View source for East Pakistan

{{Short description|Former provincial wing of Pakistan (1956–1971)}}
{{Use Pakistani English|date=March 2021}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=September 2024}}
{{Infobox country
| conventional_long_name = East Pakistan
| native_name            = {{native name|bn|পূর্ব পাকিস্তান}}<br/>{{native name|ur|{{nq|مشرقی پاکستان}}}}
| common_name            = East Pakistan
| status                 = [[Administrative units of Pakistan|Administrative unit]] of [[Pakistan]]
| flag_p1                = 
| p1                     = East Bengal
| s1                     = Provisional Government of Bangladesh
| flag_s1                = Flag of Bangladesh (1971).svg
| anthem                 = [[Torana-i-Pakistan]]
| image_map              = East Pakistan (orthographic projection).svg
| map_caption            = Location of Bangladesh (then East Pakistan) in green and present-day Pakistan (then the Western wing of Pakistan) in light green
| flag_type_article      = 
| image_coat             = Emblem of East Pakistan (1970–1971).svg
| symbol                 = Emblem of East Pakistan
| symbol_type            = Emblem
| capital                = [[Dacca]]
| largest_city           = capital
| official_languages     = {{Hlist|[[Bengali language|Bengali]]|[[English language|English]]}}
| languages_type         = Native languages
| languages              = {{Hlist|[[Santali language|Santali]]|[[Chakma language|Chakma]]|[[Rakhine language|Marma]]|[[Tanchangya language|Tanchangya]]}}
| religion               = 
| demonym                = {{Hlist|Bengali|East Pakistani|Pakistani}}
| government_type        = [[Autonomy|Self-governing wing]] subject to the [[Government of Pakistan|federal government]]
| legislature            = [[Provincial Assembly of East Pakistan|Provincial Assembly]]
| area_km2               = 148460
| population_census      = 44,251,826<ref name="bangla"/>
| population_census_year = 1951
| title_leader           = [[Chief Minister (Pakistan)|Chief Ministers]]
| leader1                = [[Abu Hussain Sarkar]]
| year_leader1           = 1955–1956, Twice in 1958
| leader2                = [[Ataur Rahman Khan]]
| year_leader2           = 1956–1958, Twice again in 1958
| title_representative   = [[List of Governors of Pakistan|Governors]]
| representative1        = [[Amiruddin Ahmad]]
| year_representative1   = 1955–1956
| representative2        = [[A. K. Fazlul Huq]]
| year_representative2   = 1956–1958
| representative3        = [[Zakir Husain (governor)|Zakir Husain]]
| year_representative3   = 1958–1960
| representative4        = [[Ghulam Faruque Khan]]
| year_representative4   = 1962
| representative5        = [[Abdul Motaleb Malik]]
| year_representative5   = 1971
| title_deputy           = Administrator<sup>a</sup>
| deputy1                = Azam Khan
| year_deputy1           = 1960–1962
| deputy2                = [[Abdul Monem Khan]]
| year_deputy2           = 1962–1969
| deputy3                = [[Mirza Nurul Huda]]
| year_deputy3           = 1969
| deputy4                = Lt Gen, [[Sahabzada Yaqub Khan]], [[Pakistan Army|PA]]
| year_deputy4           = 1969, 1971
| deputy5                = [[Vice admiral (Pakistan)|VADM]], [[Syed Mohammad Ahsan]], [[Pakistan Navy|PN]]
| year_deputy5           = 1969–1971
| deputy6                = Lt Gen, [[Tikka Khan]], PA
| year_deputy6           = 1971
| deputy7                = Lt Gen, [[A. A. K. Niazi]], PA
| year_deputy7           = 1971
| date_start             = 29 February
| event1                 = [[Legal Framework Order, 1970|Legal Framework Order]]
| date_event1            = 1 July 1970
| year_start             = 1956
| event_start            = [[One Unit Scheme|Establishment]]
| date_end               = 16 December
| year_end               = 1971
| event_end              = [[Pakistani Instrument of Surrender|Disestablished]]
| currency               = [[Pakistani rupee]]
| time_zone              = [[UTC+06:00]]
| today                  = [[Bangladesh]]{{efn|See territorial exchanges between Bangladesh and India ([[India–Bangladesh enclaves]]).}}
}}
{{History of Bangladesh}}
{{Former administrative units of Pakistan}}
'''East Pakistan'''{{efn|{{ublist|{{langx|bn|পূর্ব পাকিস্তান|Purbô Pakistan|engvar=in}}, {{IPA|bn|ˈpuɾboˑ ˈpakistan|pron}}|
{{langx|ur|مشرقی پاکستان|Maśriqī Pākistān|engvar=in}}, {{IPA|ur|məʃɾɪqiː paːkɪstaːn|pron}}}}}} was the eastern province of [[Pakistan]] between 1956 and 1971, restructured and renamed from the province of [[East Bengal]] and covering the territory of the modern country of [[Bangladesh]]. Its land borders were with India and [[Burma]], with a coastline on the [[Bay of Bengal]]. To distinguish this region from India's state [[West Bengal]] (which is also known as "Indian Bengal"), East Pakistan was known as "Pakistani Bengal". East Pakistanis were popularly known as "Pakistani Bengalis". In 1971, East Pakistan became the newly independent state Bangladesh, which means "country of [[Bengal]]" or "country of [[Bengalis]]" or "land of [[Bengalis]]" in the [[Bengali language]]. In standard meaning, "desh" refers to a country, but in [[Bengali language|Bangla]] local expressions, "desh" also means one's [[village]] or [[countryside]], [[hometown]], ancestral [[Cultural heritage|heritage]], [[homeland]], and they do not have to be a politically formed sovereign country.

East Pakistan was formed with [[West Pakistan]] at the reorganisation of [[One Unit Scheme]] orchestrated by the 3rd prime minister of Pakistan, [[Mohammad Ali of Bogra|Mohammad Ali]]. The [[Constitution of Pakistan of 1956]] replaced the [[Pakistani monarchy]] with an [[Islamic republic]]. Bengali politician [[H.S. Suhrawardy]] served as the [[Prime Minister of Pakistan]] between 1956 and 1957 and a Bengali bureaucrat [[Iskander Mirza]] became the first [[President of Pakistan]]. The [[1958 Pakistani coup d'état]] brought general [[Ayub Khan]] to power. Khan replaced Mirza as president and launched a crackdown against pro-democracy leaders. Khan enacted the [[Constitution of Pakistan of 1962]] which ended universal suffrage. By 1966, [[Sheikh Mujibur Rahman]] emerged as the preeminent opposition leader in Pakistan and launched the [[Six point movement|six-point movement]] for autonomy and democracy. The [[1969 uprising in East Pakistan]] contributed to Ayub Khan's overthrow. Another general, [[Yahya Khan]], usurped the presidency and enacted [[martial law]]. In 1970, Yahya Khan organised [[1970 Pakistani general election|Pakistan's first federal general election]]. The [[Awami League]] emerged as the single largest party, followed by the [[Pakistan Peoples Party]]. The military junta stalled in accepting the results, leading to civil disobedience, the [[Bangladesh Liberation War]], [[1971 Bangladesh genocide]]<ref>{{Cite news |url=https://www.dawn.com/news/1359141 |title=Special report: The Breakup of Pakistan 1969-1971 |date=23 September 2017 |work=[[Dawn (newspaper)|Dawn]] |location=[[Pakistan]] |access-date=16 December 2017 |archive-date=16 December 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171216060125/https://www.dawn.com/news/1359141 |url-status=live }}</ref> and [[Persecution of Biharis in Bangladesh|persecution of Biharis]].

The [[East Pakistan Provincial Assembly]] was the legislative body of the territory, it was the largest provincial legislature in Pakistan and elections were held only twice in 1954 and 1970. During the Bangladesh Liberation War in 1971, most Bengali members elected to the Pakistani National Assembly and the East Pakistani provincial assembly became members of the Constituent Assembly of Bangladesh.

Due to the strategic importance of East Pakistan, the Pakistani union was a member of the [[Southeast Asia Treaty Organization]]. The economy of East Pakistan grew at an average of 2.6% between 1960 and 1965. The federal government invested more funds and foreign aid in West Pakistan, even though East Pakistan generated a major share of exports. However, President Ayub Khan did implement significant industrialisation in East Pakistan. The [[Kaptai Dam]] was built in 1965. The [[Eastern Refinery]] was established in [[Chittagong]]. [[Dacca]] was declared as the ''second capital'' of Pakistan and planned as the home of the national parliament. The government recruited American architect [[Louis Kahn]] to design the national assembly complex in [[Dhaka|Dacca]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://architectuul.com/architecture/national-assembly-building-of-bangladesh|title=National Assembly Building of Bangladesh|access-date=16 December 2021|archive-date=7 October 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221007030617/https://architectuul.com/architecture/national-assembly-building-of-bangladesh|url-status=dead}}</ref>

==History==
{{Main|History of East Pakistan}}

===One Unit and Islamic Republic===
[[File:HSS and Eisenhower.jpg|thumb|Suhrawardy (middle) with US President [[Dwight D. Eisenhower]] and Secretary of State [[John Foster Dulles]]]]

In 1955, Prime Minister [[Mohammad Ali Bogra]] implemented the [[One Unit]] scheme which merged the four western provinces into a single unit called West Pakistan by the Establishment of West Pakistan Act, 1955 while East Bengal was renamed as East Pakistan by the [[Constitution of Pakistan of 1956|1956 Constitution of Pakistan]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=Pakistan - Political decline and bureaucratic ascendancy |url=https://www.britannica.com/place/Pakistan/Political-decline-and-bureaucratic-ascendancy |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181107105103/https://www.britannica.com/place/Pakistan/Political-decline-and-bureaucratic-ascendancy |archive-date=7 November 2018 |access-date=27 January 2023 |website=[[Encyclopaedia Britannica]] |language=en}}</ref>

Pakistan ended its dominion status and adopted a [[Constitution of Pakistan of 1956|republican constitution]] in 1956, which proclaimed an Islamic republic.<ref>{{Cite web |date=29 August 2024 |title=PARLIAMENTARY HISTORY |url=https://na.gov.pk/en/content.php?id=75 |access-date=29 August 2024 |website=National Assembly of Pakistan}}</ref> The populist leader [[Huseyn Shaheed Suhrawardy|H. S. Suhrawardy]] of East Pakistan was appointed prime minister of Pakistan. As soon as he became the prime minister, Suhrawardy initiated legal work reviving the joint electorate system. There was strong opposition and resentment to the joint electorate system in West Pakistan.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Rais |first=Rasul |date=2024 |title=Religious Radicalism and Security in South Asia |url=https://dkiapcss.edu/wp-content/uploads/2011/03/PagesfromReligiousRadicalismandSecurityinSouthAsiach19.pdf |access-date=29 August 2024 |website=Daniel K. Inouye Asia-Pacific Center for Security Studies}}</ref> The Muslim League had taken the cause to the public and began calling for the implementation of a separate electorate system. In contrast to West Pakistan, the joint electorate was highly popular in East Pakistan. The tug of war with the Muslim League to establish the appropriate electorate caused problems for his government.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Maksud |first1=Syed Abul |title=THE PIONEER OF DEMOCRACY |url=https://www.thedailystar.net/op-ed/politics/the-pioneer-democracy-139390 |access-date=27 December 2025 |work=The Daily Star |date=8 September 2015 |language=en}}</ref>

The constitutionally obliged National Finance Commission Program (NFC Program) was immediately suspended by Prime Minister Suhrawardy despite the reserves of the four provinces of West Pakistan in 1956. Suhrawardy advocated for the USSR-based Five-Year Plans to centralise the national economy. In this view, East Pakistan's economy would be quickly centralised and all major economic planning would be shifted to West Pakistan.{{Citation needed|date= February 2022}}

