16th December 1971: From East Pakistan to Bangladesh

[Shahzaz ud din]

GLIMPSES OF THE EAST PAKISTAN:

Pakistani banknotes included Bengali script until 1971

Baitul Mukarram Market Area, Dacca, 1967

Chittagong Port in 1960

Central business district in Dacca, 1960s

Entrance to the Adamjee Jute Mills, the world's largest jute processing plant, in 1950

President Ayub Khan (left) with Bengali industrialist Abul Kashem Khan (right) in Chittagong

The Kaptai Dam in 1965

Elizabeth II, seen here visiting Chittagong in 1961, was East Pakistan's queen until 1956.

Suhrawardy (middle) with US President Dwight D. Eisenhower and Secretary of State John Foster Dulles

 

[Species]

It was not the PA troops that committed the 14th December killing. It was the anti-Bangladesh Bihari people in Mirpur, who did it. They resisted against the Muktis probably until 20th December. This is the place where the famous Zahir Raihan went to record the battle accounts for his documentary film. He was killed in a cross fight, and was probably killed by a bullet shot by the Bihari group. However, gossip mongers in BD has been telling that he was killed by the Mujib Bahini, because he was recording all the misdeeds by the Awami Leaguers during 1971.

And according to some accounts of Indian Army officers deployed at that time (could be found in this forum), the Indian troops were guarding the Bihari colonies after the war to 'protect' them from retaliatory attacks.

This is becoming more and more clearer.

I believe, there was some sort of hidden agreement between Indian and Pakistan forces to execute this action that would benefit both of them.

 

[Homo Sapiens]

GLIMPSES OF THE EAST PAKISTAN:

Can you guess who is just right side of the M.A Jinnah?

 

[Shahzaz ud din]

Can you guess who is just right side of the M.A Jinnah?

We used to call him shere bangal moulvi A.K Fazal ul Haq

 

[Centaur]

We used to call him shere bangal moulvi A.K Fazal ul Haq

And also the greatest Bengali speaking leader . And also the greatest leader of the oppressed common folks of British India .

 

[Homo Sapiens]

We used to call him shere bangal moulvi A.K Fazal ul Haq

Exactly! Another 2 Bengali muslim leader who played a very important role in creating Pakistan was HS Suhrawardy and Khawja Nazimuddin.Both of them lead Bengali muslim towards a separate muslim homeland as a Muslim league PM of Bengal before 1947.After 1947, Khawaja Nazimuddin serves as a CM of East Bengal, he succeeded Q.A.M.A Jinnah after his death as a governor General of Pakistan.After Liaquat Ali Khan's assassination he step down from his post and took over the Prime ministership of Pakistan.H.S Suhrawardy became President of Pakistan in 1956.A.K Fazlul haque served as a CM of East Pakistan.Another 2 Bengali leader, Mohammad Ali Bogra and Iskander Mirza, Mohammad Ali Bogra helped Pakistan to foster close economic and military relation with US and provided 'Bogra formula' to solve the constitutional problem regarding representation from East and West Pakistan. Iskander Mirza, who was a military general under the the British, he played an important role in dividing British Indian army, air force and navy between India and Pakistan during partition.After that he served as a governor of East Pakistan and then became President of Pakistan.He was the President who had to hand over power to Ayub Khan.

If you look at first 11 years of Pakistan, Both Bengali and west Pakistani leaders led Pakistan.There was not much resentment in East Pakistan and they thought Pakistan as their own country, own responsibility to make it better and fair.Economic and other imbalance were present, but they hoped to correct it by constitutional means and never thought about seeking separation.Situation became worse when Ayub and Yahia made Bengali people totally powerless and irrelevant in Pakistani affairs.Even in 1970 election, people of East Pakistan wanted a constitutional safe guard of the interest of their province rather than secession.But things gone out of control when Generals and Bhutto colluded and start acting arrogant of not giving any chance of elected representative from East Pakistan.They put faith in force rather than reason. Whatever, outcome turn out to be very favorable for us for their arrogance when we got an independent country of our own.

 

[bluesky]

And according to some accounts of Indian Army officers deployed at that time (could be found in this forum), the Indian troops were guarding the Bihari colonies after the war to 'protect' them from retaliatory attacks.

This is becoming more and more clearer.

I believe, there was some sort of hidden agreement between Indian and Pakistan forces to execute this action that would benefit both of them.

It is true that the IA troops were protecting the Biharis. But, it was very usual for India to stop the cycles of killings as the main war had ended. This decision by the IA generals to take a neutral role was praiseworthy. Otherwise, the country would have fallen into many rounds of killing and counter killing.

About hidden agreement, I do not think it was nefarious for the PA generals if they had requested the IA generals to stop the wanton killing of non-Bengalis. Tit for tat actions are not desirable. Both the Biharis and Bangalis killed each other during the war. It was no more needed to take vengeful action after the war.

 

[Centaur]

I believe, there was some sort of hidden agreement between Indian and Pakistan forces to execute this action that would benefit both of them.

Not really . Mukti thugs were terribly amateur lungi clowns.
If Indian army wouldn't guard biharis ,then mukti terrorist would annihilated bihahirs and indian army would be accused as war criminals dew to commit a real genocide on biharis .
That's why indian troops had no other option but to protect biharis as the first duty of professional soldiers.
Otherwise mukti brutal amateur gang was enough to turn Indian victory into disaster.
Even sadharon ansar bahini of Bangladesh receive 2 months of training under army.
And mukti mobs got 45 days guerilla training ,that was basically training of loot and committing crimes against Pakistan government and killing ,and torturing East Pakistani civilians, and nothing else .
After all they were no better than those goons hired by Tareq Rahman during 2014-15 endless strike from BNP gang .remember tarq Zia gang would be another mukti faouz if there would be another civil war in 2014-15 when BNP gang was killing peopels with petrol bomb.

