Question

(b) Why did the East Pakistanis and the provincial politicians of the West Pakistan object the 'One Uniť policy?

Answer 1

East Pakistan was the eastern provincial wing of Pakistan between 1955 and 1971, covering the territory of the modern country Bangladesh. Its land borders were with India and Burma, with a coastline on the Bay of Bengal. East Pakistanis were popularly known as "Pakistani Bengalis"; to distinguish this region from the India's state West Bengal (which is also known as "Indian Bengal"), East Pakistan was known as "Pakistani Bengal".

East Pakistan

পূর্ব পাকিস্তান

مشرقی پاکستان

1955–1971

Flag of East Pakistan

Flag

Emblem of East Pakistan

Emblem

Location of East Pakistan

Status

Eastern provincial wing of Pakistan

Capital

Dacca

Common languages

Bengali, Urdu and English

Government

Parliamentary constitutional monarchy (1955–1956)

Parliamentary democracy under an Islamic republic (1956–1958)

Martial law (1958–1962)

Presidential republic (1962–1970)

Martial law (1970–1971)

Legislature

Legislative Assembly

History

• One Unit

14 October 1955

• Surrender of Pakistan

16 December 1971

Area

147,610 km2 (56,990 sq mi)

Currency

Pakistani rupee

Preceded by Succeeded by

East Bengal

Provisional Government of Bangladesh

Today part of

Bangladesh

India[1]

East Pakistan was renamed from East Bengal by the One Unit scheme of Pakistani Prime Minister Mohammad Ali of Bogra. The Constitution of Pakistan of 1956 replaced the British 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 Iskandar 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 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 organized 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 and the 1971 Bangladesh genocide.[2] East Pakistan seceded with the help of India.

The East Pakistan Provincial Assembly was the legislative body of the territory.

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 industrialization 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 Dacca.