Efforts leading to centralising the economy were met with great resistance in West Pakistan when the elite monopolist and the business community angrily refused to adhere to his policies.{{Citation needed|date= February 2022}} The business community in Karachi began its political struggle to undermine any attempts of financial distribution of the US$10&nbsp;million ICA aid to the better part of East Pakistan and to set up a consolidated national shipping corporation. In the financial cities of West Pakistan, such as [[Karachi]], [[Lahore]], [[Quetta]], and [[Peshawar]], a series of major labour strikes against the economic policies of Suhrawardy were supported by the elite business community and the private sector.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Singh |first=Dr Rajkumar |date=2020-01-10 |title=Sea of difference between East and West Pakistan |url=https://thekootneeti.in/2020/01/10/sea-of-difference-between-east-and-west-pakistan-op-ed-dr-rajkumar-singh/ |access-date=2022-04-22 |language=en-US |archive-date=15 August 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220815060446/https://thekootneeti.in/2020/01/10/sea-of-difference-between-east-and-west-pakistan-op-ed-dr-rajkumar-singh/ |url-status=live }}</ref>

Furthermore, in order to divert attention from the controversial One Unit Program, Prime Minister Suhrawardy tried to end the crisis by calling a small group of investors to set up small businesses in the country. Despite many initiatives and holding off the NFC Award Program, Suhrawardy's political position and image deteriorated in the four provinces in West Pakistan. Many nationalist leaders and activists of the Muslim League were dismayed by the suspension of the constitutionally obliged NFC Program. His critics and Muslim League leaders observed that with the suspension of the NFC Award Program, Suhrawardy tried to give more financial allocations, aids, grants, and opportunities to East Pakistan than West Pakistan, including West Pakistan's four provinces. During the last days of his Prime ministerial years, Suhrawardy tried to remove the economic disparity between the Eastern and Western wings of the country but to no avail. He also tried unsuccessfully to alleviate the food shortage in the country.<ref>{{Cite web |last=admin |date=1 July 2003 |title=H. S. Suhrawardy Becomes Prime Minister |url=https://storyofpakistan.com/h-s-suhrawardy-becomes-prime-minister/ |access-date=2023-01-27 |website=[[Story Of Pakistan]] |language=en-US |archive-date=27 January 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230127180629/https://storyofpakistan.com/h-s-suhrawardy-becomes-prime-minister/ |url-status=live }}</ref>

Suhrawardy strengthened relations with the United States by reinforcing Pakistani membership in the [[Central Treaty Organization]] and the [[Southeast Asia Treaty Organization]]. Suhrawardy also promoted relations with the [[China|People's Republic of China]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=Foreign Relations of the United States, 1955–1957, China, Volume III - Office of the Historian |url=https://history.state.gov/historicaldocuments/frus1955-57v03/d220 |access-date=27 January 2023 |website=history.state.gov |archive-date=27 January 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230127180430/https://history.state.gov/historicaldocuments/frus1955-57v03/d220 |url-status=live }}</ref>

His contribution in formulating the 1956 constitution of Pakistan was substantial as he played a vital role in incorporating provisions for civil liberties and universal adult franchise in line with his adherence to the parliamentary form of liberal democracy.{{Citation needed|date= February 2022}}

===Era of Ayub Khan===
[[File:Queenelizabeth-chittagongG1.jpg|thumb|[[Elizabeth II]], seen here visiting Chittagong in 1961, was Pakistan's Queen until 1956.]]

In 1958, President [[Iskandar Mirza]] enacted martial law as part of a [[1958 Pakistani military coup|military coup]] by the [[Pakistan Army]]'s chief [[Ayub Khan]]. Roughly after two weeks, President Mirza's relations with Pakistan Armed Forces deteriorated leading Army Commander General Ayub Khan relieving the president from his presidency and forcefully exiling President Mirza to the United Kingdom. General Ayub Khan justified his actions after appearing on national radio declaring that: "the armed forces and the people demanded a clean break with the past...". Until 1962, the martial law continued while Field Marshal Ayub Khan purged a number of politicians and civil servants from the government and replaced them with military officers. Ayub called his regime a "revolution to clean up the mess of black marketing and corruption". Khan replaced Mirza as president and became the country's [[Strongman (politics)|strongman]] for eleven years. Martial law continued until 1962 when the government of Field Marshal Ayub Khan commissioned a constitutional bench under Chief Justice of Pakistan Muhammad Shahabuddin, composed of ten senior justices, each five from East Pakistan and five from West Pakistan. On 6 May 1961, the commission sent its draft to President Ayub Khan. He thoroughly examined the draft while consulting with his cabinet.

In January 1962, the cabinet finally approved the text of the [[Constitution of Pakistan of 1962|new constitution]], promulgated by President Ayub Khan on 1 March 1962, which came into effect on 8 June 1962. Under the 1962 constitution, Pakistan became a [[presidential republic]]. [[Universal suffrage]] was abolished in favour of a system dubbed 'Basic Democracy'. Under the system, an [[Electoral College (Pakistan)|electoral college]] would be responsible for electing the president and national assembly. The 1962 constitution created a gubernatorial system in West and East Pakistan. Each province ran its own separate provincial gubernatorial governments. The constitution defined a division of powers between the central government and the provinces. [[Fatima Jinnah]] received strong support in East Pakistan during her failed bid to unseat Ayub Khan in the [[1965 Pakistani presidential election|1965 presidential election]].

[[Dhaka|Dacca]] was declared as the ''second capital'' of Pakistan in 1962. It was designated as the legislative capital and [[Louis Kahn]] was tasked with designing a [[Jatiya Sangsad|national assembly complex]]. Dacca's population increased in the 1960s. Seven natural gas fields were tapped in the province. The petroleum industry developed as the Eastern Refinery was established in the port city of Chittagong.

===Six Points===
[[File:Sheikh Mujibur Rahman Announcing 6 Points At Lahore.jpg|thumb|[[Sheikh Mujibur Rahman]] announcing the Six Points]]

In 1966, [[Awami League]] leader [[Sheikh Mujibur Rahman]] announced the [[Six point movement|six-point movement]] in [[Lahore]]. The movement demanded greater provincial autonomy and the restoration of democracy in Pakistan. Mujib-ur-Rahman was indicted for [[treason]] during the [[Agartala Conspiracy Case]] after launching the six-point movement. He was later released in the [[1969 uprising in East Pakistan]]. Ayub Khan resigned in March 1969. Below includes the historical six points:<ref>{{Cite web |date=2021-06-16 |title=All you need to know about the Six-Point Movement in East Pakistan |url=https://cri.org.bd/2021/06/16/all-you-need-to-know-about-the-six-point-movement-in-east-pakistan/ |access-date=2023-12-19 |website=Centre for Research and Information |language=en-US}}</ref>

{{blockquote|
* The Constitution should provide for a Federation of Pakistan in its true sense based on the [[Lahore Resolution]], and the parliamentary form of government with supremacy of a Legislature directly elected on the basis of universal adult franchise.
* The federal government should deal with only two subjects: Defence and Foreign Affairs, and all other residual subjects should be vested in the federating states.
* Two separate, but freely convertible currencies for two wings should be introduced; or if this is not feasible, there should be one currency for the whole country, but effective constitutional provisions should be introduced to stop the flight of capital from East to West Pakistan. Furthermore, a separate Banking Reserve should be established and separate fiscal and monetary policy be adopted for East Pakistan.
* The power of taxation and revenue collection should be vested in the federating units and the federal centre would have no such power. The federation would be entitled to a share in the state taxes to meet its expenditures.
* There should be two separate accounts for the foreign exchange earnings of the two wings; the foreign exchange requirements of the federal government should be met by the two wings equally or in a ratio to be fixed; indigenous products should move free of duty between the two wings, and the constitution should empower the units to establish trade links with foreign countries.
* East Pakistan should have a separate military or paramilitary force, and Navy headquarters should be in East Pakistan.}}

===Final years===
[[File:1971 Instrument of Surrender WaPo.jpg|thumb|Surrender of Pakistan in December 1971]]
Muhammad Ayub Khan was replaced by general [[Yahya Khan]] who became the [[Chief Martial Law Administrator]]. Khan organised the [[1970 Pakistani general election]]. The [[1970 Bhola cyclone]] was one of the deadliest natural disasters of the 20th century. The cyclone claimed half a million lives. The disastrous effects of the cyclone caused huge resentment against the federal government. After a decade of military rule, East Pakistan was a hotbed of [[Bengali nationalism]]. There were open calls for [[self-determination]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=1971: Bangladesh's "Liberation War"  |url=https://www.workersliberty.org/story/2022-01-18/1971-bangladeshs-liberation-war |access-date=11 August 2022 |website=Workers' Liberty |date= 18 January 2022 |first1=Sacha |last1=Ismail |language=en |url-status=live |archive-url= https://archive.today/20240624235239/https://www.workersliberty.org/story/2022-01-18/1971-bangladeshs-liberation-war |archive-date= 24 June 2024 }}</ref>

When the federal general election was held, the Awami League emerged as the single largest party in the Pakistani parliament. The League won 167 out of 169 seats in East Pakistan, thereby crossing the half way mark of 150 in the 300-seat [[National Assembly of Pakistan]].<ref>{{Cite news |last=Huda |first=Muhammad Nurul |date=23 June 2020 |title=71 years of Awami League |url=https://www.thedailystar.net/opinion/straight-line/news/71-years-awami-league-1918781 |access-date=5 June 2024 |work=The Daily Star |type=Opinion |language=en}}</ref> In theory, this gave the League the right to form a government under the [[Westminster]] tradition. But the League failed to win a single seat in West Pakistan, where the Pakistan Peoples Party emerged as the single largest party with 81 seats. The [[military junta]] stalled the transfer of power and conducted prolonged negotiations with the League. A [[civil disobedience]] movement erupted across East Pakistan demanding the convening of parliament. Mujib-ur- Rahman announced a struggle for independence from Pakistan during a speech on 7 March 1971 and called for a [[Non-cooperation movement (1971)|non-cooperation movement]] from the Bengali populace. Between 7–26 March, East Pakistan was virtually under the popular control of the Awami League. On Pakistan's Republic Day on 23 March 1971, the first [[flag of Bangladesh]] was hoisted in many East Pakistani households. Pakistan Army was ordered to immediately launch a crackdown on 26 March whose purpose was to curb the resistance, some of these operations include [[Operation Searchlight]]<ref>{{Cite Banglapedia|article=Operation Searchlight}}</ref> and the [[1971 Dhaka University massacre]].<ref>{{Cite web |date=1 February 2023 |title=The Past has yet to Leave the Present: Genocide in Bangladesh |url=https://hir.harvard.edu/the-past-has-yet-to-leave-the-present-genocide-in-bangladesh/ |access-date=5 June 2024 |website=[[Harvard International Review]] |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |date=25 March 2022 |title='Operation Searchlight' opened gates of hell: Pakistan Major |url=https://en.prothomalo.com/bangladesh/operation-searchlight-opened-gates-of-hell-pakistan-major |access-date=5 June 2024 |work=[[Prothom Alo]] |language=en |agency=[[Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha]]}}</ref> This led to the [[Bangladeshi Declaration of Independence]].<ref>{{Cite news |last=Ahmad |first=Mohiuddin |date=26 March 2024 |title=Our Independence Day |url=https://en.prothomalo.com/opinion/op-ed/9gismb3shd |access-date=5 June 2024 |work=[[Prothom Alo]] |language=en}}</ref>

