Our series on Secessions takes us to Bangladesh, a country that seceded from Pakistan in 1971.
The South Asian landmass has been for many centuries under the joint influence of two religions: Hinduism and Islam. While Hindus have lived in India for millennia, Persian and Arab merchants gradually settled throughout the subcontinent and converted large parts of the population. By the end of the British Raj, Hindus formed the majority throughout most of South Asia, while Muslim communities could be found throughout the region. Two areas had Muslim majorities: the Indus valley in the West, and the Ganges delta in the East. This led to the partition of India in 1948. The new Muslim nation of Pakistan consisted of two distinct territories distant of over 1400km. Major political strife in this very diverse country led the Eastern region to declare secession as Bangladesh in 1971. A brief but intense war ensured but the Western Pakistan troops were defeated and Bangladesh became recognized by the UN in 1974.
More on Bangladesh
The Secession of Bangladesh