 

[Species]

It is true that the IA troops were protecting the Biharis. But, it was very usual for India to stop the cycles of killings as the main war had ended. This decision by the IA generals to take a neutral role was praiseworthy. Otherwise, the country would have fallen into many rounds of killing and counter killing.

About hidden agreement, I do not think it was nefarious for the PA generals if they had requested the IA generals to stop the wanton killing of non-Bengalis. Tit for tat actions are not desirable. Both the Biharis and Bangalis killed each other during the war. It was no more needed to take vengeful action after the war.

By the agreement I actually referred to the intellectual killings. As stated in my earlier post, the event benefited both India and Pakistan.

 

[bluesky]

By the agreement I actually referred to the intellectual killings. As stated in my earlier post, the event benefited both India and Pakistan.

Intellectual killing was not done by the PA troops. It was done by the Biharis.

 

[bdslph]

its sad the to see the JUTE MILL CLOSED
there was a Pakistani Rich man wanted to buy it and run it after it went closed the gov didnot give it
this jute mill has a long history of good things but its dead now sadly

 

[Bilal9]

GLIMPSES OF THE EAST PAKISTAN:

PIA used to operate the world's largest and most extensive Helicopter service in East Pakistan at that time using Sikorsky S-61N helis which were capable of landing on water if necessary.

It is interesting to note that improvements in road communications have rendered most of the shorter routes served then as unnecessary, but newer/longer routes were created and are now served by larger 50~70 seater small jets and turboprops, and in some cases even by widebody jets. There are numerous private airlines.

F28's aren't operated anymore, Embraer ERJ's, Baby Boeings and turboprops instead.

Not to mention a thriving corporate aviation scene

 

[Bilal9]

Pakistani banknotes included Bengali script until 1971

Today...

Baitul Mukarram Market Area, Dacca, 1967

Looks like this nowadays

Chittagong Port in 1960

Scope of operations improved manyfold....CTG is now one of the busiest container ports in the Bay of Bengal, except Colombo.

Central business district in Dacca, 1960s

Today....

Entrance to the Adamjee Jute Mills, the world's largest jute processing plant, in 1950

Well they turned Adamjee Jute Mills into an Export Processing Zone (EPZ), or as they are known now, Special Economic Zone (SEZ).

Old Jute lines from the 50's are no more - new buildings taking their place.

 

[Bilal9]

President Ayub Khan (left) with Bengali industrialist Abul Kashem Khan (right) in Chittagong

AK Khan Company is involved in many JV's nowadays including Telekom Malaysia for GSM Cellphone Telecommunications, Mitsui and Maruha of Japan for deep-sea fishing, Coats of U.K for textile thread production, Pen-fabric of Malaysia for specialised textile yarns. Abul Kashem Khan Sahab pictured above of course passed away but the business has diversified many-fold and his children and grandchildren are deeply involved in local business scene in Chittagong.

Two of the larger business undertakings are, one JV with CEAT tires and another one (more recently) to develop ten special economic zones around the country (huge undertaking).

CEAT AKKHAN LTD is a joint venture company of CEAT Ltd. (India) and A K KHAN Co. Ltd (Bangladesh). They are setting up a state of the art tyre manufacturing facility in Bangladesh. It is the largest investment in Bangladesh' manufacturing sector, by any Indian company in Bangladesh with an investment value of BDT 424 Crore. This project will be an economic boost to Bangladesh by saving foreign exchange through import substitution and reducing trade deficit with India by exporting 30% of the production to India. Local rubber plantations may be expanded and utilized.

Inauguration ceremony of 10 SEZ's by AK Khan last year

The Kaptai Dam in 1965

79000 cusecs of water leaving 16 gates of Kaptai dam in rainy season as of August this year.

 

[Homo Sapiens]

Not really . Mukti thugs were terribly amateur lungi clowns.
If Indian army wouldn't guard biharis ,then mukti terrorist would annihilated bihahirs and indian army would be accused as war criminals dew to commit a real genocide on biharis .
That's why indian troops had no other option but to protect biharis as the first duty of professional soldiers.
Otherwise mukti brutal amateur gang was enough to turn Indian victory into disaster.
Even sadharon ansar bahini of Bangladesh receive 2 months of training under army.
And mukti mobs got 45 days guerilla training ,that was basically training of loot and committing crimes against Pakistan government and killing ,and torturing East Pakistani civilians, and nothing else .
After all they were no better than those goons hired by Tareq Rahman during 2014-15 endless strike from BNP gang .remember tarq Zia gang would be another mukti faouz if there would be another civil war in 2014-15 when BNP gang was killing peopels with petrol bomb.

A very disgraceful post.Insulting freedom fighters is the tantamount of insulting Bangladesh.Even if some Mukti Bahini freedom fighters did some questionable deed, it's his personal fault, Mukti Bahini as a whole was a force of good, right and just cause.You can't claim to be a patriot Bangladeshi while abusing our freedom fighters.There are certain red line which should not be crossed if you want to represent Bangladesh rather than Pakistan.