As the Bangladesh Liberation War and the [[1971 Bangladesh genocide]] continued for nine months, East Pakistani military units like the [[East Bengal Regiment]] and the [[Bangladesh Rifles|East Pakistan Rifles]] defected and formed the [[Bangladesh Forces]]. The [[Provisional Government of Bangladesh]] allied with neighbouring India which intervened in the final two weeks of the war and secured the [[surrender of Pakistan|surrender of Pakistan's eastern command]].<ref>{{Cite news |date=16 December 2023 |title=Vijay Diwas: How India won the 1971 War in under two weeks |url=https://indianexpress.com/article/explained/explained-history/vijay-diwas-1971-war-india-pakistan-bangladesh-9070725/ |access-date=5 June 2024 |work=[[The Indian Express]] |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite magazine |last1=Boissoneault |first1=Lorraine |title=The Genocide the U.S. Can't Remember, But Bangladesh Can't Forget |url=https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/genocide-us-cant-remember-bangladesh-cant-forget-180961490/ |access-date=5 June 2024 |magazine=Smithsonian |language=en}}</ref>

====Role of the Pakistani military====
With Ayub Khan ousted from office in 1969, Commander of the Pakistani Army, [[General Yahya Khan]] became the country's second ruling chief martial law administrator. Both Bhutto and [[Shaikh Mujibur Rahman|Mujib]] strongly disliked General Khan, but patiently endured him and his government as he had promised to hold an election in 1970. During this time, strong nationalistic sentiments in East Pakistan were perceived by the Pakistani Armed Forces and the central military government. Therefore, Khan and his military government wanted to divert the nationalistic threats and violence against non-East Pakistanis. The [[Evolution of Pakistan Eastern Command plan|Eastern Command]] was under constant pressure from the Awami League and requested an active-duty officer to control the command under such extreme pressure. The high [[flag rank]] officers, junior officers, and many high command officers from Pakistan's Armed Forces were highly cautious about their appointment in East-Pakistan, and the assignment of governing East Pakistan and appointment of an officer was considered highly difficult for the Pakistan High Military Command.
[[File:Yahya and Nixon.jpg|left|thumb|Third president of Pakistan, [[Yahya Khan]], with [[Richard Nixon]] in 1970]]
[[File:Zulfikar Ali Bhutto 1971.jpg|thumb|[[Zulfikar Ali Bhutto]] in 1971]]
East Pakistan's Armed Forces, under the [[military administration]]s of Major-General [[Muzaffaruddin]] and Lieutenant-General [[Sahabzada Yaqub Khan]], used an excessive amount of show of military force to curb the [[1969 uprising in East Pakistan|uprising]] in the province. With such action, the situation became highly critical and civil control over the province slipped away from the government. On 24 March, dissatisfied with the performance of his generals, Yahya Khan removed General Muzaffaruddin and General Yaqub Khan from office on 1 September 1969.<!-- Which 24 March or 1 September? --> The appointment of a military administrator was considered quite difficult and challenging with the crisis continually deteriorating. Vice-Admiral [[Syed Mohammad Ahsan]], [[Chief of Naval Staff (Pakistan)|Commander-in-Chief]] of the [[Pakistan Navy]], had previously served as political and military adviser of East Pakistan to former President Ayub Khan. Having such a strong background in administration, and being an expert on East Pakistan affairs, General Yahya Khan appointed Vice-Admiral Syed Mohammad Ahsan as [[Martial law|Martial Law Administrator]], with absolute authority in his command. He was relieved as naval chief and received an extension from the government.{{Citation needed|date= February 2022}}

The tense relations between East and West Pakistan reached a climax in 1970 when the Awami League, the largest East Pakistani political party, led by [[Sheikh Mujibur Rahman]], (Mujib), won a landslide victory in the national elections in East Pakistan. The party won 160 of the 162 seats allotted to East Pakistan, and thus a majority of the 300 seats in the Parliament. This gave the Awami League the constitutional right to form a government without forming a coalition with any other party. Khan invited Mujib to [[Rawalpindi]] to take the charge of the office, and negotiations took place between the military government and the Awami Party. Bhutto was shocked with the results and threatened his fellow [[Pakistan Peoples Party|Peoples Party]] members if they attended the inaugural session at the [[National Assembly of Pakistan|National Assembly]], famously saying he would "break the legs" of any member of his party who dared enter and attend the session. However, fearing East Pakistani separatism, Bhutto demanded Mujib to form a coalition government. After a secret meeting held in [[Larkana]], Mujib agreed to give Bhutto the office of the presidency with Mujib as prime minister. General Yahya Khan and his military government were kept unaware of these developments and under pressure from his own military government, refused to allow Mujib-ur-Rahman to become the prime minister of Pakistan. This increased agitation for greater autonomy in East Pakistan. The military police arrested Mujib and Bhutto and placed them in [[Adiala Jail]] in Rawalpindi. The news spread like a fire in both East and West Pakistan, and the struggle for independence began in East Pakistan.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Dummett |first=Mark |date=16 December 2011 |title=Bangladesh war: The article that changed history |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-16207201 |access-date=12 June 2022 |work=BBC News |archive-date=8 May 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190508091712/https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-16207201 |url-status=live }}</ref>

The senior high command officers in Pakistan Armed Forces, and Zulfikar Ali Bhutto, began to pressure General Yahya Khan to take armed action against Mujib and his party. Bhutto later distanced himself from Yahya Khan after he was arrested by Military Police along with Mujib. Soon after the arrests, a high-level meeting was chaired by Yahya Khan. During the meeting, high commanders of the Pakistan Armed Forces unanimously recommended an armed and violent military action. East Pakistan's Martial Law Administrator [[Vice Admiral Syed Mohammad Ahsan|Admiral Ahsan]], Governor of East Pakistan, and Air Commodore [[Zafar Masud (air commodore)|Zafar Masud]], [[Air Officer Commanding]] of [[Dacca]]'s only airbase, were the only officers to object to the plans. When it became obvious that military action in East Pakistan was inevitable, Admiral Ahsan resigned from his position as martial law administrator in protest, and immediately flew back to [[Karachi]], West Pakistan. Disheartened and isolated, Admiral Ahsan took early retirement from the Navy and quietly settled in Karachi. Once [[Operation Searchlight]] and [[Operation Barisal]] commenced, Air Marshal Masud flew to West Pakistan, and unlike Admiral Ahsan, tried to stop the violence in East Pakistan. When he failed in his attempts to meet General Yahya Khan, Masud too resigned from his position as AOC of Dacca airbase and took retirement from Air Force.

Lieutenant-General Sahibzada Yaqub Khan was sent into East Pakistan in an emergency, following a major blow of the resignation of Vice Admiral Ahsan. General Yaqub temporarily assumed the control of the province, he was also made the corps-commander of [[Eastern Command (Pakistan)|Eastern Corps]]. General Yaqub mobilised the entire major forces in East Pakistan.

Sheikh Mujib-ur-Rahman made a declaration of independence at Dacca on 26 March 1971. All major Awami League leaders including elected leaders of the National Assembly and Provincial Assembly fled to neighbouring India and an [[Provisional Government of the People's Republic of Bangladesh|exile government]] was formed headed by Sheikh Mujib-ur-Rahman. While he was in a Pakistan prison, [[Syed Nazrul Islam]] was the acting president with [[Tajuddin Ahmad|Tajuddin Ahmed]] as the prime minister. The exile government took oath on 17 April 1971 at Mujib Nagar, within East Pakistan territory of Kushtia district, and formally formed the government. Colonel MOG Osmani was appointed the Commander in Chief of [[Bangladesh Forces|Liberation Forces]] and whole East Pakistan was divided into eleven sectors headed by eleven sector commanders. All sector commanders were Bengali officers who had defected from the Pakistan Army. This started the nine-month long [[Bangladesh Liberation War]] in which the [[Mukti Bahini|freedom fighters]], joined in December 1971 by 400,000 [[Indian Armed Forces|Indian soldiers]], faced the [[Pakistani Armed Forces]] of 365,000 plus paramilitary and [[Razakars (Bangladesh)|collaborationist forces]]. An additional approximately 25,000 ill-equipped civilian volunteers and police forces also sided with the Pakistan Armed Forces. Bloody [[guerrilla warfare]] ensued in East Pakistan.

The Pakistan Armed Forces were unable to counter such threats. With no intel and low morale, they performed poorly and were inexperienced in guerrilla tactics, Pakistan Armed Forces and their assets were defeated by the Bangladesh Liberation Forces. In April 1971, Lieutenant-General Tikka Khan succeeded General Yaqub Khan as the Corps Commander. General Tikka Khan led the massive violent and [[massacre]] campaigns in the region. He is held responsible for killing hundreds of thousands of Bengali people in East Pakistan, mostly civilians and unarmed peoples. For his role, General Tikka Khan gained the title of "Butcher of Bengal". General Khan faced an international reaction against Pakistan, and therefore, General Tikka was removed as Commander of the Eastern front. He installed a civilian administration under Abdul Motaleb Malik on 31 August 1971, which proved to be ineffective. However, during the meeting, with no high officers willing to assume the command of East Pakistan, Lieutenant-General [[Amir Abdullah Khan Niazi]] volunteered for the command of East Pakistan. Inexperienced and the large magnitude of this assignment, the government sent Rear-Admiral [[Mohammad Shariff]] as Flag Officer Commanding of Eastern Naval Command (Pakistan). Admiral Shariff served as the deputy of General Niazi when doing joint military operations. However, General Niazi proved to be a failure and ineffective ruler. Therefore, [[A. A. K. Niazi|General Niazi]] and Air Commodore [[Inamul Haque Khan]], AOC, PAF Base Dacca, failed to launch any operation in East Pakistan against Indian or its allies. Except for Admiral Shariff who continued to keep pressure on the Indian Navy until the end of the conflict. Admiral Shariff's effective plans made it nearly impossible for the Indian Navy to land its naval forces on the shores of East Pakistan. The Indian Navy was unable to land forces in East Pakistan and the Pakistan Navy was still offering resistance. The [[Indian Army]], entered East Pakistan from all three directions of the province. The [[Indian Navy]] then decided to wait near the Bay of Bengal until the Army reached the shore.

The Indian Air Force dismantled the capability of the Pakistan Air Force in East Pakistan. Air Commodore [[Inamul Haque Khan]], Dacca airbase's AOC, failed to offer any serious resistance to the actions of the Indian Air Force. For the most part of the war, the IAF enjoyed complete dominance in the skies over East Pakistan.

On 16 December 1971, the Pakistan Armed Forces surrendered to the [[Mitro Bahini|joint liberation forces]] of [[Mukti Bahini]] and the Indian Army, headed by Lieutenant-General [[Jagjit Singh Arora]], the General Officer Commanding-in-Chief (GOC-in-C) of the Eastern Command of the Indian Army. Lieutenant General AAK Niazi, the last corps commander of [[Eastern Command (Pakistan)|Eastern Corps]], signed the [[Instrument of Surrender (1971)|Instrument of Surrender]] at about 4:31 pm. Over 93,000 personnel, including Lt. General Niazi and Admiral Shariff, were taken as [[prisoners of war]].

