The social and economic marginalization of the Bengali population in East Pakistan is widely regarded as a key factor that led to the dismemberment of the country in 1971. This marginalization was not simply a product of the political disagreements between the two wings of Pakistan, but rather, a deep-rooted issue that stemmed from years of inequality, neglect, and underrepresentation. A study by the Centre for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) in 2019 highlighted that the centralization of power in West Pakistan exacerbated the feelings of alienation in East Pakistan, contributing directly to the secessionist movement. When a group feels excluded from economic opportunities, social recognition, and political power, it often leads to instability, as it did in the case of East Pakistan.
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At the time of the partition in 1947, the Muslim-majority region of Bengal had hoped for a better future in the newly established state of Pakistan. This hope, however, quickly gave way to a series of frustrations and disappointments, particularly as the state’s policies increasingly ignored the cultural, social, and economic realities of the East Wing. The Pakistan Economic Survey 2020-21 found that economic development in East Pakistan lagged behind the western regions, despite its contribution to Pakistan’s economy, particularly in agricultural sectors like jute. The consequences of this marginalization became painfully clear in 1971, when East Pakistan became the independent state of Bangladesh. To understand how this disintegration came about, one must look closely at the social and economic inequalities that plagued the relationship between East and West Pakistan.
Before the partition, East Bengal, now Bangladesh, was already economically disadvantaged compared to the western regions of the Indian Subcontinent. The Hindu elite dominated the economic landscape of the region, while the majority of the population consisted of Muslim peasants and laborers. In this context, the promise of independence for Muslims from British rule, based on religious solidarity, was crucial for the Bengali Muslims. Research by the World Bank in 2020 indicated that East Bengal’s economic system was primarily agricultural, with little industrialization, leaving it dependent on Western Pakistan for industrial outputs and trade. They sought not just religious unity, but also the recognition of their cultural and ethnic identity. However, what followed was a series of political decisions that failed to address the aspirations of the Bengali population.
The central issue was the social marginalization of the Bengalis in the early years of Pakistan’s formation. Following the creation of Pakistan in 1947, the East Wing, despite being home to the majority of the country’s population, found itself sidelined in the political system. According to the 1951 census, East Pakistan accounted for over 50% of the population, but only 20% of the positions in government offices and military roles were held by Bengalis. There were few representations of Bengalis in the country’s key decision-making bodies, such as the army, the civil service, and the police. This underrepresentation led to a widespread feeling of alienation among the people of East Bengal. Moreover, the lack of political clout only intensified the feeling that the East Wing’s concerns were being ignored by the central government in West Pakistan.
One of the key factors that contributed to the social marginalization of the Bengalis was their exclusion from important political and military posts. Despite being the majority population in the country, Bengalis were disproportionately underrepresented in high-ranking positions. In the early 1950s, for instance, there were only a handful of Bengali officers in the Pakistan Army. The Pakistan Army’s composition in the early 1950s showed that fewer than 5% of its officers were Bengali, despite the East Wing having a larger population than the West. This imbalance in representation created deep resentment and fueled the perception that the political and military elites in Pakistan were biased in favor of the western wing. Furthermore, this underrepresentation was exacerbated by the decision to impose the One Unit system in 1955, which merged all four provinces of Pakistan into one unit. This decision, while intended to streamline the country’s administrative structure, effectively diminished the political power of East Bengal, which had been the most populous region of Pakistan.
Moreover, the controversy over language further alienated the people of East Bengal. In 1948, Pakistan’s founder, Muhammad Ali Jinnah, declared Urdu to be the sole national language of Pakistan, a decision that was deeply unpopular in East Bengal, where Bengali was the mother tongue of the majority. The language dispute led to the first major protest of 1952 in Dhaka, where hundreds of Bengali students were killed by police while demanding the recognition of Bengali as one of the state languages. The people of East Bengal saw this decision as an attempt to suppress their cultural identity and language. This led to widespread protests, particularly among students in Dhaka, who argued that their language should be recognized as the official language of the country. The government’s refusal to accommodate the demands of the Bengalis only intensified their sense of alienation and deepened the divide between East and West Pakistan. Furthermore, the government’s failure to address the language issue effectively led to a sense of distrust between the two wings, with the Bengalis feeling increasingly marginalized.
