East Pakistan

East Pakistan, which is now Bangladesh, was the eastern region of Pakistan, created from the eastern half of the Bengal region of British India in 1947.

After division of British India, East Pakistan was dominated and neglected by West Pakistan. The frequent exploitation of the majority Bengalis by the minority non-Bengalis (ie, Pakistanis) infuriated sensible people on both sides of Pakistan. The tensions peaked in 1971, following an open, non-democratic denial by Pakistani president Yahiya Khan, a military ruler, of election results that gave Awami League an overwhelming majority in the parliament. Under the leadership of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, the Father of the Nation, Bangladesh started its struggle for independence. The official onset followed one of the bloodiest genocides of recent times carried out by the Pakistan army on innocent Bengali civilians on March 25, 1971.

Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, being identified as a major influencer of the Bengalis, was arrested by the Pakistani Government. Ziaur Rahman, an army major then, and President of Bangladesh much later, declared the Independence of Bangladesh, on behalf of great national leader Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, using a makeshift radio transmitter from the Port city of Chittagong. With help of Bengali officers in the army, support of civilians and military/humanitarian aid from India, Bangladesh quickly put together Mukti Bahini (Freedom Fighters), an armed group formed mostly of young students, workers, farmers and other civilians. It also started Bangladeshs' War of Liberation. Mukti Bahini, with the help of over 400,000 Indian troops which invaded the country, faced the Pakistani army of 80,000. Within weeks of the Indian invasion, the Pakistan army was defeated, and surrendered on 16 December 1971. And East Pakistan was named as Bangladesh.