On 16 December 1971, the territory of East Pakistan was handed over to the Indian Army under the [[Pakistani Instrument of Surrender|surrender agreement]] from West Pakistan and in the [[Simla Agreement]] became the newly independent state of [[Bangladesh]]. The Eastern Command, civilian institutions, and paramilitary forces were disbanded in the following months.{{citation needed|date=April 2021}}

==Geography==
In contrast to the desert and rugged mountainous terrain of West Pakistan, East Pakistan featured the [[Bengal delta|world's largest delta]], 700 rivers, and tropical hilly jungles. The Chittagong Division of East Pakistan was home to hill ranges and forests (mainly in the [[Chittagong Hill Tracts]] and Sylhet). The [[Khulna Division]] and parts of the Dacca and Chittagong Divisions were largely Deltaic. East Pakistan was almost entirely an alluvial plain which consists of lower course of the [[Padma River|Padma]] and [[Jamuna River (Bangladesh)|Jamuna.]] Climatically, East Pakistan was essentially humid, hot climate with heavy to very heavy rainfall. The implication of East Pakistan's heavy rainfall was that the main crops that were grown in East Pakistan were rice, tea, and jute.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Ahmad |first=Kazi S. |title=A Geography of Pakistan |publisher=Pakistan Branch, Oxford University Press |year=1969 |edition=2nd |location=Karachi}}</ref>

===Administrative geography===
East Pakistan inherited 17 districts from British Bengal.

In 1960, Lower Tippera was renamed Comilla.

In 1969, two new districts were created with Tangail separated from Mymensingh and Patuakhali from Bakerganj.

East Pakistan's districts are listed in the following.
[[File:Dominion of Pakistan & Indian Controlled Kashmir (orthographic projection).svg|thumb|400px|East and West Pakistan]]
[[File:1962 East Pakistan Map.jpg|thumb|Provincial Map of East Pakistan, 1962]]

{| class="wikitable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center;"
|-
! scope="col"| Division
! scope="col"| East Pakistani District
! scope="col"| Current Bangladeshi Districts
|-
| rowspan="4" scope="row" | Dacca Division
| Dacca District
| [[Dhaka Division]] (without [[Greater Faridpur]])
|-
| Faridpur District
| [[Greater Faridpur]]
|-
| [[Mymensingh Division|Mymensingh District]]
| [[Mymensingh Division]] and [[Kishoreganj District|Kishoreganj]]
|-
| [[Tangail District]]
| [[Tangail District|Tangail (Part of Greater Mymensingh)]]
|-
| rowspan="5" scope="row" | Chittagong Division
| [[Chittagong Hill Tracts|Hill Tracts District]]
| [[Chittagong Hill Tracts]]
|-
| Chittagong District
| [[Chittagong District|Chittagong]], [[Cox's Bazar District|Cox's Bazar]]
|-
| Comilla (Lower Tippera) District
| [[Comilla District|Comilla]], [[Chandpur District|Chandpur]], [[Brahmanbaria District|Brahmanbaria]]
|-
| Noakhali District
| [[Noakhali District|Noakhali]], [[Feni District|Feni]], [[Lakshmipur District|Lakshmipur]]
|-
| [[Sylhet Division|Sylhet District]]
| [[Sylhet District|Sylhet]], [[Moulvibazar District|Moulvibazar]], [[Habiganj District|Habiganj]], [[Sunamganj District|Sunamganj]]
|-
| rowspan="5" scope="row" | Rajshahi Division
| Bogra District
| [[Bogra District|Bogra]], [[Joypurhat District|Joypurhat]]
|-
| Dinajpur District
| [[Dinajpur District, Bangladesh|Dinajpur]], [[Thakurgaon District|Thakurgaon]], [[Panchagarh District|Panchagarh]]
|-
| Rajshahi District
| [[Rajshahi District|Rajshahi]], [[Nawabganj District|Nawabganj]], [[Natore District|Natore]], [[Naogaon District|Naogaon]]
|-
| Rangpur District
| [[Rangpur Division]] (without [[Dinajpur District, Bangladesh|Dinajpur]], [[Thakurgaon District|Thakurgaon]], [[Panchagarh District|Panchagarh]])
|-
| Pabna District
| [[Pabna District|Pabna]], [[Sirajganj District|Sirajganj]]
|-
| rowspan="5" scope="row" | Khulna Division
| [[Backergunge District|Bakerganj District]]
| [[Barisal District|Barisal]], [[Jhalokati District|Jhalokati]], [[Pirojpur District|Pirojpur]]
|-
| Jessore District
| [[Jessore District|Jessore]], [[Jhenaidah District|Jhenaidah]], [[Narail District|Narail]], [[Magura District|Magura]]
|-
| Khulna District
| [[Khulna District|Khulna]], [[Satkhira District|Satkhira]], [[Bagerhat District|Bagerhat]]
|-
| Kushtia District
| [[Kushtia District|Kushtia]], [[Meherpur District|Meherpur]], [[Chuadanga District|Chuadanga]]
|-
| Patuakhali District
| [[Patuakhali District|Patuakhali]], [[Barguna District|Barguna]], [[Bhola District|Bhola]]
|-
|}

==Economy==
[[File:Kaptai Dam 1965.jpg|thumb|left|The [[Kaptai Dam]] in 1965]]
[[File:East Pakistan.ogv|thumb|1971 documentary film about East Pakistan]]
[[File:Ayub Khan & A K Khan.jpg|thumb|President Ayub Khan (left) with Bengali industrialist [[Abul Kashem Khan]] (right) in Chittagong]]
[[File:Adamjee Jute Mills Entrance 1950.gif|thumb|Entrance to the [[Adamjee Jute Mills]], the world's largest jute processing plant, in 1950]]
At the time of the [[Partition of British India]], [[East Bengal]] had a [[plantation economy]]. The [[Chittagong Tea Auction]] was established in 1949 as the region was home to the world's largest tea plantations. The [[Dhaka Stock Exchange|East Pakistan Stock Exchange Association]] was established in 1954. Many wealthy Muslim immigrants from India, [[Burma]], and former British colonies settled in East Pakistan. The [[Ispahani family]], Africawala brothers, and the Adamjee family were pioneers of industrialisation in the region. Many of modern Bangladesh's leading companies were born in the East Pakistan period.

An airline founded in British Bengal, [[Orient Airways]], launched the vital air link between East and West Pakistan with [[DC-3]] aircraft on the [[Dacca]]-[[Kolkata|Calcutta]]-[[Delhi]]-[[Karachi]] route. Orient Airways later evolved into [[Pakistan International Airlines]], whose first chairman was the East Pakistan-based industrialist [[Mirza Ahmad Ispahani]].

By the 1950s, East Bengal surpassed [[West Bengal]] in having the largest [[jute]] industries in the world. The [[Adamjee Jute Mills]] was the largest jute processing plant in history and its location in Narayanganj was nicknamed the ''[[Dundee]] of the East''. The Adamjees were descendants of [[Adamjee Haji Dawood|Sir Haji Adamjee Dawood]], who made his fortune in [[British Burma]].

Natural gas was discovered in the northeastern part of East Pakistan in 1955 by the [[Burmah Oil Company]]. Industrial use of natural gas began in 1959. The [[Shell Oil Company]] and [[Pakistan Petroleum]] tapped 7 gas fields in the 1960s. The industrial seaport city of [[Chittagong]] hosted the headquarters of [[Padma Oil Company|Burmah Eastern]] and [[Jamuna Oil Company|Pakistan National Oil]]. Iran, an erstwhile leading oil producer, assisted in establishing the [[Eastern Refinery]] in Chittagong.

The [[Comilla Model]] of the Pakistan Academy for Rural Development (present-day [[Bangladesh Academy for Rural Development]]) was conceived by [[Akhtar Hameed Khan]] and replicated in many developing countries.

In 1965, Pakistan implemented the [[Kaptai Dam]] hydroelectric project in the southeastern part of East Pakistan with American assistance. It was the sole hydroelectric dam in East Pakistan. The project was controversial for displacing over 40,000 indigenous people from the area.

The centrally located metropolis Dacca witnessed significant urban growth.

<gallery>
Central Dacca in East Pakistan.jpg|Central business district in Dacca, 1960s
Chittagong port 1960.jpg|Chittagong Port in 1960
Dacca East Pakistan 1967.jpg|Baitul Mukarram Market Area, Dacca, 1967
East Pakistan Emblem (1956-1970).svg|Emblem of East Pakistan till 1970
Pakistani rupee pre-1971.jpg|Pakistani banknotes included [[Bengali alphabet|Bengali script]] until 1971.
East Pakistan helicopter poster.jpg|A poster of the [[East Pakistan Helicopter Service]]
Stamp of New Dacca Railway Station.jpg|Pakistani Postage stamp issued on the occasion of first anniversary of New Railway Station—Dacca in 1969
</gallery>

===Economic discrimination and disparity===
Although, East Pakistan had a larger population, West Pakistan dominated the divided country politically and received more money from the common budget. According to the [[World Bank]], there was much economic discrimination against East Pakistan, including higher government spending on West Pakistan, financial transfers from East to West, and the use of the East's foreign exchange surpluses to finance the West's imports.

The discrimination occurred despite the fact that East Pakistan generated a major share of Pakistan's exports.

{| class="wikitable" style="margin:0 auto; width:550px;text-align:center;"

|-

!width=16%| Year

!width=28%| Spending on West Pakistan (in millions of [[Pakistani rupee]]s)

!width=28%| Spending on East Pakistan (in millions of Pakistani rupees)

!width=28%| Amount spent on East as percentage of West

|-

| 1950–55 || style="text-align:right;"| 11,290 || style="text-align:right;"| 5,240 || style="text-align:right;"| 46.4

|-

| 1955–60 || style="text-align:right;"| 16,550 || style="text-align:right;"| 5,240 || style="text-align:right;"| 31.7

|-

| 1960–65|| style="text-align:right;"|33,550 ||align="right"| 14,040 || style="text-align:right;"| 41.8

|-

| 1965–70 ||align="right"|51,950 ||align="right"| 21,410 || style="text-align:right;"| 41.2

|-

| '''Total''' ||align="right"|'''113,340''' ||align="right"| '''45,930''' || style="text-align:right;"| '''40.5'''

|-

| colspan="4" | <small>''Source: Reports of the Advisory Panels for the Fourth Five Year Plan 1970–75, Vol. I,<br /> published by the planning commission of Pakistan.''</small>

|}

	
The annual rate of growth of the gross domestic product per capita was 4.4% in West Pakistan versus 2.6% in East Pakistan from 1960 to 1965. Bengali politicians pushed for more autonomy, arguing that much of Pakistan's export earnings were generated in East Pakistan from the exportation of Bengali jute and tea. As late as 1960, approximately 70% of Pakistan's export earnings originated in East Pakistan, although this percentage declined as international demand for jute dwindled. By the mid-1960s, East Pakistan was accounting for less than 60% of the nation's export earnings, and by the time Bangladesh gained its independence in 1971, this percentage had dipped below 50%. In 1966, Mujib demanded that separate foreign exchange accounts be kept and that separate trade offices be opened overseas. By the mid-1960s, West Pakistan was benefiting from Ayub's "Decade of Progress" with its successful [[Green Revolution]] in wheat and from the expansion of markets for West Pakistani textiles, while East Pakistan's standard of living remained at an abysmally low level. Bengalis were also upset that West Pakistan, the seat of the national government, received more foreign aid. However, East Pakistan did nonetheless benefit from industrialisation and development, which was discerned by the Kaptai Dam in the Chittagong Hill Tracts for instance.

