not only were most East Bengal Muslims based in rural areas. there was no growing urban center at all as the the ones from Muslim era were in so much decay. so it would only make sense to assume EB Muslims became almost wholly based outside the decaying urban centers. the only notable urban setup was Calcutta that was the 'Dhaka' of that time
the Aligarh was not only confined to UP. it also had establishment in Calcutta. that is where many EB Muslims would go to for studies. i think the bigger problem that kept EB Muslims rife with illiteracy was our sheer population size. it was something presence of institutions in Calcutta and UP wasn't able to fix. from what i learned, from my own extended family/vilage the people who were able to get education in Calcutta and UP had a profound positive effect on the community when they returned to their EB village. but maybe there just was not enough of those educated people to carry the entire region, the effects of which became clear after 1947. just my thoughts
There was a population explosion in Bengal during the 1920's. However, this trend wasn't noticeable in West Bengal due to a severe malaria epidemic. The population increase in East Bengal was in a big way due to a lucrative agricultural potential over there.
Congress Politics in Bengal 1919-1939 - Srilata Chatterjee - Google Books
A villager at the time would say: "What benefit would I get from going and paying for education when I'm doing great as a farmer?"
This short-sighted ideal still exist to this very day. For the record, the only parties that are effectively doing something and bringing some results are those NGOs', both foreign and local.
Though, one great advancement in East Bengal over the generations are the rights of women. That aspect had indeed come a long way. Lack of women's empowerment was another reason for EB to fall behind. Though, there's still a long way to go.
Begum Rokeya was not a Bengali nationalist.
there was quite a large phenomenon that also happened around the time of the "second blow" as you said. too many people were uprooted around 1971 and forced to migrate to WP/Pakistan and even India. a lot of them were Muslim families who trace their roots in Bengal beyond memory or record, but became Mohajirs of Karachi. to think of the amount of intellectual wealth and heritage we lost as a region, besides very people who directly contributed to the 1947 map of Bangladesh, makes me sick to the stomach. not all blows were the making of alien outsiders, some were purely the making of our own weakness that came in the form of Bengali ethno-linguistic extremism in the 1960s and around 1971 that continues even today
Well, there was a huge power vacuum after the 71' War. The incapable ones (including Mujib) simply took that vacuum. Why did those intellectuals simply run away? Fear of death? It is true that many were slain by God knows who. And many would be threatened if they ever returned.
Bengali nationalism itself is foreign. Who said that it originated from East Bengalis? It never did. And neither did the West Bengalis ever embrace it from where it originated from. The East Bengalis had very little part to play in the "Bengal Renaissance" which is a key aspect of Bengali Nationalism.
There are educated people in Bangladesh, though, many always run after money with a casual disregard for the greater society. Or maybe, simply not enough power. Even fear. The factor that exacerbates the problems in the greater society of Bangladesh is in large part due to politics. The BNP is not a solution to the problem, but instead make it worse.
You name it, an Imam caught smuggling gold. Bankers carrying out white collar heists in their own banks. Traffic police accepting bribes from beggars. And what not. This all due to the people in power.
The only question is: What is the solution to fix the problem of power?
OT topic: so you see how history repeats itself - observe what's going on now. Give one group a few more dollars and all of a sudden they will start to discriminate. By reliable accounts - I understand a large majority of almost all District Commissioner and Superintendent of Police positions in Bangladesh have now gone to Hindus - thanks to the Hasina Govt.
Demographic-wise, Awami League generally prefer Hindus over Muslims.
Have lost your meds?
