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When Pakistan was created in 1947, it was divided into two parts: West Pakistan and East Pakistan. These two parts were separated by about 1,000 miles of Indian territory. This geographical separation created many problems from the very beginning.
The people of East and West Pakistan were very different from each other. They spoke different languages, had different cultures, and lived very different lives. These differences led to growing tensions that eventually caused East Pakistan to break away and become Bangladesh.
Even before 1947, Bengal (the region that became East Pakistan) had experienced division. The British had tried to partition Bengal in 1905, which created anger among Bengali people. When Pakistan was formed in 1947, Bengal was divided again between India and Pakistan. This history of division and the problems it caused made many Bengalis feel uncertain about their future in Pakistan.
The people of East Pakistan faced three main types of unfair treatment that made them want independence:
East Pakistan was treated very unfairly when it came to money and development:
Wealth Concentration: During Ayub Khan's government, just 22 industrial families controlled 66% of the country's industrial wealth and 80% of insurance and banking services. Almost all these wealthy families lived in West Pakistan, especially in Punjab. Many were relatives and friends of Ayub Khan.
Jute Exports: East Pakistan grew jute (a plant fiber used to make rope and sacks), which was the country's biggest export. East Pakistan earned a lot of foreign money by selling jute to other countries. However, this money was spent on developing West Pakistan instead of East Pakistan.
Development Projects: The government built new industries in West Pakistan, not in East Pakistan. The new capital city, Islamabad, was also built in West Pakistan using money that came from both wings of the country.
Result: East Pakistan stayed poor while West Pakistan became richer and more developed.
East Pakistanis did not get fair representation in the government:
Assemblies and Government Posts: People from East Pakistan were not given their fair share of seats in national assemblies (the groups that make laws). High-ranking jobs in the government bureaucracy (the officials who run the government) were mostly given to people from West Pakistan.
Language Barrier: Many West Pakistani officials who were sent to work in East Pakistan did not even speak Bengali (the language spoken by people in East Pakistan). This created anger and frustration.
Attitude Problem: West Pakistani officials often looked down on their Bengali colleagues and treated them as inferior or less important.
Several other unfair situations made East Pakistanis feel like second-class citizens:
Military Representation: Only 10% of the armed forces were Bengali, even though more than half of Pakistan's population lived in East Pakistan.
Government Jobs: Only 15% of central government jobs were held by people from East Pakistan.
Language Issue: Bengali was spoken by 54% of Pakistan's population, but Urdu (spoken by only 6% of people) was declared the national language. This made Bengalis feel that their identity and culture were being ignored.
These injustices built up over the years and created strong feelings of resentment (anger and bitterness) in East Pakistan.
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