Economists in East Pakistan argued a "Two Economies Theory" within Pakistan itself, which was founded on the Two-Nation Theory with India. The so-called Two Economies Theory suggested that East and West Pakistan had different economic features which should not be regulated by a federal government in Islamabad.<ref>{{cite journal |url=http://www.epw.in/journal/2016/28/book-reviews/birth-bangladesh.html |title=Birth of Bangladesh |date=5 June 2015 |journal=Economic and Political Weekly |volume=51 |issue=28 |access-date=2 July 2017 |archive-date=19 December 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171219111615/http://www.epw.in/journal/2016/28/book-reviews/birth-bangladesh.html |url-status=live }}</ref>

==Demographics and culture==
[[File:TheDailyIttefaq.png|thumb|''[[The Daily Ittefaq]]'', edited by [[Tofazzal Hossain Manik Miah|Tofazzal Hossain]], was the leading Bengali newspaper in Pakistan.]]
[[File:Flag of Bangladesh (1971).svg|thumb|The first Bangladeshi flag was hoisted on 23 March 1971 across East Pakistan, as a protest on Republic Day.]]
East Pakistan was home to 55% of Pakistan's population. The largest ethnic group of the province were [[Bengalis]], who in turn were the largest ethnic group in [[Pakistan]]. [[Bengali Muslims]] formed the predominant majority, followed by [[Bengali Hindus]], [[Bengali Buddhists]] and [[Bengali Christians]]. East Pakistan also had many tribal groups, including the [[Chakma people|Chakmas]], [[Marma people|Marmas]], [[Tanchangya people|Tangchangyas]], [[Garo people|Garos]], [[Bisnupriya Manipuri people|Manipuris]], [[Tripuri people|Tripuris]], [[Santhal people|Santhals]] and [[Bawm people|Bawms]]. They largely followed the religions of [[Buddhism]], [[Christianity]] and Hinduism. East Pakistan was home to immigrant Muslims from across the [[Indian subcontinent]], including [[West Bengal]], [[Bihar]], [[Sindh]], [[Gujarat]], the [[Northwest Frontier Province]], [[Assam]], [[Orissa Province|Orissa]], the [[Punjab]] and [[Kerala]]. A small [[Armenians in Bangladesh|Armenian]] and [[History of the Jews in Bangladesh|Jewish]] minority resided in East Pakistan.

The [[Asiatic Society of Pakistan]] was founded in [[Old Dhaka|Old Dacca]] by [[Ahmad Hasan Dani]] in 1948. The [[Varendra Research Museum]] in [[Rajshahi]] was an important center of research on the [[Indus Valley civilization|Indus Valley civilisation]]. The [[Bangla Academy]] was established in 1954.

Among East Pakistan's newspapers, ''[[The Daily Ittefaq]]'' was the leading Bengali language title; while ''[[Holiday (newspaper)|Holiday]]'' was a leading English title.

At the time of partition, East Bengal had 80 cinemas. The first movie produced in East Pakistan was The Face and the Mask in 1955. [[Pakistan Television]] established its second studio in Dacca after Lahore in 1965. [[Runa Laila]] was Pakistan's first pop star and became popular in India as well. [[Shabnam]] was a leading actress from East Pakistan. [[Feroza Begum (singer)|Feroza Begum]] was a leading exponent of Bengali classical [[Nazrul geeti]]. [[Jasimuddin]] and [[Abbasuddin Ahmed]] promoted Bengali folk music. [[Munier Chowdhury]], [[Syed Mujtaba Ali]], [[Nurul Momen]], [[Sufia Kamal]] and [[Shamsur Rahman (poet)|Shamsur Rahman]] were among the leading literary figures in East Pakistan. Several East Pakistanis were awarded the [[Sitara-e-Imtiaz]] and the [[Pride of Performance]].

===Religion===

{{Pie chart
|thumb = right
|caption = Religion in Pakistan (1951 Official Census)<ref name="auto">{{cite web |url=lsi.gov.in:8081/jspui/bitstream/123456789/7452/1/1422_1951_POP.pdf |archive-date=9 March 2021| url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210309190410/lsi.gov.in:8081/jspui/bitstream/123456789/7452/1/1422_1951_POP.pdf}}</ref>
|label1 = [[Islam]]
|value1 = 85.9
|color1 = Darkgreen
|label2 = [[Hinduism in Pakistan|Hinduism]]
|value2 = 12.9 <!-- 5.7% Hindu (Jati) 7.2% Hindu (scheduled castes) -->
|color2 = DarkOrange
|label3 = [[Christianity in Pakistan|Christianity]]
|value3 = 0.7
|color3 = Dodgerblue
|label4 = Other
|value4 = 0.5
|color4 = Grey
}}

{{Pie chart
| thumb = right
| caption = Religion in East Pakistan (1951 Census)<ref name="auto"/>
| label1 = [[Islam]]
| value1 = 76.8
| color1 = DarkGreen
| label2 = [[Hinduism]]
| value2 = 22
| color2 = DarkOrange
| label3 = [[Christianity]]
| value3 = 0.3
| color3 = Dodgerblue
| label4 = Others
| value4 = 0.9
| color4 = Grey
}}
As per the 1951 census, East Pakistan had a population of 44,251,826 people, of which 76.9% (~34,029,654) followed [[Islam]], 22.0% (~9,735,402) people followed [[Hinduism]] and 1.1% (~486,770) people followed other religions: [[Buddhism]], [[Christianity]] and [[Animism]].<ref name="bangla">{{Cite web |url=https://en.banglapedia.org/index.php/Population |title=Population |website=Banglapedia |access-date=10 September 2021 |archive-date=1 April 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220401041939/https://en.banglapedia.org/index.php/Population |url-status=live |date=17 June 2021}}</ref> According to the 1961 census, Muslims made up 80.4% of the population, Hindus were 18.4%, and the remaining 1.2% belonged to other religions, mainly Christianity and Buddhism.<ref name="D'Costa2011">{{citation|last=D'Costa|first=Bina|title=Nationbuilding, Gender and War Crimes in South Asia|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ivzKjY5LncIC&pg=PA100|pages=100–|year=2011|publisher=Routledge|isbn=978-0-415-56566-0}}</ref><ref>{{Cite journal |last=Sanaullah |first=M. |date=1962 |title=Second and Third Release from the Second Population Census of Pakistan, 1961 |url=https://thepdr.pk/index.php/pdr/article/view/32/32 |journal=The Pakistan Development Review |volume=2 |issue=1 |pages=106–113 |doi=10.30541/v2i1pp.106-113 |doi-broken-date=8 December 2025 |jstor=41258062 |issn=0030-9729 |doi-access=free |access-date=6 December 2025 }}</ref>

==Military==
{{Main|Eastern Command (Pakistan)}}

[[File:India Bangladesh border US Army Map Service.jpg|right|thumb|The Indo-East Pakistan border as shown by the [[United States Army|U.S. Army]], c. 1960]]
Since its unification with Pakistan, the [[Structure of the Pakistan Army|East Pakistan Army]] had consisted of only one infantry brigade made up of two battalions, the 1st East Bengal Regiment and the [[Punjab Regiment (Pakistan)|1/14]] or 3/8 Punjab Regiment in 1948. These two battalions boasted only five rifle companies between them (an infantry battalion normally had 5 companies).<ref>Major Nasir Uddin, Juddhey Juddhey Swadhinata, pp49</ref> This weak brigade was under the command of Brigadier Ayub Khan (acting Major-General – [[General Officer Commanding|GOC]] of 14th Army Division), together with the [[East Pakistan Rifles]], which was tasked with defending East Pakistan during the [[Indo-Pakistani War of 1947]].<ref>Major Nasir Uddin, Juddhey Juddhey Swadhinata, pp47, pp51</ref> The [[Pakistan Air Force|PAF]], [[Pakistan Marines|Marines]], and the [[Pakistan Navy|Navy]] had little presence in the region. Only one PAF combatant squadron, [[List of Pakistan Air Force Squadrons|No. 14 Squadron ''Tail Choppers'']], was active in East Pakistan. This combatant squadron was commanded by [[Squadron Leader]] [[Parvaiz Mehdi Qureshi]], who later became a four-star general. The East Pakistan military personnel were trained in combat diving, demolitions, and guerrilla/anti-guerrilla tactics by the advisers from the [[Special Service Group Navy|Special Service Group (Navy)]] who were also charged with intelligence data collection and management cycle.

The East Pakistan Navy had only one active-duty combatant destroyer, the [[List of active ships of the Pakistan Navy|PNS ''Sylhet'']]; one submarine ''[[PNS Ghazi|Ghazi]]'' (which was repeatedly deployed in the West); four gunboats, inadequate to function in deep water. The joint special operations were managed and undertaken by the Naval Special Service Group (SSG(N)) who was assisted by the army, air force, and marines unit. The entire service, the Marines were deployed in East Pakistan, initially tasked with conducting exercises and combat operations in [[riverine]] areas and at the near shoreline. The small directorate of [[Naval Intelligence of Pakistan|Naval Intelligence]] (while the headquarters and personnel, facilities, and directions were coordinated by West) had a vital role in directing special and reconnaissance missions, and intelligence gathering also was charged with taking reasonable actions to slow down the Indian threat. The armed forces of East Pakistan also consisted of the paramilitary organisation, the ''[[Razakars (Pakistan)|Razakars]]'' from the intelligence unit of the [[ISI (Pakistan)|ISI's]] Covert Action Division (CAD).

=== Governors ===

'''Political Party'''{{Legend|{{party color|Pakistan Muslim League}}|[[Pakistan Muslim League|Muslim League]]}}
{{Legend|{{party color|Krishak Sramik Party}}|[[Krishak Sramik Party]]}}
{{Legend|gray|[[Independent Politician|Independent]]}}
{{Tree list}}
*{{Legend|{{party color|military}}|[[Pakistan Armed Forces|Military Governor]]}}
{{Tree list/end}}

'''Legend'''

{{Legend|#e6e6aa|Acting Governor}}
{{Legend|pink|Functioned and exercised power as Governor by the order of [[President of Pakistan|president]] without being appointed as one}}
{| class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align:center"
|+List of Governors of East Pakistan
! rowspan="2" class="unsortable" |#
! rowspan="2" class="unsortable" style="width:120px;"|Portrait
! rowspan="2" |Governor
! colspan="3" |Term of office
! rowspan="2" |Political Party
! rowspan="2" |President
|-
!Term start
!Term end
!Time in office
|- 
| style="background-color:gray; color:white;" |'''[-]'''
| style="background:#e6e6aa;" |[[File:Amiruddin_Ahmad.jpg|164x164px]]
| style="background:#e6e6aa;" |[[Justice]]
[[Amiruddin Ahmad]]<br />(acting){{Efn|Justice [[Amiruddin Ahmad]], Chief Justice of [[Dhaka High Court]], was appointed acting Governor on the resignation of Justice [[Muhammad Shahabuddin]]}}

