Empire Podcast, Episode 283:

"Partition: East Pakistan Becomes Bangladesh (Part 6)"

Date: August 20, 2025
Hosts: Anita Anand & William Dalrymple
Guest: Sam (historian, likely Sam Dalrymple)

Overview

This episode explores the seismic events leading to the 1971 partition of East and West Pakistan and the birth of Bangladesh, reframing the story as one of complex cooperation, deep-seated grievances, and catastrophic violence that shaped not only South Asian nationalism but also the global Cold War order. The conversation draws heavily on new archival research, challenging popular narratives and highlighting how the violent rupture of Pakistan both mirrored and diverged from Partition in 1947. Key figures, little-known pacts, and international brinkmanship are examined in detail.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The Forgotten Cooperation of the 1950s

• UN Ceasefire in Kashmir (1950): Left Kashmir divided but opened a decade of surprising Indo-Pakistani reconciliation.
• Declassified Intelligence: Reveals 1950s collaboration—including military alliance proposals—between India and Pakistan, countering the narrative of instantaneous post-Partition animosity.
  • "India and Pakistan not only cooperated throughout this decade, but they shared intelligence and even proposed a military alliance between the two." – Sam [02:21]
• Nehru-Liaquat Pact: Sought to halt minority persecution and stem migration post-Partition.
• United Nations of South Asia: Nehru floated the idea, hoping for a bloc or Asiatic Federation.
  • "There could be such close cooperation." – Anita [05:11]
• Joint Intelligence Actions: India and Pakistan collaborated to suppress Communist uprisings in Burma in 1949.
  • "This is the first time that the intelligence operators of India and Pakistan are cooperating." – Sam [06:34]
• Joint Passports & Cultural Links: Existence of Indo-Pakistan joint passports allowed movement and property claims across the new borders well into the 1950s.
  • "The fact that there's one passport with both countries names on it is hard to believe." – Sam [07:25]

2. Deterioration of Relations & the Rise of Suspicion

• Goa Crisis (1961): India’s annexation of Portuguese Goa deeply alarmed Pakistan, fueling fears of Indian expansionism.
  • "It's viewed within Pakistan's government as a sign of Indian expansionism." – Sam [11:02]
• Military Coup in Pakistan (1960): Ayub Khan’s rise marked the shift to military rule and the start of mutual funding of separatists on both sides (Nagaland, Mizoram, Balochistan, and later, East Pakistan).
  • "Pakistan is now funding its separatists, immediately assumes that actually there's far more funding of separatists than there actually is, and likewise begins funding Pakistani separatists across the border." – Sam [12:46]

3. Bengali Alienation: Discrimination & the Rise of Mujibur Rahman

• Bengali Contributions Overlooked: Early Pakistani leadership included four Bengali prime ministers, and Bengali script featured on coins. Yet, perceptions of discrimination grew.
• Language Suppression: Decision to make Urdu the sole national language (1948) marginalized Bengali speakers (55% of Pakistan’s population), sparking protest and bloodshed.
  • "He [Mujib] begins to turn against it." – Sam [13:53]
  • "A bunch of protesters [...] are shot in the streets of Dhaka. For a lot of Bangladeshis today, this is the foundational moment of Bangladeshi nationalism." – Sam [16:03]
• Martial Races Policy: Colonial legacy meant Bengalis comprised just 1% of the armed forces.
  • "55% of Pakistan's population are suddenly overnight excluded from having a say in the country's governance." – Sam [20:30]
• Governance Shifts: Military-appointed satraps governed East Pakistan, fueling parallels to colonialism and exacerbating Bengali grievances.

4. The Call for Autonomy & India's Involvement

• Awami League & Mujib's Demands: Initially sought federalism and autonomy, not full independence.
  • "At this time, it doesn't seem that they're asking for separation." – Sam [22:28]
• Failed Talks & Mujib’s Rising Status: Overtures to India rebuffed (Nehru preferred a united, secular Pakistan), but contact with Indian intelligence marked a turn.
• 1970 Election Landslide: Awami League wins all but two East Pakistani seats—demonstrating the east-west schism—setting the stage for the crisis.

5. Operation Searchlight & Atrocities in East Pakistan

• Crackdown: On March 25, 1971, Yahya Khan’s Operation Searchlight unleashed indiscriminate violence on Dhaka and across East Pakistan.
  • "Thousands of plainclothes soldiers begin to arrive in Dhaka and the army moves swiftly into motion, begins disarming Bengali soldiers, police, border force units." – Sam [30:45]
  • "Day one [...] 17 Bengali officers and 915 men was slain by the flick of one officer's finger." – Sam [31:17]
• Targeted Schools & Media: University students and Awami League supporters massacred; journalists trapped.
• Violence as the Breaking Point: Massacres erased residual hope in united Pakistan; Bangladesh nationalism crystallized in blood.

