Emergence of Bangladesh

“At the time of rising a voice calls us all:
Have no fear, one who dedicates his life is unvanquished.”

Bangladesh is a new country with hundreds of years of cultural heritage. Its recorded history can be traced back to the 4th century B.C., with clear evidence of a flourishing civilisation consisting of cities, places, temples, forts, seats of learning and monasteries.

The name ‘Bengal’, which first became known to Europe through Marco Polo’s account of his travels, derives from Vanga, the name of an ancient people, who lived in what is now the southern part of Bangladesh. Bangladesh means land of Bangla (Bengali)- speaking people. The area that now constitutes the state of Bangladesh was one of the most prosperous regions of India between the twelfth and eighteenth centuries A.D. Its thriving economy was based on cotton farming and the production of cloth. These are matters of the past. Today, Bangladesh stands out as one of the poorest countries of the world.
Bengali nationalism made its presence felt for a long time but remained as a sub-national identity in the Moghul and British India and subsequently in Pakistan, which it was a part of for about 24 years. Bengalis are a people with a strong sense of their linguistic and cultural heritage. They did not accept the attempted imposition of Urdu as the only state language of Pakistan. Their demands for an autonomous state within Pakistan, end of political oppression and economic exploitation, cultural freedom and recognition of Bengali as one of the state languages were eventually converted into a war of liberation in March, 1971 that continued for 9 months. Bangladesh became independent on 16th December 1971.

Those who fought for Bangladesh were ill equipped and unprepared, their main strength was their determination. An estimated 3 million people died at the hands of the Pakistan army. Nearly 10 million people crossed the border out of apprehension of repression. This was one of the twentieth century’s greatest man-made disasters. It is also remembered as a great human triumph- a people’s will to shape their own destiny that brought unprecedented sympathy and aid from the international community.