<small>(1895-1965)</small>
| style="background:#e6e6aa;" |<small>As Governor of [[East Bengal]]:</small>
{{Date table sorting|1955|6|14|}}<ref name=":83">{{Cite web |date=2013-04-25 |title=amiruddin - THE BANGABHABAN : The President House of Bangladesh |url=http://www.bangabhaban.gov.bd/amiruddin.html |access-date=2025-02-21 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130425081002/http://www.bangabhaban.gov.bd/amiruddin.html |archive-date=25 April 2013 }}</ref>
----<small>As Governor of East Pakistan:</small>
{{Date table  sorting|1956|02|29||format=dmy}}
| style="background:#e6e6aa;" |{{Date table  sorting|1956|3|9||format=dmy}}<ref name=":83" />
| style="background:#e6e6aa;" |<small>As Governor of East Bengal:</small> {{ayd|1955|6|14|1956|2|29}}
----<small>As Governor of East Pakistan:</small>
{{ayd|February 29, 1956|March 9, 1956}}
----<small>As Governor of Eastern Wing:</small>
{{ayd|14 June 1955|March 9, 1956}}
| style="background:#e6e6aa;" |[[Independent politician|Independent]]
| rowspan="4" |[[Iskander Mirza]]
|-
! style="background-color: {{party color|Krishak Sramik Party}}; color:white" |1
|[[File:A_k_fazlul_hoque.jpg|160x160px]]
|''[[Sher-e-Bangla]]''<br />[[A. K. Fazlul Huq]]
<small>(1873 - 1962)</small>
|{{Date table  sorting|1956|3|9||format=dmy}}<ref name=":92">{{Cite web |date=2013-04-25 |title=fazluhuq - THE BANGABHABAN : The President House of Bangladesh |url=http://www.bangabhaban.gov.bd/fazluhuq.html |access-date=2025-02-21 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130425081037/http://www.bangabhaban.gov.bd/fazluhuq.html |archive-date=25 April 2013 }}</ref>
|{{Date table sorting|1958|3|31||format=dmy}}{{Efn|[[President of Pakistan|President]] [[Iskander Mirza]] removed [[A. K. Fazlul Huq]] as governor on 31 March 1958 on the advice of the [[Feroz Khan Noon|Noon cabinet]] for allegedly overstepping his limits as a constitutional Governor. [[A. K. Fazlul Huq|Huq]] had dismissed [[Ataur Rahman Khan|Ataur Rahman's]] Ministry of [[Awami League]] that had not been defeated on the [[Provincial Assembly of East Pakistan|floor of the House]], and had installed Mr. [[Abu Hussain Sarkar]] of his own party [[Krishak Sramik Party]] as [[Chief Minister of East Pakistan|Chief Minister]].}}<ref name=":92" /><ref name=":252">{{Cite news |date=1 April 1958 |title=করাচীর নির্দেশে পূর্ব পাকিস্তানের গভার্নর মিঃ ফজলুল হকের নাটকীয়ভাবে পদচ্যুত |trans-title=Governor of East Pakistan Mr. Fazlul Haq Dramatically Removed by Orders from Karachi |url=https://drive.google.com/file/d/1kQ3OY8vI16501RGOqqw5z8bUnCXil-vE/view |access-date=21 February 2025 |work=The Jugantor |pages=1 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250128040003/https://drive.google.com/file/d/1kQ3OY8vI16501RGOqqw5z8bUnCXil-vE/view |archive-date=28 January 2025 |language=Bengali}}</ref>
|{{ayd|March 9, 1956|March 31, 1958}}
|[[Krishak Sramik Party]]
|- style="background:#e6e6aa;"
! style="background-color: gray; color:white" |'''[-]'''
|[[File:Acting Governor of East Pakistan Muhammad Hamid Ali (1958).jpg|156x156px]]
|[[Muhammad Hamid Ali]]
(acting){{Efn|[[Muhammad Hamid Ali]], Chief Secretary to the Governor of East Pakistan, was appointed Acting Governor in pursuance of the provisions of Article 70 of the [[Constitution of Pakistan of 1956|Constitution]] following the removal of [[A. K. Fazlul Huq|Sher-e-Bangla A. K. Fazlul Huq]] from the office}}

<small>(1906-1972)</small>
|{{Date table  sorting|1958|4|1||format=dmy}}<ref name=":102">{{Cite web |date=2013-04-25 |title=hamidali - THE BANGABHABAN : The President House of Bangladesh |url=http://www.bangabhaban.gov.bd/hamidali.html |access-date=2025-02-21 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130425081107/http://www.bangabhaban.gov.bd/hamidali.html |archive-date=25 April 2013 }}</ref><ref name=":252" />
|{{Date table  sorting|1958|5|3||format=dmy}}<ref name=":102" /><ref name=":242">{{Cite news |date=3 May 1958 |title=পূর্ব পাকিস্তানের নয়া গভর্নর |trans-title=The New Governor of East Pakistan |url=https://songramernotebook.com/archives/248800 |work=The Azad |pages=1 |language=Bengali}}</ref>
|{{ayd|April 1, 1958|3 May 1958}}
|[[Independent politician|Independent]]
|-
! style="background-color: gray; color:white" |2
|[[File:Sultanuddin_Ahmad.jpg|160x160px]]
|[[Sultanuddin Ahmad]]
<small>(1902-1977)</small>
|<small>Appointment:</small><ref name=":112">{{Cite web |date=2013-04-25 |title=sultanuddin - THE BANGABHABAN : The President House of Bangladesh |url=http://www.bangabhaban.gov.bd/sultanuddin.html |access-date=2025-02-21 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130425081237/http://www.bangabhaban.gov.bd/sultanuddin.html |archive-date=25 April 2013 }}</ref>
{{Date table  sorting|1958|4|26||format=dmy}}
----<small>Sworn in:<ref name=":112" /><ref name=":242" /></small>
{{Date table  sorting|1958|5|3||format=dmy}}
|{{Date table  sorting|1958|10|10||format=dmy}}{{Efn|[[Sultanuddin Ahmad]] was removed from office on 10 October 1958 soon after the promulgation of [[1958 Pakistani military coup|Martial Law in Pakistan]] on 7 October}}<ref name=":112" /><ref name=":1102">{{Cite news |date=12 October 1958 |title=Zakir Hussain installed as new governor |url=https://songramernotebook.com/archives/491801 |work=Bangladesh Observer (known as Pakistan Observer during Publication)}}</ref>
|{{ayd|3 May 1958|10  October 1958}}
|[[Independent politician|Independent]]
|-
! style="background-color: gray; color:white" |3
|[[File:Zakir_Husain_(governor).jpg|160x160px]]
|[[Zakir Husain (governor)|Zakir Husain]]
<small>(1898-1971)</small>
|<small>Appointment:</small><ref name=":122">{{Cite web |date=2013-04-25 |title=zakirhusain - THE BANGABHABAN : The President House of Bangladesh |url=http://www.bangabhaban.gov.bd/zakirhusain.html |access-date=2025-02-21 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130425081253/http://www.bangabhaban.gov.bd/zakirhusain.html |archive-date=25 April 2013 }}</ref>
{{Date table  sorting|1958|10|10||format=dmy}}
----<small>Sworn in:<ref name=":122" /><ref name=":1102" /></small>
{{Date table  sorting|1958|10|11||format=dmy}}
|{{Date table  sorting|1960|4|14||format=dmy}}<ref name=":122" />
|{{ayd|11 October  1958|14 April 1960}}
|[[Independent politician|Independent]]
| style="padding:0;" |<div style="padding:10;">[[Iskander Mirza]]</div>
----<div style="padding:10;">[[Ayub Khan]]</div>
|-
! style="background-color: {{party color|military}};" |4
[[File:Pakistan_Army_Emblem.png|30x30px]]
|[[File:General_Azam_Khan_(cropped).jpg|120x120px]]
|[[Lieutenant general (Pakistan)|Lieutenant General]]
[[Azam Khan (general)|Azam Khan]]

<small>(1908-1994)</small>
|{{Date table  sorting|1960|4|15||format=dmy}}<ref name=":132">{{Cite web |date=2013-04-25 |title=azamkhan - THE BANGABHABAN : The President House of Bangladesh |url=http://www.bangabhaban.gov.bd/azamkhan.html |access-date=2025-02-21 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130425081007/http://www.bangabhaban.gov.bd/azamkhan.html |archive-date=25 April 2013 }}</ref>
|{{Date table  sorting|1962|5|10||format=dmy}}<ref name=":132" />
|{{ayd|15 April  1960|10 May 1962}}
|[[Pakistan Army|Military]]
| rowspan="5" |[[Ayub Khan]]
|- style="background:#e6e6aa;"
| style="background-color:gray; color:white;" |'''[-]'''
|
|[[Syed Hashim Raza]]
(acting){{Efn|[[Syed Hashim Raza]] was Acting Governor of the province during the absence of General [[Azam Khan (general)|Azam Khan's]] official visit to [[West Germany]].}}

<small>(1910-2003)</small>
|{{Date table  sorting|1961|7|1||format=dmy}}<ref name=":142">{{Cite web |date=2013-04-25 |title=hashimraza - THE BANGABHABAN : The President House of Bangladesh |url=http://www.bangabhaban.gov.bd/hashimraza.html |access-date=2025-02-21 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130425081112/http://www.bangabhaban.gov.bd/hashimraza.html |archive-date=25 April 2013 }}</ref>
|{{Date table  sorting|1961|8|5||format=dmy}}<ref name=":142" />
|{{ayd|1 July 1961|5 August 1961}}
|[[Independent politician|Independent]]
|-
! style="background-color: gray; color:white" |5
|[[File:Ghulam_Faruqe_Khan.jpg|120x120px]]
|[[Ghulam Faruque Khan]]
<small>(1899-1992)</small>
|{{Date table  sorting|1962|5|11||format=dmy}}<ref name=":152">{{Cite web |date=2013-04-25 |title=faruque - THE BANGABHABAN : The President House of Bangladesh |url=http://www.bangabhaban.gov.bd/faruque.html |access-date=2025-02-21 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130425081031/http://www.bangabhaban.gov.bd/faruque.html |archive-date=25 April 2013 }}</ref>
|{{Date table  sorting|1962|10|25||format=dmy}}{{Efn|Unable to cope with the political problems of East Pakistan, [[Ghulam Faruque Khan]] resigned from office.}}<ref name=":152" />
|{{ayd|11 May 1962|25  October 1962}}
|[[Independent politician|Independent]]
|-
! style="background-color: {{party color|Pakistan Muslim League}}; color:white" |6
|[[File:Abdul_Monem_Khan.jpg|160x160px]]
|[[Abdul Monem Khan]]
<small>(1899-1971)</small>
|{{Date table  sorting|1962|10|28||format=dmy}}<ref name=":162">{{Cite web |date=2013-04-09 |title=monemkhan - THE BANGABHABAN : The President House of Bangladesh |url=http://www.bangabhaban.gov.bd/monemkhan.html |access-date=2025-02-21 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130409085649/http://www.bangabhaban.gov.bd/monemkhan.html |archive-date=9 April 2013 }}</ref>
|{{Date table  sorting|1969|3|23||format=dmy}}<ref name=":162" />
|{{ayd|28 October  1962|23 March 1969}}<br /><small>(Longest Serving)</small>
|[[Pakistan Muslim League|Muslim League]]
|-
! style="background-color: gray; color:white" |7
|[[File:Mirza_Nurul_Huda_Brussels_1976.jpg|160x160px]]
|[[Mirza Nurul Huda]]
<small>(1919-1991)</small>
|{{Date table  sorting|1969|3|23||format=dmy}}<ref name=":172">{{Cite web |date=2013-04-08 |title=nurulhuda - THE BANGABHABAN : The President House of Bangladesh |url=http://www.bangabhaban.gov.bd/nurulhuda.html |access-date=2025-02-21 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130408020135/http://www.bangabhaban.gov.bd/nurulhuda.html |archive-date=8 April 2013 }}</ref>
|{{Date table  sorting|1969|3|25||format=dmy}}{{Efn|With the promulgation of Martial Law throughout Pakistan and the abrogation of the [[Constitution of Pakistan of 1962|constitution]] in the evening of 25 March, [[Mirza Nurul Huda]]'s tenure of governorship came to an abrupt end after just 60 hours.}}<ref name=":172" />
|{{ayd|23 March  1969|25 March 1969}}
|[[Independent politician|Independent]]
|-
! style="background-color: {{party color|military}};" |8

| style="background-color: pink;" |[[File:Muzaffaruddin.jpg|155x155px]]
| style="background-color: pink;" |[[Major General]]
[[Muzaffaruddin]]{{Efn|On 25 March 1969 [[General Yahya Khan]] proclaimed [[martial law]] and divided the country into two administrative zones: [[West Pakistan]] (Zone 'A') and East Pakistan (Zone 'B'). [[Muzaffaruddin]] was the [[General Officer Commanding]] of the 14th Division and became Martial Law Administrator, Zone 'B'. On 8 April 1969, Yahya Khan issued an order directing that the Martial Law Administrators of Zone 'A' and 'B' would perform the functions and powers of the Governors of [[West Pakistan|West]] and East Pakistan respectively. Thus Muzaffaruddin became Martial Law Administrator and also exercised the powers and functions of Governor of East Pakistan.|name=Marshall Law}}