6. Global Crisis: India, the Cold War, and Nuclear Brinkmanship

• Refugee Crisis: 10 million refugees streamed into India, triggering an Indian humanitarian and security crisis.
  • "Astonishing, 1 in 12 Pakistani civilians is now a refugee in India.” – Sam [40:45]
• India Backs Bangladesh: Mrs. Gandhi openly supported the Mukti Bahini (Bengali freedom fighters), with Indian military involvement escalating.
  • "Mrs. Gandhi and her cabinet have the possibility of potentially trying to reunite the two Bengals under one Indian sovereignty, but they are very wary of this." – Sam [37:17]
• Cold War Escalation: Nixon & Kissinger, seeking rapprochement with China, supported Pakistan, leading to an unprecedented U.S. nuclear deployment (the USS Enterprise) threatening India. The USSR countered with nuclear subs.
  • "Kissinger, Nixon's advisor, proposes to threaten India with the US Navy. Nixon signs it off." – Sam [43:27]
  • "Suddenly there's all these nuclear ships heading into the Bay of Bengal.” – Sam [44:27]
• Indian Victory: Indian forces took Dhaka just before the U.S. attack group could intervene; the Pakistani military surrendered.

7. Aftermath & Ongoing Legacy

• Proxy Wars Begin: Retaliatory funding of separatists (e.g., Khalistan, Kashmir) became entrenched subcontinental strategy.
  • “The first time that Pakistani army reaches out to Sikh separatists [...] is during 1971, in order [...] to create a situation similar to that created by India in Bangladesh." – Sam [48:25]
• Bangladesh’s Turbulent Start: Mujib became PM but was assassinated in 1975, replaced by military rule.
• Enduring Partitions: The events intensified religious and national hostilities, laying the groundwork for later conflicts, including rise of Islamist militancy, and reshaping global alliances.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On What Could Have Been:
  • "One of the surprising things [...] is quite how much both sides move to reconcile after the UN brokered ceasefire." – Sam [02:21]
• On Attitudes Towards Language:
  • "It's tantamount to [...] the Highland Clearances and stamping on the Celtic languages." – William [15:19]
• On The Military’s Role:
  • "The fact that there's none in the army and the army are now in control." – Anita [20:21]
• On the Human Cost:
  • "Jinnah's Pakistan drowns in blood and a new, more brutal reality begins to emerge." – Sam [34:33]
• On The Near-Miss of Nuclear War:
  • "If the Americans had fired a shot, yes, the Third World War would have exploded. But in all honesty, not even the fear occurred to me." – Indira Gandhi (quoted by Sam) [45:08]
• On Partition’s Lasting Impact:
  • "It's the year that creates the modern map. It's also the first time that there's a potential for nuclear war to be risked in South Asia." – Sam [36:35]

Timeline of Important Segments

• 01:32 – Framing the episode: The overlooked 1971 Partition
• 02:21 – Indo-Pak peace overtures, joint intelligence, and Nehru-Liaquat Pact
• 05:18 – Vision of South Asian federation and cooperation
• 08:43 – The Indus Water Treaty: water, boundaries and lasting implications
• 10:19 – The Goa crisis as turning point for Indo-Pakistan relations
• 13:19 – Bengali marginalization and the rise of Mujibur Rahman
• 16:03 – The critical 1952 Dhaka shootings and birth of Bengali nationalism
• 18:01 – Post-independence famines and Bengali disillusionment
• 20:21 – Martial races, army exclusion, and the effects on East Pakistan
• 22:28 – Awami League’s early demands: autonomy, not independence
• 25:43 – 1970 election, term 'Bangladesh' enters political discourse
• 30:45 – Operation Searchlight and the genocide in East Pakistan
• 37:17 – Indian involvement, arming the Mukti Bahini, and global response
• 40:45 – Refugee crisis and its impact on Indian politics
• 43:27 – Nixon, Kissinger, and nuclear brinkmanship in the Bay of Bengal
• 44:39 – Soviet nuclear counter-response
• 46:44 – Pakistani surrender and the human/cultural legacy among generals
• 48:25 – Birth of proxy wars and the Khalistan movement
• 50:06 – The pain and denial of 1971 in Pakistani memory
• 51:13 – Mujib's short-lived rule and assassination
• 52:15 – The “Concert for Bangladesh” and cultural remembrance

Final Thoughts

• The 1971 war wasn't just a South Asian tragedy; it brought the world to the edge of nuclear conflict and irrevocably transformed global alliances.
• The history remains highly contested and, in many communities, is still denied or misunderstood.
• The episode closes with reflection on how generational memory and resentment solidified the region’s divisions, and how 1971, in many ways, was as momentous as 1947.

Recommended Reading:

• Shattered Lands: The Five Partitions of India by Sam Dalrymple

Hosts:

• Anita Anand
• William Dalrymple

Guest:

• Sam Dalrymple

For further episodes and membership benefits, visit empirepoduk.com.