| Short
Historical Overview |
Medieval
European geographers located paradise at the mouth
of the Ganges
and although this was overhopeful, Bengal was probably
the wealthiest part of the subcontinent up until the
16th century. The area's early history featured a
succession of Indian empires, internal squabbling,
and a tussle between Hinduism and Buddhism for dominance.
All of this was just a prelude to the unstoppable
tide of Islam which washed over northern India at
the end of the 12th century.
The Portugeuse
arrived as early as the 15th century but were ousted
in 1633 by local opposition. The East India Company
negotiated terms to establish a fortified trading
post in Kolkata in 1690. The decline of Moghul power
led to greater provincial autonomy, heralding the
rise of the independent dynasty of the nawabs of Bengal.
Humble East India Company Clerk Robert Clive ended
up effectively ruling Bengal when one of the impetuous
nawabs attacked the thriving British enclave in Kolkata
and stuffed those unlucky enough not to escape in
an underground cellar. Clive retook Kolkata a year
later and the British Government replaced the East
India Company following the Indian Mutiny in 1857.
At
the close of WWII it was clear that European colonialism
had run its course and Indian independence was inevitable.
Independence was attained in 1947 but the struggle
was bitter and divisive, especially in Bengal where
the fight for self-government was complicated by internal
religious conflict. The British, realising any agreement
between the Muslims and Hindus was impossible, decided
to partition the subcontinent. That Bengal and Punjab,
the two overwhelmingly Muslim regions, lay on opposite
sides of India was only one stumbling block.
Despite
grumblings many and various, partition duly occurred
and East Bengal became the runt state of East
Pakistan. It was administered unfavourably
from West Pakistan, with which it shared few similarities
apart from the Muslim faith. Inequalities between
the two regions soon stirred up a sense of Bengali
nationalism that had not been reckoned with during
the push for Muslim independence. When the Pakistan's
government declared that 'Urdu and only Urdu' would
be the national language, the Bangla-speaking Bengalis
decided it was time to assert their cultural identity.
The drive to reinstate the Bangla language metamorphosed
into a push for self-government and when the Awami
League, a nationalistic party, won a majority
in the 1971 national elections, the president of West
Pakistan, faced with this unacceptable result, postponed
opening the National Assembly. Riots and strikes broke
out in East Pakistan, the independent state of Bangladesh
was unilaterally announced, and Pakistan
sent troops to quell the rebellion.
The
ensuing war was one of the shortest and bloodiest
of modern times, with the Pakistani army occupying
all major towns, using napalm against villages, and
slaughtering and raping villagers. Indian troops crossed
the border and the Pakistani army found itself being
attacked from the east by the Indian army, the north
and east by guerrillas and from all quarters by the
civilian population. In 11 days it was all over and
Bangladesh, the world's
139th country, officially came into existence. Sheikh
Mujib, one of the founders of the Awami
League,
became the country's first prime minister in January
1972; he was assassinated in 1975 during a period
of crisis.
The
ruined and decimated new country experienced famine
in 1973-74, followed by martial law, successive military
coups and political assassinations. In 1979, Bangladesh
began a short-lived experiment with democracy led
by the overwhelmingly popular President Zia, who established
good relationships with the West and the oil-rich
Islamic countries. His assassination in 1981 ultimately
returned the country to a military government that
periodically made vague announcements that elections
would be held 'soon'. While these announcements were
rapturously greeted by the local press as proof that
Bangladesh
was indeed a democracy, nothing came of them until
1991. That year the military dictator General Ershad
was forced to resign by an unprecedented popular movement
led by the Bangladesh
Nationalist Party and the Awami
League.
In
1991 democracy was re-established and Begum
Khaleda Zia became the prime minister.
The economy ticked along at a 4.5% growth rate, and
ties with the West were strengthened when the government
sent troops to assist in the Gulf
War, the US-led invasion of Haiti and the
war in Bosnia.
By 1994, however, many Bangladeshis had become disenchanted
with the Zia government. Despite election promises,
the 1974 Special Powers Act, allowing detention without
charge for 120 days, had never been repealed. There
were claims that the government had rigged by-elections,
and military and police repression of dissenters appeared
to be on the rise. Opposition parties called for mass
general strikes and the country's bureaucrats walked
out.
A
general election was held in February 1996, but a
boycott by opposition parties, 5% voter turnout, and
claims of ballot box stuffing and repression of anti-government
protesters raised serious questions about the legitimacy
of the re-elected Zia's government. Opposition parties
and activist groups campaigned against the election,
and on 30 March, Zia stood down and a caretaker government
under Muhammad Habibur Rahman was appointed. Elections,
generally seen as free and fair, were held in June
and a coalition government headed by Sheikh
Hasina Wajed of the Awami League was voted
in. In October 2001, the Bangladesh
Nationalist Party won the parliamentary
elections and Zia was sworn in as prime minister.
| A
Chronology of Bangladesh's History
|
|
B.C.
273-32
A.D.
c.
4th century
320-650
606-637
650-700
750
770-810
c.
8th century
900-1050
1094-1204
1155
1204
1338
1342-1493
1364
1425
1459
1465
1493-1538
1564-1575
1575
1608
1664-1678
1679-1688
July
1678 - October 1679
1690
1700-1727
1740-1756
1757
1765
1793
1857-1858
1905
1947
1971 |
Ashoka
- Maurya's rule
- Mahashtan flourishes
King
Chandravarman
Gupta
Dynasty
King
Sasanka
Khadga
Dynasty
Pala
Dynasty of Bengal founded by Gopala
Dharmapala
- Paharpur Vihara founded
Deva Dynasty
- Salban Vihara, Kutil Mupa stupa
Chandra
Dynasty of South Bengal
Sena Dynasty
Last
Pala King
Ikhtiyaruddin
Khaljis conquest of Bengal
Fakhruddin
Mubarak Shah declares independence of Bengal
Ilyas
Shahi Dynasty
-
Adina Mosque
-
Eklakhi Tomb
-
Shait Gumbad Mosque, Bagerhat
-
Dakhil Darwaza
Husain
Shahi Dynasty
- Chhota Sona Mosque
- Bagha and Kusumbha Mosques
Karrani
Dynasty
Mughal
occupation of Bengal
Dhaka
established as capital of Bengal
Shaista
Khan, Governor of Bengal
Lalbagh
Fortress, Sat Masjid
Prince
Muhammad Azam as Governor
Calcutta
founded by Job Charnock
Murshi
Quli Khan
Alivardi
Khan, Nawab
Battle of Plassey, British domination of Bengal
begins
Grant
of "Dewani" in Bengal, Bihar & Orissa
to East India Company
Permanent British settle of Bengal
Sepoy
Mutiny
First
(failed) partition of Bengal
Indian
independence, second partition of Bengal
Birth
of Bangladesh |