<small>(Martial Law Administrator)</small>
| style="background-color: pink;" |{{Date table  sorting|1969|3|25||format=dmy}}<ref name=":182">{{Cite web |date=2013-04-09 |title=muzaffar - THE BANGABHABAN : The President House of Bangladesh |url=http://www.bangabhaban.gov.bd/muzaffar.html |access-date=2025-02-21 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130409085729/http://www.bangabhaban.gov.bd/muzaffar.html |archive-date=9 April 2013 }}</ref>
| style="background-color: pink;" |{{Date table  sorting|1969|8|23||format=dmy}}<ref name=":182" />
| style="background-color: pink;" |{{ayd|25 March  1969|23 August 1969}}
| style="background-color: pink;" |[[Pakistan Army|Military]]
| rowspan="7" |[[Yahya Khan]]
|- style="background-color: pink;"
! style="background-color: {{party color|military}};" |9

|[[File:Sahabzada_Yaqub_Khan.jpg|155x155px]]
|[[Lieutenant general (Pakistan)|Lieutenant General]]
[[Sahabzada Yaqub Khan]]{{Efn|Appointed as Martial Law Administrator of Zone 'B' and exercised the powers and functions of the Governor of East Pakistan.}}

<small>(1920-2016)</small>

<small>(Martial Law Administrator)</small>
|{{Date table  sorting|1969|8|23||format=dmy}}<ref name=":192">{{Cite web |date=2013-04-09 |title=yaqubkhan - THE BANGABHABAN : The President House of Bangladesh |url=http://www.bangabhaban.gov.bd/yaqubkhan.html |access-date=2025-02-21 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130425081248/http://www.bangabhaban.gov.bd/yaqubkhan.html |archive-date=25 April 2013 }}</ref>
|{{Date table  sorting|1969|9|1||format=dmy}}{{Efn|On 8 April 1969, [[President of Pakistan|President]] [[Yahya Khan]] issued an order directing that the Martial Law Administrators would perform the functions and powers of the Governor. However, a notification issued by the [[Cabinet of Pakistan|cabinet secretariat]] on 1 September 1969 cancelled the order of 8 April 1969 and directed Martial Law Administrators to refrain from performing the functions of Governor in their respective provinces with immediate effect. [[Lieutenant general|Lt. General]] [[Sahabzada Yaqub Khan|Yaqub Khan]] remained Martial Law Administrator until [[Vice Admiral]] [[Syed Mohammad Ahsan|S. M. Ahsan]] took over as the new Governor of East Pakistan on 1 September 1969}}<ref name=":192" />
|{{ayd|23 August 1969|1  September 1969}}
|[[Pakistan Army|Military]]
|-
! style="background-color: {{party color|military}};" |10

|
|[[Vice Admiral]]
[[Syed Mohammad Ahsan]]

<small>(1921-1989)</small>
|{{Date table  sorting|1969|9|1||format=dmy}}<ref name=":202">{{Cite web |date=2013-04-25 |title=ahsan - THE BANGABHABAN : The President House of Bangladesh |url=http://www.bangabhaban.gov.bd/ahsan.html |access-date=2025-02-21 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130425080956/http://www.bangabhaban.gov.bd/ahsan.html |archive-date=25 April 2013 }}</ref>
|{{Date table  sorting|1971|3|1||format=dmy}}<ref name=":202" />
|{{ayd|1 September  1969|1 March 1971}}
|[[Pakistan Navy|Military]]
|- style="background-color: pink;"
! style="background-color: {{party color|military}};" |11

|[[File:Sahabzada_Yaqub_Khan.jpg|155x155px]]
|[[Lieutenant general (Pakistan)|Lieutenant General]]
[[Sahabzada Yaqub Khan]]{{Efn|Appointed the "head of civil administration in the province" and exercised the functions and powers of Governor from 1 March 1971 until the arrival of [[Lieutenant general (Pakistan)|Lieutenant General]] [[Tikka Khan]] on 7 March 1971.}}

<small>(1920-2016)</small>

<small>(Head of Civil Administration)</small>
|{{Date table  sorting|1971|3|1||format=dmy}}<ref name=":192" />
|{{Date table  sorting|1971|3|7||format=dmy}}<ref name=":192" />
|{{ayd|1 March 1971|7 March 1971}}
|[[Pakistan Army|Military]]
|-
! style="background-color: {{party color|military}};" |12

|[[File:Tikka_Khan.png|143x143px]]
|[[Lieutenant general (Pakistan)|Lieutenant General]]
[[Tikka Khan]]

<small>(1915-2002)</small>
|<small>Appointment:</small><ref name=":212">{{Cite web |date=2013-04-09 |title=tikkakhan - THE BANGABHABAN : The President House of Bangladesh |url=http://www.bangabhaban.gov.bd/tikkakhan.html |access-date=2025-02-21 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130409094534/http://www.bangabhaban.gov.bd/tikkakhan.html |archive-date=9 April 2013 }}</ref>
{{Date table  sorting|1971|3|6||format=dmy}}
----<small>Sworn in:<ref name=":212" /></small>
{{Date table  sorting|1971|3|7||format=dmy}}
----<small>Officially announced:<ref name=":212" /></small>
{{Date table  sorting|1971|3|9||format=dmy}}
|{{Date table  sorting|1971|9|3||format=dmy}}<ref name=":212" />
|{{ayd|7 March 1971|3 September 1971}}
|[[Pakistan Army|Military]]
|-
! style="background-color: {{party color|Pakistan Muslim League}}; color:white" |13
|[[File:Abdul Motaleb Malik 1958.jpg|207x207px]]
|[[Abdul Motaleb Malik]]
<small>(1905-1977)</small>
|<small>Appointment:</small><ref name=":222">{{Cite web |date=2013-04-09 |title=malik - THE BANGABHABAN : The President House of Bangladesh |url=http://www.bangabhaban.gov.bd/malik.html |access-date=2025-02-21 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130409094145/http://www.bangabhaban.gov.bd/malik.html |archive-date=9 April 2013 }}</ref>
{{Date table  sorting|1971|8|31||format=dmy}}
----<small>Sworn in:<ref name=":222" /></small>
{{Date table  sorting|1971|9|3||format=dmy}}
|{{Date table  sorting|1971|12|14||format=dmy}}{{Efn|[[Abdul Motaleb Malik]] along with his cabinet resigned on 14 December after realising that [[Pakistani Instrument of Surrender|Pakistani defeat]] was imminent  and sought refuse in [[InterContinental Dhaka|Hotel Intercontinental]], seeking the protection of the [[Red Cross]] flag.}}<ref name=":222" />
|{{ayd|3 September  1971|14 December 1971}}
|[[Pakistan Muslim League|Muslim League]]
|- style="background-color: pink;"
! style="background-color: {{party color|military}};" |14

|[[File:Amir_Abdullah_Khan_Niazi.png|148x148px]]
|[[Lieutenant general (Pakistan)|Lieutenant General]]
[[A. A. K. Niazi]]{{Efn|Commander of the [[Eastern Command of the Pakistan Army]] and as the supreme authority of Pakistan in its eastern wing, functioned and exercised power as the Governor of East Pakistan after the resignation of [[Abdul Motaleb Malik]] during the last 48 hours of [[Bangladesh Liberation War]]}}

<small>(1915-2004)</small>

<small>(Supreme Authority of East Pakistan)</small>
|{{Date table  sorting|1971|12|14||format=dmy}}<ref name=":232">{{Cite web |date=2013-04-09 |title=niazi - THE BANGABHABAN : The President House of Bangladesh |url=http://www.bangabhaban.gov.bd/niazi.html |access-date=2025-02-21 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130409094159/http://www.bangabhaban.gov.bd/niazi.html |archive-date=9 April 2013 }}</ref>
|{{Date table  sorting|1971|12|16||format=dmy}}<ref name=":232" />
|{{ayd|14 December  1971|16 December 1971}}
|[[Pakistan Army|Military]]
|}

==Chief ministers==

'''Political Party'''{{Legend|{{party color|Pakistan Muslim League}}|[[Pakistan Muslim League|Muslim League]]}}
{{Legend|{{party color|Krishak Sramik Party}}|[[Krishak Sramik Party]]}}
{{Legend|{{party color|United Front (East Pakistan)}}|[[United Front (East Pakistan)|United Front]]}}
{{Legend|{{party color|Bangladesh Awami League}}|[[Awami League]]}}

