East Pakistan secedes, provoking a military response from its western counterpart.
When East Pakistan's political leaders issued a declaration of independence from Pakistan, the move came as great surprise. since its creation in 947, Pakistan was an unpolitical entity, with two territories separated by more than 1,000 miles (1,600 km) of Indian land. Apart from the Islamic religion, the two parts had little in common. West Pakistan politically dominated the two-winged state. the more populous East received much less than half of government spending, was underrepresented in the military, face discrimination in the award of government contracts, and had its political leadership marginalized. The inept government response to the 1970 cyclone was for many the final straw. In the elections, the separatist East Pakistan Awami League won a landslide victory and had an overall majority in the National Assembly. The military simply refused to accept the results. The declaration of independence was an expected reply.
The government in West Pakistan, of course, was not prepared to leave such a challenge unanswered. It had already begun to lunch a brutal campaign of repression. A primary victim was the Hindu minority.The hurriedly raised Mukti Bahini (Liberation force) fought back using guerrilla warfare. The issue would eventually be decided by India, who, incensed by the attacks on Hindus and by the military buildup in the East, intervened in December. They rapidly advanced and took Dacca (Dhaka) within days. The new nation of Bangladesh had become a reality.
When East Pakistan's political leaders issued a declaration of independence from Pakistan, the move came as great surprise. since its creation in 947, Pakistan was an unpolitical entity, with two territories separated by more than 1,000 miles (1,600 km) of Indian land. Apart from the Islamic religion, the two parts had little in common. West Pakistan politically dominated the two-winged state. the more populous East received much less than half of government spending, was underrepresented in the military, face discrimination in the award of government contracts, and had its political leadership marginalized. The inept government response to the 1970 cyclone was for many the final straw. In the elections, the separatist East Pakistan Awami League won a landslide victory and had an overall majority in the National Assembly. The military simply refused to accept the results. The declaration of independence was an expected reply.
The government in West Pakistan, of course, was not prepared to leave such a challenge unanswered. It had already begun to lunch a brutal campaign of repression. A primary victim was the Hindu minority.The hurriedly raised Mukti Bahini (Liberation force) fought back using guerrilla warfare. The issue would eventually be decided by India, who, incensed by the attacks on Hindus and by the military buildup in the East, intervened in December. They rapidly advanced and took Dacca (Dhaka) within days. The new nation of Bangladesh had become a reality.
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