East Pakistani military, which began to weaponize violence and engage in massacres. East Pakistan committed genocide, targeting Bengali people. Millions of Bengali refugees fled to India, prompting India’s involvement as an ally. Pakistan surrendered on December 16, 1971, in Dhaka, the site of horrific massacres, which officially cemented Bangladesh as an independent and sovereign nation.
FURTHER READING
Raghavan, Srinath. 1971. Harvard University Press, 2013.
McDermott, Rachel Fell, Leonard A. Gordon, Ainslie T. Embree, Frances W. Pritchett, and Dennis Dalton, eds. “BANGLADESH: Independence and Controversies Over the Fruits of Freedom.” In Sources of Indian Traditions: Modern India, Pakistan, and Bangladesh, 3rd ed., 833–98. Columbia University Press, 2014.
Bass, Gary Jonathan. The Blood Telegram : Nixon, Kissinger, and a Forgotten Genocide. First edition. New York: Alfred A Knopf, 2013.