Bangladesh in South Asia

East Pakistan and problem of

national integration
 East Pakistan comprised one-sixth of total land area of
Pakistan. Shared 1000 miles border with India, no land
connectivity with west wing.
 Over half of Pakistan's population.
 Population density :
East pakistan:1000-plus/ sq. Mile, 27% minorities
West Pakistan: 300/sq. Mile 3% minorities
 Geographically diverse, shared 1000
 Ethnically homogenous with 80% Bengali population,
 Difference in political culture: west wing, feudal/military
elites
 East wing : peasant proprieties‘: majority held land size of
5 acres
 Economic imbalance
Bangladesh turned 52 on 23rd of March,
2022.
1970s witness, 1st general election in
Pakistan, 1st civilian marshal law
administrator, 1st secessionist movement
in post-colonial subcontinent.
December 1970, first general election
based on universal suffrage in Pakistan.
West Pakistan: Bhutto succeeds- Quaid e
awam
 East Pakistan: Mujeeb ur Rheman- Bangla
Bandho
“Two nation theory, formulated in middle class
drawing rooms of Uttar-Pardesh was buried in the
Bangali countryside.” Tariq Ali
“Patient in last stages of tuberculosis” Bhutto
Haroon Rashid :
“it was not the geography that separated the
two units, but that people had different ethnicity,
identity, language, culture, history and
traditions.”
in conjunction with
 “a petit bourgeoisies class who aligned itself on
self-image of protector of Bengali culture”
Creation of Bangladesh
Underlying Causes:
Ideological schism:
a) Inevitable
b) The disparity
 The rift began with language movement 1948-1952
‘a nationalist ideology without a mass movement’
 Shift from ‘linguistic regionalism’ to ‘nationalism’
 Psychological rift + Economic disparities
 Rejection of ‘unity in diversity’ in favour of ‘centralised
system’
 Repression of political sentiments by executive orders in
1954 and 1958
 Lack of political and cultural accommodation
‘A classic case of rising expectation and rising frustration’
Contributing causes
Impact of 1965 war:
Dominant discourse :
 1965 conflict was unpopular in east Pakistan. (U.S.
State department documents reveal otherwise)
Bengalis had no emotional connection to Kashmir cause.
Uncovered geographical isolations and vulnerability of
east Pakistan. (1 infantry unit, elements of tank
regiment and a squadron of F-86 sabre jets) against
vast Indian army
Lessons of self reliance- emboldening of Bengali
activists
Economic depression following war, further diversion of
resources to west Pakistan military
Immediate causes
 Bhola cyclone 1970 :
 Deadliest tropical cyclone and natural disasters ever
recorded.
 At least 5,00,000 people lost their lives, primarily due to the
storm surge that flooded much of the low-lying islands of the
Ganges delta.
 Government in west Pakistan : delayed handling of the relief
operations.
‘gross neglect, callous inattention and utter
indifference’
International aid organisations (CARE, Red Cross severed ties
with govt.)
 White paper on crisis on East Pakistan:
 Indian ‘collusion’ with ‘anti-state elements’ in East Pakistan.
 Agartala Conspirarcy
Agartala conspiracy
 Secret meetings between Mujeeb; Awami national party
members and representative of Indian govt.
 Sheikh Mujeeb imprisoned in 1966-1968.
 Intention of Ayub regime : delegitimization of nationalist
movement.
 Insufficient evidence, weak case : proved counter productive
 Hearing in open court : evidence of police tortures (murder
of one defendant sergeant zahur-rul-haq)
 Inflaming of nationalist sentiments : rise in student
movement: 11 points
 Ayub drops case: Mujeeb emerges victorious
 Round conference : demands of complete provincial
autonomy
 Subsequent election-deadlock- war 1971
Bangladesh at Present
Economically
 “Poorest country at independence” “basket case”
 Declared low-income nation by the World Bank, Bangladesh
is a part of the “Next 11” (N-11);
 The term issued for nations with the largest population and
lowest gross domestic product per capita, and the new
emerging economies from the developing world.
 1970s Bangladesh was : ‘Basket case’ , ‘the test case’,
 2019-2020 GDP growth rate 7-8%
 Reduction in poverty level from 50-20%
 Economic trajectory to jump out of least developed nations
group by 2026- and enter into 25 largest economies by 2030.
 Foreign reserves of $ 40 billion
Political culture:
 Bangladesh is a parliamentary democracy that has traditionally
been led by one of two political parties, the Bangladesh National
Party (BNP) and the Awami League (AL).
 The AL has led the government since January 2009.
 The AL is led by current Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina while the BNP
is led by former Prime Minister Khaleda Zia.
 When in opposition, both parties have sought to regain control of
the government through transport blockades, demonstrations, and
general protests and strikes also known as Hartals.
 Sheikh Haseena has vanquished or arrested her political
opponents.
 Allegations of forced abductions, extra judicial killings, persecution
of opposition.
 Arrests of opposition leaders on basis of international crimes act
(tribunal) on allegation of siding with Pakistan in 1971
Sheikh Haseena has crippled the opposition: no
effective political opposition left: military in
stonger position
Bangladesh has suffered through multiple coups
and often tense relations between the military
and successive civilian governments, since its
independence in 1971.
 Although a parliamentary democracy, since 1990,
it has seen two presidents killed in military coups
and 19 other failed coup attempts
Deaths of Hasina’s father :Sheikh Mujibur Rahman
and Khaleda Zia’s husband, Ziaur Rahman
Ailments of democracy
 March 1973, Sheikh Mujib's Awami League party, which had
led the campaign for independence, won an overwhelming
majority in the country's first general election.
 1973-75, however, Sheikh Mujib lost the support of
many Bengalis because of his government's corruption,
economic mismanagement, and attacks on political
opponents.
 In 1974 Mujib created a personal army, the 20,000 strong
Jatiyo Rakhi Bahini, gave himself powers to detain rival
politicians, and banned political parties whose
activities were 'prejudicial to the national interest'.
 In 1975, Mujib altered the constitution to make himself
President, and declared that Bangladesh would henceforth be
a one-party state.
 In August 1975 a group of 47 junior army officers, concerned that
Mujib was corrupt, pro-Indian, and unfair in his treatment of those
army officers who had been interned in Pakistan during the war of
independence, murdered President Mujib and most of his family.
 From August to October 1975, as other officers tried to seize
control back from the junior officers, there were three more
coups.
 Finally, on 7 November 1975, a more stable military regime took
over headed by Major General Ziaur Rahman, the head of the
Army Staff.
 General Zia became President Zia when the interim President
retired in April 1977, Bangladeshis, desperate for some stability
after five years of civil unrest, gave Zia a ringing endorsement in
a referendum on his
rule in May 1977, and then voted him into office in the June 1978
presidential elections.
 In May 1981, just when it seemed as if Zia was about to
successfully civilianize his administration, he and several
of his closest allies were murdered in yet another military
coup.
 General Muhammad Ershad's 'National Security Council'
took over in January 1982. Ershad then ruled Bangladesh
from 1982 until mass demonstrations forced him out of
office in December
1990.
Bangladesh at present
Geography:

 Bangladesh is situated at the northern extreme of the Bay of

Bengal. It has now become a hub of international politics due to
its economic and strategic importance.
 About 40,000 ships ply this route each year.
 Half of the world's goods and fuel vessels use this route.
 Could potentially be a state of increasing interest in the evolving
strategic dynamics between India and China.
 This importance could be accentuated by the development of
Bangladesh’s energy reserves and by regional energy and trade
routes to China and India.
 China has become one of Bangladesh’s key suppliers of military
equipment.
 At the same time, Bangladesh seeks closer ties and greater
cooperation on a range of issues with India.
 The country shares land borders with Myanmar and India. Towards
the sea, Bangladesh maintains three—Chattogram, Mongla and
Payra—out of the 12 ports in the Bay of Bengal.
 India, shares three sides of the border with Bangladesh .
 Bangladesh is a transport corridor to India’s northeastern states
and a vital alternative route to the vulnerable Siliguri corridor that
in the past has been threatened by China’s military, isolating all of
northeast India.
 Due to its geographical position, Bangladesh is a natural link
between South Asia and Southeast Asia.
 Therefore, any regional coordination between the giant trade blocs
of the Association of the Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) and the
South Asian Association of Regional Cooperation (Saarc) has to
include Bangladesh.
 The country is also a vital geopolitical ally to India, in that it has the
potential to facilitate greater integration between Northeast India
and Central India.
After decades of geopolitical irrelevance to a
key player in shaping the future of Asia.
Role in Geo-Politics
Country moves from being an impoverished
supplicant towards an increasingly
influential regional state.
Bangladesh to provide US$200 million in
aid to Sri Lanka.
Bangladesh is also building its political and
military influence in the Bay of Bengal
region and the wider Indian Ocean,
including through regional groupings such
as the Indian Ocean Rim Association.
Bangladesh in world politics
Bangladesh’s economic success is also allowing the
Bangladesh military to build its capabilities.
 It is cashed up and making some major
acquisitions, moving beyond its traditional suppliers
of China and Russia.
 This has included Turkey, which has sold more than
$1 billion in armoured vehicles and rocket
launchers.
The Bangladesh Air Force is also considering the
purchase of US F-16s or Eurofighter Typhoons which
would give it an advantage over Myanmar.
New capabilities may be acquired in the maritime
realm through purchase of Chinese submarines.
Bangladesh in world politics
 The US has shifted its policy from ‘Asia Pacific’ to ‘Indo Pacific’ to counter
the China’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI)
 U.S. Is looking towards Bangladesh as a key partner in its Indo-Pacific
Strategy (IPS) and QUAD (quadrilateral security arrangement, Australia,
Japan, India, USA)
 US strategy of ‘hedging’
 Bangladesh’s geographical location has been a key reason for the US’s
interest in the country.
 The county is a littoral of the Bay of Bengal, the region integral to the
Indian Ocean and a major maritime trading route.
 Further, Bangladesh’s impressive economic and social development
added to the US interest.
 China has invested heavily in BRI.
 Heavy Japanese investment in Bangladesh- redirection of Chinese
divestment.
 Japan attaches great importance to a free and open Indo-Pacific region.
Bangladesh is one of the partners of Japan's Big-B initiative around the
Bay of Bengal.
Bangladesh in world politics
‘friendship to all and malice to none’
 The challenge before the country is how to balance its
relationship with China and the US without upsetting
its interest. IPS vs. BRI
 Dhaka avoids involvement with the blocs.
 Bangladesh didn’t show any interest to sign the ACSA
(Acquisition and Cross-Servicing Agreement) and
GSOMIA (General Security of Military Information
Agreement) with Washington.
 But when China’s envoy commented that Dhaka
shouldn’t join the Indo-Pacific Strategy (IPS),
Bangladesh protested saying it is capable of forming
its own policy.