East Bengal (later East Pakistan and now Bangladesh) became a part of Pakistan when India was partitioned in 1947. People were generally happy, because the new country was a homeland to Muslims, though nothing except the religion, Islam, was common between the two wings, separated by nearly 1,800 km. Within months, Bengalis, who formed 56 per cent of the nation's population, realised that they did not get the homeland that they had dreamt of.
The first blow came from Pakistan’s founder, Muhammad Ali Jinnah, when he declared at a Dhaka rally in March 1948 that “Urdu shall be the only state language of Pakistan.” Jinnah did not survive long to witness how East Bengal agitated, shed blood and forced the West Pakistani rulers to accept Bangla as the state language. In fact, Jinnah's declaration and the 1952 language movement had shaken Pakistan's foundation, but it took 23 years for it to dismantle.
The controversial 1956 Constitution introduced so-called ‘parity’ and created two provinces - West Pakistan and East Pakistan - with equal representation in the National Assembly. Thus, East Pakistan lost its majority. The military took power in 1958 in the wake of political instability and Gen Ayub Khan continued his efforts to make East Pakistan a virtual colony of the Punjabi-dominated West Pakistan.
Mujibur Rahman's Awami League secured majority in the 1970 elections, but the military ruler, President Gen Yahya Khan, in collaboration with the Pakistan people’s Party leader, Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto, refused to hand over power to him. It ignited agitation in East Pakistan and Mujibur Rahman turned an uncrowned hero. The March 1971 military operation in Dhaka is described by many as one of world’s worst genocides. Another war broke out between India and Pakistan in 1971, and finally, with the help of India, East Pakistan won freedom on December 16. People gave their country a new name: Bangladesh.
Mujib's assassination and military rule: Sheikh Mujibur Rahman switched to the parliamentary form of government, drafted a Constitution with nationalism, democracy, secularism and socialism as four state principles, banned religious parties and called elections after he returned from Pakistan jail in January 1972. It was an impossible task for his government to rebuild war-ravaged Bangladesh whose economy was shattered after the 1974 famine. The per capita income stood at US $ 50. An ambitious group of military officers and jawans killed Mujibur Rahman and most members of his family in August 1975, months after he introduced a one-party presidential rule.
Bangladesh came under military rule and Gen Ziaur Rahman, a freedom fighter, became the leader. He made changes to the state principles - secularism was dropped and socialism was interpreted as 'economic and social justice'. Religious parties staged a comeback after he allowed multi-party politics. While in power, he formed the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP). He was killed in a mutiny in May 1981.
Gen Hussain Muhammad Ershad pushed aside President Abdus Sattar and staged a coup in March 1982. Mujibur Rahman's daughter Sheikh Hasina and Gen Ziaur Rahman's widow Khaleda Zia spearheaded anti-government agitations and forced the military dictator to quit power in a mass upsurge in December 1990. The two women re-introduced parliamentary democracy and governed the country alternately for 15 years.
A military-backed caretaker government, which assumed power after 30 people were killed in clashes following the end of Khaleda Zia's five-year term in October and declaration of a state of emergency on Jan 11 this year, launched a crusade against corruption, vowed to bring about reforms and hold credible elections, free of muscle power and black money, by end 2008. It arrested Sheikh Hasina and kept Khaleda Zia under virtual internment, as they are viewed as obstacles to a new democracy free of corruption.
Bangladesh's effort to stabilise democracy has made no significant headway. The country's poor governance with political infighting and corruption prevalent at all levels of government continues to be a challenge to make further progress. The military has directly and indirectly ruled Bangladesh for 15 years since 1971, and there is a talk of setting up a security council to involve military in the governance.
Bangladesh, one of the world’s poorest and densely populated countries with 800 people living per square km, is often battered by floods, cyclones and other natural disasters. According to analysts, the economy continues to clock double digit export growth in the quota-free global clothing trade. Despite many odds, the country has achieved a growth of more than 6 per cent, due mainly to the growth of industry and service sector. The Centre for Policy Dialogue (CPD), however, says that the poor have failed to benefit from this incremental growth since their income share became further marginalised.
The country has been reducing poverty by one per cent annually from 1991. According to the IMF, Bangladesh's economy continues to expand, and the country has ‘performed well’ under the PRSP-supported programme, though it remains a country with a high degree of poverty, serious capacity constraints, and heavy reliance on donor inflows.
Currently, nearly 80 per cent of total investment in the economy comes from the private sector. The government says it has created congenial atmosphere for foreign investment, especially in the 6 export processing zones. But foreign investors seem hesitant because of political uncertainty, deteriorating law and order, labour unrest and corruption by government leaders and officials.
Bangladesh's garment sector has made significant achievement. It exported manufactured items worth about US $ 7 million in 2006. If the trend continues, the exporters envisage US $ 10 billion in the current fiscal.
Bangladesh has made tremendous progress in providing micro-credit facilities to poor, especially rural women. As many as 721 Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs), including Grameen Bank, BRAC, ASA and Proshika, are operating micro-credit programme. The NGOs have given small loans with no collateral to thousands of village women who have improved their income and quality of life. Nearly 20 million people have benefited from the micro-credit programme. Prof Muhammad Yunus, pioneer of micro-credit, and his Grameen Bank, jointly won the 2006 Nobel Peace Prize.
Two woman leaders have governed predominantly Muslim Bangladesh since 1991. A quota has ensured women's presence in the local government and the National Parliament. Since there has been a growing influence of money in Bangladesh politics, women's participation in electoral politics is very less. The government has, however, issued orders to ensure women members' participation in various decision-making committees.
On the political field, Bangladesh has lagged far behind in consolidating democracy, but on the economic front, it has made tremendous progress in harnessing sound economic, social and social policies to pioneering social entrepreneurship. Its population growth rate is 1.5 per cent, unemployment is 4 per cent and literacy is more than 60 per cent. It is no longer a ‘basket case,’ as was described by the US Secretary of States, Henry Kissinger in 1974. “If Bangladesh were a long-distance runner, its supporters would be applauding the speed and stamina that have brought it from the back of the pack to a place within the sight of the leaders,” says a World Bank report.
Days are ahead for Bangladesh to meet the challenges: To establish democracy, achieve good governance, ensure law and order, guarantee human rights and improve social and economic conditions.
(The writer is Bangladesh’s senior journalist)
