In March 1971, another conflict was added to the Cold War landscape: the Bangladesh Liberation War. Bangladesh’s declaration of independence from Pakistan on March 26 was not, however, a bolt from the blue: in fact, tensions between the countries go back a long way.
The roots of the conflict can be traced to the partition of British India in 1947, after 300 years of colonial rule. This division resulted in two separate states, India and Pakistan. East Bengal, a region inhabited mainly by Muslims who speak the Bengali language (or Bengali), became part of Pakistan, namely East Pakistan – despite the fact that almost 1,600 kilometers of Indian territory lie between it and West Pakistan .
However, geographical boundaries were not the only thing that separated the two regions. After the 1947 partition, socio-economic disparities between East and West Pakistan became increasingly apparent, with East Pakistanis excluded from economic opportunities and political representation. On the other hand, the central government in West Pakistan, consisting of an Urdu-speaking elite, clearly neglected the interests of the Bengali-speaking population in the east.
The frustration and discontent of the population of Bengal escalated, culminating in the manifestation of the Six Point Movement. The brainchild of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, head of the Awami League party, a major political voice advocating the rights of East Pakistanis, it aimed to grant East Pakistan substantial autonomy within a federal framework.
However, the refusal of the ruling authorities in West Pakistan to address the grievances of East Pakistan further fueled tensions. In fact, the situation was further aggravated by the suppression of political dissent by the Pakistani military. On 7 March 1971, Sheikh Mujibur delivered a historic speech at the Racecourse Ground (present-day Suhrawardy Udyan) in Dhaka, calling for non-cooperation with the central government and exhorting the people to prepare for the struggle for independence.
As negotiations between East and West Pakistan broke down, the situation reached a tipping point. On the night of March 25, 1971, the Pakistani military launched Operation Searchlight, a brutal operation aimed at suppressing the Bengali nationalist movement. The Pakistani military’s actions that night included widespread arrests of political leaders, intellectuals and activists supporting the autonomy movement. In addition, Pakistani forces carried out mass killings, indiscriminately targeting civilians and committing various atrocities, including rape and arson.
The brutal violence unleashed by the Pakistani military acted as a catalyst for the escalation of hostilities and the formal declaration of independence by the Awami League on 26 March 1971. In turn, this declaration mobilized the population of Bengal, leading to widespread protests and resistance against Pakistani military forces. The formation of the Mukti Bahini (Liberation Army) marked the beginning of the armed struggle for liberation. Despite being outnumbered, the Mukti Bahini, with Indian support, engaged in guerrilla warfare against the Pakistani forces.
Pakistan’s Liberation War was one of the most important humanitarian crises of the 20th century. The indiscriminate violence and atrocities committed by the Pakistan Army have resulted in millions of deaths and displacement. Millions of refugees fled to neighboring India, seeking refuge.
After nine months of incessant fighting, Bangladesh emerged as an independent nation on December 16, 1971, following India’s military intervention. The Bangladesh War of Independence was one of the conflicts of the Cold War world: the United States, supporting Pakistan, provided diplomatic and military assistance to the Pakistani government during hostilities. Meanwhile, India, which generally played an important role in supporting the Bengali nationalists, pursued a non-aligned foreign policy but leaned towards the Soviet Union for support. However, this war changed the dynamics of regional powers, in a world that was still being formed.
Column editor: Myrto Katsigera, Vassilis Minakakis, Antigoni-Despina Poimenidou, Athanasios Syroplakis