Bangladesh War of 1971
Characteristics of Pakistan and the Bangladesh War
Causes, Effects, and Affects of the War
In 1971, there was a war between West Pakistan and East Pakistan. The war is known as the Bangladesh War of Independence and resulted in West Pakistan becoming Pakistan, and East Pakistan becoming Bangladesh. During the partition of India in 1947, Pakistan was created based on Muslim territories, and India was created out of Hindu territories. West Pakistan was less liberal than East Pakistan, which caused religious differences. West Pakistan believed in more power and freedom to the people, and East Pakistan wanted more government action. When the Bhola cyclone struck in 1970, it took half a million lives in East Pakistan ( present-day Bangladesh). When the Pakistan Army didn't do enough to help out with the distraction and the casualties, this infuriated people in East Pakistan even more. These events, along with language differences, led up to the war. Pakistan surrendered to Bangladesh in 1971, making Bangladesh its own country. The war had a strong affect on the people living in East Pakistan. The Pakistan Army lost is strong, mighty reputation, and so did the government. When the Hamoodur Rahman Inquiry occurred, it was shown that the Pakistan Army had low strategic levels, and committed killings and rapings. (All information from www.newworldencyclopedia.org/entry/Bangladesh_War_of_Independence#Reasons_for_war).
West and East Pakistan before the Bangladesh War of 1971
This shows West and East Pakistan before they separated into Pakistan and Bangladesh. ( www.newworldencyclopedia.org/entry/Bangladesh_War_of_Independence#Reasons_for_war)
Present-day Bangladesh
This map shows present day Bangladesh along with its capital, Dacca. ( www.newworldencyclopedia.org/entry/Bangladesh_War_of_Independence#Reasons_for_war)
Present-day Pakistan
This shows the map of Pakistan after the Bangladesh War of 1971 including its capital, Islamabad. ( www.lonelyplanet.com/maps/asia/pakistan/)
Pakistan Culture, Geography, and Economy
Every single Pakistani practices Islam. Even though there are numerous languages spoken, their religious point of view is the same. Although Urdu was declared the official language of Pakistan, other languages include Punjabi, Sindhi, Pushto, and Baluchi. This shows how religious and how strong their beliefs are in Pakistan. Despite small differences, they remain similar with one of the most important things to Pakistanis, religion. Even though most Pakistanis are Muslim, the country has a lot of Hindu and British culture. Due to religion being a huge part of their culture, Eid al-Fitr and Eid al-Adha are the two main religious festivals celebrated throughout the country of Pakistan ( www.sharnoffsglobalviews.com/pakistani-culture-traits-244/). Pakistan is a Federal Republic, with 442 members in its legislature, about 30% of which are women. Pakistan has a president and a prime minister, and elections are held every 5 years. The country of Pakistan has a GDP of $270 billion. Although it's GDP is low compared to the world median, Pakistan's economy is slowly, but steadily increasing ( country-facts.findthedata.com/l/182/Pakistan). The name Pakistan came from the word Pak, which means pure, and stan, which means country. It is located on the west side of India, and to the east of Afghanistan and Iran ( www.infoplease.com/country/Pakistan.html). Its location could have also been one reason for the war, along with its culture and the condition of its economy. These situations might also cause more conflicts in the future.