The Emergence of Bangladesh: Class Struggles in East Pakistan (1947-1958)

This book provides an account, from a people's perspective, of the political struggles in East Pakistan which culminated in the emergence of an independent Bangladesh. The study draws upon original documents as well as the personal experience of the author who was directly involved in these struggles. It traces the conspiracies and compromises, which led to the usurpation of parliamentary democracy in Pakistan and the ascendance of a military bureaucratic feudal elite which consolidated its power following the military coup of 1958. This volume examines the early years after Partition when the concentration of power in West Pakistan began to fuel a sense of exploitation and alienation amongst Bengalis, leading to the historic Language Movement for proclaiming Bengali as a national language in 1952. This volume examines the events which led to the political liquidation of the Muslim League in the 1954 provincial elections in East Pakistan and the subsequent undermining of the results of this victory through interventions from the Central Government. The work provides some insights into the struggle over the framing of the constitution of Pakistan. It traces the gradual subversion of the democratic process through conspiracy from above and compromises and collusion from within the political process culminating in the declaration of Martial Law in 1958. The book is likely to be instructive for students, scholars and general researchers and will provoke political debate in both Pakistan and Bangladesh.


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