B A N G L A D E S H L I B E R ATI O N

WAR
I N D I A - PAK I S TAN W AR o f 1 9 7 1
Dr. Mahipal Singh
Rathore
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 Partition - 1947
• Muslim majority East Bengal included
in Dominion of Pakistan.
• East Pakistan had no geographical
connect with west.
• Ruling elite from West in the central
govt.
The Discrimination with East
• Population – 60%
• Budget spending ~ 30%
• Exports – 70%

Bangla recognised as official language

in 1956 only after a long protests.
 AWAMI LEAGUE
• Bengali nationalist party
• Wanted autonomy
• Leader-
SHEIKH MUJIB-UR-REHMAN
 6 Point Movement - 1966
• Federal state
• Apart from defence and foreign affairs, all
subjects to states.
• Separate currency and fiscal policy
• Taxation powers
• Trade with foreign nations and separate forex
reserve
• Separate military and navy
 Meanwhile in the ‘WEST’
• 1969 Ayub Khan --- Yahya khan
• Zulfikar Ali Bhutto – Pakistan People’s
party
• Elections to the national assembly
and provincial assemblies slated for
1970
 The ELECTIONS
Population of East >> West
Number of seats East >> West
162 138
• Floods in 1970
• Cyclone Bhola –November 1970 – 3-5
lakh deaths

• Yahya khan’s govt did not provide

adequate relief
• PPP won 81 out of 138 seats in West Pak.
• Awami League won 160 out of 162 in East
Pak

• Postponement of National assembly

inauguration by Yahya khan.
• Negotiations for sharing of power - fail
• Both Mujib and Bhutto jailed by the
president

• Strikes and protests in East Pakistan

• A.L. starts operating as a quasi
government
• Pakistan army and administration
suppress the protests using force.
• 26 march 1971- A.L. announces
secession

• OPERATION SEARCHLIGHT by
Pakistani army begins
 The GENOCIDE
• From March to December, the Army and
west-Pakistan backed militias kill a large
number of Bengali intelligentsia,
nationalist civilians, students, Awami
league supporters and Hindus .
• 3-5 lakh killed
• 2-4 lakh Bengali women raped
 MUKTI BAHINI
Resistance movement members form MUKTI
BAHINI - Guerrilla warfare against Pak army

Indian govt provides help to Mukti Bahini

covertly.

Awami league members also form a

government-in-exile in India.
Indian Intervention
• Initially neutral.
• 10 million refugees flee to
India as civil war raged.
• The refugees put a huge
strain on resources of
bordering states.
• Diplomatic and economic
support as atrocities
started. Raised plight at
UN and with other nations.
 The WAR BEGINS
• On 3 December ,Pakistan air force
raided Indian air bases near the
western frontier, as a pre emptive
strike.

• India launches full blown attack on

western front as well as on the
Famous battles-
• Chamb
• Basantsar
• Longewala
• Hilli
 Naval engagements
• Operation Trident- attack on Karachi naval
port- many ships sunk
• December 4 – Navy day

USS enterprise of US Navy tried to blockade

India but Soviet navy held them off in BAY
OF BENGAL
16 December – Fall of
DHAKA
• Lt. Gen. AAK Niazi, commander of
Pakistan army in East surrenders to
Lt. Gen. J.S. Aurora
With 90,000 PoWs
’BANGBANDHU’ Sheikh Mujibur
rehman comes to power on 12
January 1972.
(Killed in a coup in 1975)

Yahya khan resigns and leaves power

to Z.A. Bhutto.(Hanged to death by
 Shimla Agreement
2 July 1972

Major points
• Recognition of LoC
• India gave back occupied land back to Pak.
• PoWs repatriated.
• Kashmir issue- peaceful bilateral negotiations
Dr. Mahipal Singh
Rathore

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