Name: Ehssan Chowdhury

ID: 1822227

GSG101, Sec 3

Documentary Review: Bangladesh (1947-1971)

Bangladesh is the subject of the assignment's documentary review (1947-1971). The

Bangladesh Story, an interview-based documentary made by Faris Kermani, explains the
history of Bangladesh's founding in the first video. In January 1989, it was telecast on
Channel 4 in the UK. Three episodes make up the documentary. The movie lasts just over an
hour in total. The following is a brief synopsis of the documentary The Bangladesh Story:
Initial episode, "Under Three Flags," Bengal served as the center of British India until it was
violently transformed into the east wing of Pakistan in 1947. Pakistan's first general election
in 1970 proved what East Pakistanis had long felt: that their west wing still oppressed them.
Nationhood was achieved after a second Bengali attempt at independence. Episode 2: The
Mujib Years: The 1970 election's East Bengali majority led to a civil conflict that startled the
entire world. The presence of Bangladesh was ensured by the Indian army's action, while the
superpowers remained neutral. After assuming office, Mujibur Rahman lost the support of the
populace after three years, and a new era of military rule started. Episode 3: Military Rule:
Eighty percent of the population now lives below the poverty line, and governments come
and go frequently as a result of bloody coups. The final episode of the series examines
various individuals' efforts to address the issues facing their nation. It would be fantastic if
the three segments had a theme song. I absolutely liked the documentary. Despite being a
simplified version, I found the story to be somewhat nostalgic. This great documentary was
uploaded in a low-res form to YouTube. In the following clip, the actors Milind Soman and
Yashpal Sharma will play the main characters in the short film Mukti - Birth of a Nation,
which will highlight India's illustrious military history during the 1971 war. The 22-minute
documentary is based on the period when the Indian Defense Forces were having trouble
coming up with the best plan of action to use in Bangladesh. At the point when all hope
seemed lost, Lt. General JFR Jacob, also known as Jake Sweety, engaged in negotiations with
his Pakistani counterpart A.A. Khan Niazi that resulted in a public surrender and India
winning the war.In the next video, The Indo-Pakistani Naval War of 1971 refers to the
maritime military engagements between the Indian Navy and the Pakistan Navy during the
Indo-Pakistani War of 1971. The Bangladesh Liberation War, which had been raging in
former East Pakistan (modern-day Bangladesh) since the Pakistan
Army had carried out Operation Searchlight in an effort to suppress the Bengali nationalist
movement in Pakistan's eastern wing, was the direct cause of the hostilities between India and
Pakistan at this time. The Indian Navy began the series of maritime operations by applying
pressure to Pakistan from the Indian Ocean as the Indian Army and Indian Air Force moved
in to suffocate Pakistani forces that were operating on land in East Pakistan. Indian naval
operations included ground support, supply, air defense, and naval interdiction missions.
Following the success of Indian naval operations in East Pakistan, the Indian Navy launched
Operation Trident and Operation Python, two significant operations. Prior to the official
outbreak of hostilities between India and Pakistan, these actions, which were centered on
West Pakistan, were conducted. In the following film, "War-ravaged," Bangladesh faced
significant obstacles to nation-building soon after it was founded. After the country's victory
on December 16, 1971, non-Bangalees who had previously controlled trade and industries
appeared to vanish overnight, and the economy ceased to function. Buildings were destroyed.
The nation was on the verge of famine as a result of the damage to two key crops.
Bangabandhu aimed to create a society devoid of exploitation. However, it seems that there
was a difference between the political leadership's view of socialism and that of the Planning
Commission. The Western Wing's political hegemony was not the main cause of the
suffering in East Pakistan. Despite the fact that West-Pakistan held the majority of the
country's political authority, if only economic demands were met, the government could
theoretically appease the populace of East-Pakistan. East Pakistan was subjected to harsh
economic exploitation, and the relationship between the two wings mirrored the cruel
economic exploitation of the subcontinent by the British colonial power. Similar to the
British, the West Pakistani government benefited from the Eastern Wing while making
insufficient investments in its growth. In comparison to West Pakistanis, the number of East
Pakistanis working in the Western Wing, especially in higher-ranking posts, was negligible.
Even though West-Pakistan had a smaller population than East-Pakistan following the
partition, a sizable chunk of the national budget (75%) was allocated to West-Pakistan,
leaving a tiny percentage for East-Pakistan. Although it was accountable for producing 62%
of the revenue, the latter was in financial need. The distribution of other resources showed
egregious indifference to the area. Compared to the Eastern Wing, the Western Wing had a
military force that was 25 times larger. The per capita income during that time period, which
was 32% greater for West-Pakistan during the period of 1959–60 and 61% higher during the
year of 1969–70, provided evidence of the government of West Pakistan's disregard for the
growth of East Pakistan. Sheikh Mujibur Rahman created the Six Point Demand (also known
as the Six Point Movement or Charter of Freedom) in response to the 1965 conflict between
Pakistan and India, which left East-Pakistan with a weak military
defense. The document outlined the demands for economic development for the East Wing.
The creation of Pakistan as a Federal State was the main goal of the Six Point Demand, which
also aimed to strengthen the East Wing's autonomy and resource management. The
establishment of two distinct currencies for the two wings, autonomous foreign reserves, and
the East Wing's self-governance over its foreign exchange revenues served as test cases for
this pledge. As they continued to demand access to financial and military resources, it was
also necessary to build up and sustain a self-sufficient armed force in the Eastern Wing. The
Eastern Wing gave the Six Point Demands a lot of support, but the Western Wing's political
influence rejected them.In Bangladesh's history, the Six Points Movement represents a key
turning point. Although it was initially turned down, it eventually became an important part
of Sheikh Mujib's campaign for office in the 1970 election. It supported the Mujib's campaign
for granting everyone access to fair economic opportunity. The preceding evaluation marks
the conclusion of my thoroughly enjoyable viewing of these videos.