The economic marginalization of East Pakistan was another crucial factor that contributed to the collapse of the political system. The region was home to the majority of Pakistan’s agricultural output, including jute, which was a major source of revenue for the country. However, despite the importance of East Bengal’s agricultural sector to the economy, the wealth generated by this industry was largely controlled by the central government in West Pakistan. The World Bank’s 1965 report on Pakistan indicated that 70% of the national jute revenue was being transferred to the western regions, further fueling resentment in the East. The profits from jute exports were largely funneled to the western wing, which led to a growing sense of economic exploitation among the people of East Bengal. In the 1960s, under the regime of Ayub Khan, East Pakistan’s economic situation worsened. The central government’s policies of economic centralization meant that the wealth generated by East Bengal was used to fund the development of the western regions of Pakistan, leaving East Bengal underdeveloped and economically deprived.
This economic imbalance was further compounded by the fiscal policies of the government. For instance, between 1956 and 1961, the government allocated a disproportionately small share of the national budget to the development of East Pakistan. Moreover, despite the fact that East Bengal generated a significant portion of the country’s wealth, its share of the national income was far smaller than that of the western provinces. The 1961 Economic Survey of Pakistan reported that East Pakistan’s share of national income was only 18%, despite its economic contribution being far higher. This economic disparity fueled a sense of injustice and resentment, which only grew over time. In 1965, when East Pakistan sought military and financial support from the central government during the Indo-Pakistani war, the central government’s response was inadequate. The people of East Bengal felt abandoned during this critical period, which further eroded their trust in the government.
The sense of alienation in East Bengal was also exacerbated by the central government’s neglect during natural disasters. In 1970, a devastating cyclone struck the coastal areas of East Pakistan, killing hundreds of thousands of people. Despite the magnitude of the disaster, the central government’s response was slow and ineffective. The UN’s report on the 1970 cyclone found that West Pakistan’s government response was delayed by more than a week, which led to unnecessary loss of life. This neglect further deepened the divide between East and West Pakistan and reinforced the perception that the people of East Bengal were not valued by the state. Moreover, the failure of the central government to provide adequate relief for the victims of the cyclone further cemented the idea that the government in West Pakistan was indifferent to the plight of the people in the East.
In the political sphere, the growing dissatisfaction with the central government’s policies ultimately led to a shift towards Bengali nationalism. The general election of 1970, in which the Awami League, led by Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, won a sweeping victory in East Pakistan, was a turning point. The 1970 General Election results showed that the Awami League won 160 out of 162 seats allocated to East Pakistan, further solidifying the demands for greater autonomy. The Awami League’s success was based on its platform of greater autonomy for East Bengal and the recognition of the region’s distinct cultural and economic needs. However, when the central government in West Pakistan refused to acknowledge the results of the election and failed to transfer power to the Awami League, the stage was set for the political crisis that would ultimately lead to the break-up of Pakistan.
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The refusal of the central government to recognize the demands of the Bengalis, both in terms of political autonomy and economic equity, led to the declaration of independence by East Pakistan in 1971. According to the UN, the Pakistani military’s brutal crackdown on East Bengal following the declaration of independence resulted in the deaths of an estimated 300,000 people. The subsequent military crackdown by the Pakistani army, which sought to suppress the independence movement, resulted in widespread violence and the deaths of thousands of people. In the end, the people of East Pakistan, disillusioned by years of neglect and marginalization, succeeded in establishing Bangladesh as an independent state.
In conclusion, the marginalization of the Bengalis in both social and economic spheres played a central role in the collapse of Pakistan’s political system in 1971. The 1971 Bangladesh Liberation War is a testament to the deep-rooted economic and social inequality that fostered the eventual disintegration of Pakistan. The failure of the central government to address the demands of the East Wing for greater political representation, economic equity, and cultural recognition created an environment of frustration and alienation. Furthermore, the government’s failure to respond effectively to the needs of the people in East Pakistan, both in times of political crisis and natural disasters, ultimately led to the disintegration of the country. The events of 1971 serve as a stark reminder of the dangers of ignoring the aspirations of marginalized ethnic groups and the importance of addressing social and economic inequalities in order to maintain national unity and stability.