{| class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align:center"
! rowspan="2" class="unsortable" |#
! rowspan="2" class="unsortable" style="width:120px;"|Portrait
! rowspan="2" |Name
! colspan="3" |Term of office
! rowspan="2" |Political Party
! rowspan="2" |Governor
! rowspan="2" |Governor-General/ President
|-
!Term start
!Term end
!Time in office
|-
! style="background-color: {{party color|Pakistan Muslim League}}; color:white"| 1
|[[File:Khawaja Nazimuddin.jpg|120px]]
| [[Khawaja Nazimuddin|Sir Khawaja Nazimuddin]]
<small>(1894 – 1964)</small>
| {{Date  table sorting|1947|8|15|}}
|{{Date  table sorting|1948|9|4|}}
|{{ayd|1947|8|15|1948|9|4}}
| [[Pakistan Muslim League|Muslim League]]
| [[Frederick Chalmers Bourne|Sir Frederick Chalmers Bourne]]
| [[Muhammad Ali Jinnah]]
|-
! style="background-color: {{party color|Pakistan Muslim League}}; color:white"| 2
|[[File:Nurul amin.jpg|120px]]
| [[Nurul Amin]]
<small>(1893 – 1974)</small>
|{{Date table  sorting|1948|9|14|}}
|{{Date table  sorting|1954|4|3|}}
|{{ayd|1948|9|14|1954|4|3}}
| [[Pakistan Muslim League|Muslim League]]
| [[Feroz Khan Noon|Sir Feroz Khan Noon]]
| style="padding:0;" |<div style="padding:10;">[[Khawaja Nazimuddin|Sir Khawaja Nazimuddin]]</div>
----<div style="padding:10;">[[Malik Ghulam Muhammad]]</div>
|-
! style="background-color: {{party color|United Front (East Pakistan)}}; color:white" |3
|[[File:A_k_fazlul_hoque.jpg|160x160px]]
|''[[Sher-e-Bangla]]''<br />[[A. K. Fazlul Huq]]
<small>(1873 - 1962)</small>
|{{Date table  sorting|1954|4|3|}}
|{{Date table  sorting|1954|5|29|}}
|{{ayd|1954|4|3|1954|5|29}}
| [[United Front (East Pakistan)|United Front]]
| [[Chaudhry Khaliquzzaman]]
|rowspan="2" |[[Malik Ghulam Muhammad]]
|-
! style="background-color:gray; color:white;" |'''[-]'''
|[[File:Logo of the Governor of East Pakistan.svg|160x160px]]
|''Vacant''<br/>('''[[Governor of East Pakistan|Governor's rule]]''')
|{{Date table  sorting|1954|5|29|}}
|{{Date table  sorting|1955|6|20|}}
|{{ayd|1954|5|29|1955|6|20}}
| [[N/A]]
| -
|-
! style="background-color: {{party color|Krishak Sramik Party}}; color:white" |4
|[[File:Abu Hosain Sarkar.jpg|120px]]
| [[Abu Hussain Sarkar]]
<small>(1894 - 1969)</small>
| <small>As Chief minister of East Bengal:</small>
{{Date table  sorting|1955|6|20|}}
----<small>As Chief minister of East Pakistan:</small>
{{Date table sorting|1956|2|29}}
|{{Date table  sorting|1956|8|30|}}
|<small>As Chief minister of East Bengal:</small>
{{ayd|1955|6|20|1956|2|29}}
----<small>As Chief minister of East Pakistan:</small>
{{ayd|1956|2|29|1956|8|30}}
----<small>As Chief minister of Eastern Wing</small>
{{ayd|1955|6|20|1956|8|30}}
| [[Krishak Sramik Party]]
|style="padding:0;" |<div style="padding:10;">[[Iskander Mirza]]</div>
----<div style="padding:10;">[[Thomas Hobart Ellis|Sir Thomas Hobart Ellis]] (Acting)</div>
----<div style="padding:10;">[[Muhammad Shahabuddin]] (Acting)</div>
|style="padding:0;" |<div style="padding:10;">[[Malik Ghulam Muhammad]]</div>
----<div style="padding:10;">[[Iskander Mirza]]</div>
|-
! style="background-color: {{party color|Bangladesh Awami League}}; color:white" |5
|[[File:Ataur_Rahman_Khan.jpg|120px]]
| [[Ataur Rahman Khan]]
<small>(1907 - 1991)</small>
| {{Date table  sorting|1956|9|1|}}
|{{Date table  sorting|1958|3|31|}}
|{{ayd|1956|9|1|1958|3|31}}
| [[Awami League]]
|style="padding:0;" |<div style="padding:10;">[[Amiruddin Ahmad]] (Acting)</div>
----<div style="padding:10;">''[[Sher-e-Bangla]]''<br />[[A. K. Fazlul Huq]]</div>
|rowspan="2" |[[Iskander Mirza]]
|-
! style="background-color: {{party color|Krishak Sramik Party}}; color:white" |(4)
|[[File:Abu Hosain Sarkar.jpg|120px]]
| [[Abu Hussain Sarkar]]
<small>(1894 - 1969)</small>
| {{Date table  sorting|1958|3|31|}}
|{{Date table  sorting|1958|4|1|}}
|{{ayd|1958|3|31|1958|4|1}}
| [[Krishak Sramik Party]]
|style="padding:0;" |<div style="padding:10;">''[[Sher-e-Bangla]]''<br />[[A. K. Fazlul Huq]]</div>
----<div style="padding:10;">[[Muhammad Hamid Ali]] (Acting)</div>
|-
! style="background-color: {{party color|Bangladesh Awami League}}; color:white" |(5)
|[[File:Ataur_Rahman_Khan.jpg|120px]]
| [[Ataur Rahman Khan]]
<small>(1907 - 1991)</small>
| {{Date table  sorting|1958|4|1|}}
|{{Date table  sorting|1958|6|18|}}
|{{ayd|1958|4|1|1958|6|18}}
| [[Awami League]]
|style="padding:0;" |<div style="padding:10;">[[Muhammad Hamid Ali]] (Acting)</div>
----<div style="padding:10;">[[Sultanuddin Ahmad]]</div>
|style="padding:0;" |<div style="padding:10;">[[Iskander Mirza]]</div>
----<div style="padding:10;">[[Ayub Khan]]</div>
|-
! style="background-color: {{party color|Krishak Sramik Party}}; color:white" |(4)
|[[File:Abu Hosain Sarkar.jpg|120px]]
| [[Abu Hussain Sarkar]]
<small>(1894 - 1969)</small>
| {{Date table  sorting|1958|6|18|}}
|{{Date table  sorting|1958|6|22|}}
|{{ayd|1958|6|18|1958|6|22}}
| [[Krishak Sramik Party]]
|[[Sultanuddin Ahmad]]
|rowspan="3" |[[Ayub Khan]]
|-
! style="background-color:gray; color:white;" |'''[-]'''
|[[File:Logo of the Governor of East Pakistan.svg|160x160px]]
|''Vacant''<br/>('''[[Governor of East Pakistan|Governor's rule]]''')
|{{Date table  sorting|1958|6|22|}}
|{{Date table  sorting|1958|8|25|}}
|{{ayd|1958|6|22|1958|8|25}}
| [[N/A]]
| -
|-
! style="background-color: {{party color|Bangladesh Awami League}}; color:white" |(5)
|[[File:Ataur_Rahman_Khan.jpg|120px]]
| [[Ataur Rahman Khan]]
<small>(1907 - 1991)</small>
| {{Date table  sorting|1958|8|25|}}
|{{Date table  sorting|1958|10|7|}}
|{{ayd|1958|8|25|1958|10|7}}
| [[Awami League]]
|[[Sultanuddin Ahmad]]
|-
|}

==Legacy in Pakistan==
The trauma was extremely severe in [[Pakistan]] when the news of secession of East Pakistan as [[Bangladesh]] arrived—a psychological setback,<ref name="Haqqani2005"/> complete and humiliating defeat that shattered the prestige of the Pakistan Armed Forces.<ref name="Haqqani2005">{{cite book |last=Haqqani |first=Hussain |title=Pakistan: Between Mosque and Military |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=nYppZ_dEjdIC&pg=PP1 |year=2005 |publisher=United Book Press |isbn=978-0-87003-214-1 |access-date=17 October 2020 |archive-date=7 February 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230207173053/https://books.google.com/books?id=nYppZ_dEjdIC&pg=PP1 |url-status=live }}, Chapter 3, pp 87.</ref><ref>{{cite book |last=Ali |first=Tariq |year=1983 |title=Can Pakistan Survive? The Death of a State |publisher=Penguin Books |pages=98–99 |isbn=0-14-02-2401-7 |quote=The defeat of the Pakistan army traumatized West Pakistan and considerably dented the prestige of the armed services ... The defeat suffered in Dacca and the break-up of the country traumatized the population from top to bottom.}}</ref> The governor and martial law administrator, Lieutenant-General [[Amir Abdullah Khan Niazi]], was defamed, his image was maligned and he was stripped of his honours.<ref name="Haqqani2005"/> The people of [[Pakistan]] could not come to terms with the magnitude of the defeat, and spontaneous demonstrations and mass protests erupted on the streets of major cities in (West) Pakistan.<ref name="Haqqani2005"/> General [[Yahya Khan]] surrendered powers to Nurul Amin of the [[Pakistan Muslim League]], the first and last [[Vice President of Pakistan|vice-president]] and [[prime minister of Pakistan]].<ref name="Haqqani2005"/>

Prime Minister Amin invited then-President [[Zulfikar Ali Bhutto]] and the [[Pakistan Peoples Party]] to take control of [[Pakistan]] in a colourful ceremony where Bhutto gave a daring speech to the nation on [[Pakistan Television|national television]].<ref name="Haqqani2005"/> At the ceremony, Bhutto waved his fist in the air and pledged to his nation to never again allow the surrender of his country like what happened with East Pakistan. He launched and orchestrated the large-scale [[Pakistan and weapons of mass destruction|atomic bomb project]] in 1972.<ref name="The Atlantic">{{cite magazine |last=Langewiesche |first=William |date=November 2005 |title=The Wrath of Khan |url=https://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2005/11/the-wrath-of-khan/4333/3/ |magazine=The Atlantic |access-date=31 July 2016 |quote=Thirty-four years later it may seem obvious that the loss of Bangladesh was a blessing—but it is still not seen so today in Pakistan, and it was certainly not seen so at the time ... One month after the surrender of Pakistan's army in Bangladesh [Bhutto] called a secret meeting of about seventy Pakistani scientists ... He asked them for a nuclear bomb, and they responded enthusiastically. |archive-date=24 August 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110824213019/http://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2005/11/the-wrath-of-khan/4333/3 |url-status=live }}</ref> In memorial of East Pakistan, the [[Bangladeshis in Pakistan|East-Pakistan diaspora]] in Pakistan established the East-Pakistan colony in Karachi, Sindh.<ref>{{cite news |last=Abbas Naqvi |date=17 December 2006 |title=Falling back |url=http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2006\12\17\story_17-12-2006_pg12_3 |newspaper=Daily Times |location=Pakistan |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110805231755/http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2006%5C12%5C17%5Cstory_17-12-2006_pg12_3 |archive-date=5 August 2011 |access-date=25 March 2012 |quote=Few people in Karachi's Chittagong Colony can forget Dec 16, 1971 – the Fall of Dhaka}}</ref> In accordance, the East-Pakistani diaspora also composed patriotic tributes to Pakistan after the war; songs such as "Sohni Dharti" (lit. "Beautiful Land") and "Jeevay, Jeevay Pakistan" (lit. "long-live, long-live Pakistan"), were composed by Bengali singer [[Shahnaz Rahmatullah]] in the 1970s and 1980s.

According to [[William Langewiesche]], writing for ''[[The Atlantic]]'', "it may seem obvious that the loss of Bangladesh was a blessing"<ref name="The Atlantic"/>—but it has never been seen that way in Pakistan.<ref name="The Atlantic"/> In the book ''Scoop! Inside Stories from the Partition to the Present'', Indian politician [[Kuldip Nayar]] opined, "Losing East Pakistan and Bhutto's releasing of Mujib did not mean anything to Pakistan's policy—as if there was no liberation war".<ref name="Nayar2006">{{cite book |last=Nayar |first=Kuldip |title=Scoop!: Inside Stories from Partition to the Present |date=1 October 2006 |publisher=HarperCollins |location=United Kingdom |isbn=978-8172236434 |pages=213 pages |url=http://www.thedailystar.net/forum/2006/december/bhuttonmujib.htm |access-date=25 March 2012 |archive-date=15 May 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120515230956/http://www.thedailystar.net/forum/2006/december/bhuttonmujib.htm |url-status=live }}</ref> Bhutto's policy, and even today the policy of [[Pakistan]], is that "she will continue to fight for the honour and integrity of [[Pakistan]]".<ref name="Nayar2006"/>

==See also==
* [[Archer Blood|The Blood telegram]]
* [[Bangladesh–Pakistan relations]]
* [[Indo-Pakistani War of 1971]]
* [[East Pakistan football team]]
* [[List of East Pakistan first-class cricketers]]
* [[Partition of India]]
* [[Provincial Government of East Pakistan]]
* [[West Pakistan]]

==Notes==
{{notelist}}

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
* [http://www.bangladesh.gov.bd Government of Bangladesh]
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20060127012942/http://www.pakistan.gov.pk/ Government of Pakistan]

{{Language Movement}}
{{Bangladesh–Pakistan relations}}
{{Irredentism}}
{{Authority control}}

[[Category:East Pakistan| ]]
[[Category:Former provinces of Pakistan|East]]
[[Category:Former exclaves]]
[[Category:Enclaves and exclaves]]
[[Category:Bangladesh–Pakistan relations]]
[[Category:Bengal]]
[[Category:Bangladesh Liberation War|E]]
[[Category:Post-independence history of Pakistan]]
[[Category:1950s in East Pakistan]]
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[[Category:1970s in Bangladesh]]
[[Category:Former countries in South Asia]]
[[Category:States and territories established in 1956]]
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[[Category:1956 establishments in Pakistan]]
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[[Category:1971 disestablishments in Asia]]
[[Category:20th century in Bangladesh]]
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