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FREEDOMWAYS                          THIRD QUARTER 1972

Neo-Colonialism-Pakistan style
The foreign currency obtained from East Pakistani exports, primarily jute, went largely for the development of West Pakistan. The mechanism of resource transfer from East to West Pakistan was as follows: All foreign exchange earned by the country had to be surrendered to the State Bank in keeping with British colonial policies. It should be noted that 25 to 30 West Pakistani monopolies controlled 66% of all the assets of industrial enterprises, 70% of the assets of the insurance companies, and 80% of the assets of the banks. Once in the hands of the State Banks the foreign exchange was allocated for imports according to priorities determined by West Pakistani bureaucrats. West Pakistanis held over 80% of the key posts in the government, armed forces and police, yet the East Pakistan area contained over 60% of the total population (80 million). Foreign aid likewise was centrally negotiated of foreign exchange including foreign aid to West Pakistan which was two to three times greater than to East Pakistan. This helped West Pakistan in financing the import of vital machinery, technical expertise, and raw materials for its industrialization while the same privileges were not extended to the East. Instead East Pakistan was forced to buy the finished product from West Pakistan at prices far above international prices from which the economy was isolated by high tariffs. Thus the policy of unequal distribution of benefits pursued by the Central Government was an instrumental cause of the de-development process taking place in East Pakistan. The essence of this policy was the appropriation of much of the foreign aid for rapid industrialization of West Pakistan and using East Pakistan as a highly sheltered market for West Pakistan's products. The beneficiaries of this exploitation were not only West Pakistani big business but also its bureaucracy, big landed interest and the generals in the army who obtained handsome tax exemptions, salary hikes and subsidies of various sorts which enabled them to enjoy a very high standard of living. The relationship that existed between East and West Pakistan was commensurate to a colonial policy and representative of that relationship that exists between the colonial and metropolitan society. up until 1954 Urdu, which only 1.1% of the East Pakistani population spoke or understood, was made the official language. Then conditions led to the acceleration of the Bengalese national movement which put
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BANGLADESH                                  TERRELL

forth the demand for complete provincial "autonomy"[[italicized]] for East Pakistan. Among the political parties that supported this demand was the Awami League founded in 1949. In the series of political crises that followed, Ayub Khan transferred power to General Yahya Khan on March 25, 1969, who established a military regime. The Provincial assemblies were dissolved. Pakistan's first ever general election in December 1970 brought an overwhelming victory to Mujibur Rahman's Awami League. The Party won 167 of 169 seats assigned to East Pakistan in the 313 seat Pakistan National Assembly. The Awami League also won 288 of the 300 seats of the provincial legislature of East Pakistan gaining 80% of the votes cast. Since it was the majority party in the National Assembly it was the responsibility of the Awami League to introduce a constitutional bill for the entire nation. The lection was fought on a six-point program of regional autonomy which provided for a federation of Pakistan, separate currencies, separate reserve bank to prevent inter-wing flight of capital, militia or para-military force to be created in East Pakistan which up that time, had no defense. The federal government would deal with only defense and foreign affairs, with the power of taxation and revenue collection vested in the federating units plus other fiscal and legal reforms. It was the intention of Mujibur Rahman to incorporate these six points of regional autonomy into the constitution which was to be drawn up by the National Assembly scheduled to have its first session March 3, 1971. The ensuing struggle that developed as a result of the postponement of the National Assembly by Yahya Khan turned the demand for regional autonomy into a demand for complete independence of Bangla Desh which represents what had been envisioned in the Muslim League Lahore Resolution of 1940.
  In opposition to the consistent postponement of the sessions of the National Assembly, Sheik Mujibur Rahman resorted to non-violent non-cooperation. No taxes to revenue were to be paid to the government until it changed its attitude toward the six-point program. Citizens were given strict instructions to refrain from any lawlessness and all work activities. In the meanwhile the National Assembly had been rescheduled to convene on March 25; however Sheik Rahman introduced four conditions that had to be complied with before he would agree to meet. However on March 25, 1971, in one day, 49,000 people were killed. The tactics employed by the West Pakistan army were to bomb indiscriminately. With the arrival of the troops, anyone found alive was killed, houses and banks were looted,
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