Historical Timeline (1947-1971)
1947- August 15 Partition of British India, Pakistan and India become two independent states.
1948- March 11 General strike by students protesting at the exclusion of Bengali as an official language.
March 21 Governor-General of Pakistan Muhammad Ali Jinnah declares in a civic reception that "Urdu and
only Urdu" will remain as the state language.
March 24 Jinnah reasserts his "Urdu-only" policy in a speech at Curzon Hall at the University of Dhaka
March 28 Jinnah reiterates his language policy on radio
1949- June 23 Formation of the Awami Muslim League
1952- February 21 Bengali Language Movement reaches its peak as the police open fire on protesting students
1953- April 17 The Awami Muslim League becomes the Awami League
September A.K. Fazlul Huq forms the Krishak Sranik Party
1954- March 11 The United Front wins most of the seats in the East Bengal Legislative Assembly
May 30 Governor General Ghulam Muhammad deposes United Front government and establishes
governor rule
1955- June 6 The United Front government is reinstated, Awami League does not participate
October 14 'East Bengal' renamed 'East Pakistan'
1956- February 29 Bengali becomes one of the state languages of Pakistan
1958- October 7 Constitution abrogated and martial law declared in Pakistan
1963- February 21 Inauguration of the Shaheed Minar language martyr memorial
1966- Six Point Bengali nationalist movement led by Sheikh Mujibur Rahman emerges
1968- Agartala Conspiracy Case filed by the government of Pakistan accusing Sheikh Mujibur Rahman
and others of sedition and treason
1969- January Mass Uprising of '69 in East Pakistan (ঊনসত্তরের গণ-অভ্যুত্থান)
March 25 Ayub Khan resigns and Agha Mohammad Yahya Khan assumes power under martial law.
1970- November 12 1970 Bhola Cyclone
December 7 First General election on Pakista. Awami League gains majority.
1971- March 2 First hoisting of the National flag of Bangladesh (initial version) at the Dhaka University by Vice
President of Dhaka University Students Union leader A.S.M. Abdur Rab
March 7 Sheikh Mujibur Rahman makes his historic freedom speech.
March 25 Pakistan Army launches Operation Searchlight at midnight on the 25th, marking the start of the
1971 Bangladesh atrocities. Sheikh Mujib is arrested. (to 26 March)
March 27 Major Ziaur Rahman broadcasts the declaration of independence over the radio
April 17 Mujibnagar (Bengali: মুজিবনগর), formerly known as Baidyanathtala is a town in the Meherpur District of
Bangladesh. It is a common reference for the government in exile formed by the leaders of the Awami
League, who were leading the guerrilla war for the independence of Bangladesh (then East Pakistan) from
Pakistan in 1971.
December 3 Indo-Pakistani War of 1971 breaks out
December 4 India officially invades East Pakistan
December 16 Surrender of the Pakistan army and liberation of Dhaka
December 22 The provisional government of Bangladesh arrives in Dhaka from exile.
1948- March 11 General strike by students protesting at the exclusion of Bengali as an official language.
March 21 Governor-General of Pakistan Muhammad Ali Jinnah declares in a civic reception that "Urdu and
only Urdu" will remain as the state language.
March 24 Jinnah reasserts his "Urdu-only" policy in a speech at Curzon Hall at the University of Dhaka
March 28 Jinnah reiterates his language policy on radio
1949- June 23 Formation of the Awami Muslim League
1952- February 21 Bengali Language Movement reaches its peak as the police open fire on protesting students
1953- April 17 The Awami Muslim League becomes the Awami League
September A.K. Fazlul Huq forms the Krishak Sranik Party
1954- March 11 The United Front wins most of the seats in the East Bengal Legislative Assembly
May 30 Governor General Ghulam Muhammad deposes United Front government and establishes
governor rule
1955- June 6 The United Front government is reinstated, Awami League does not participate
October 14 'East Bengal' renamed 'East Pakistan'
1956- February 29 Bengali becomes one of the state languages of Pakistan
1958- October 7 Constitution abrogated and martial law declared in Pakistan
1963- February 21 Inauguration of the Shaheed Minar language martyr memorial
1966- Six Point Bengali nationalist movement led by Sheikh Mujibur Rahman emerges
1968- Agartala Conspiracy Case filed by the government of Pakistan accusing Sheikh Mujibur Rahman
and others of sedition and treason
1969- January Mass Uprising of '69 in East Pakistan (ঊনসত্তরের গণ-অভ্যুত্থান)
March 25 Ayub Khan resigns and Agha Mohammad Yahya Khan assumes power under martial law.
1970- November 12 1970 Bhola Cyclone
December 7 First General election on Pakista. Awami League gains majority.
1971- March 2 First hoisting of the National flag of Bangladesh (initial version) at the Dhaka University by Vice
President of Dhaka University Students Union leader A.S.M. Abdur Rab
March 7 Sheikh Mujibur Rahman makes his historic freedom speech.
March 25 Pakistan Army launches Operation Searchlight at midnight on the 25th, marking the start of the
1971 Bangladesh atrocities. Sheikh Mujib is arrested. (to 26 March)
March 27 Major Ziaur Rahman broadcasts the declaration of independence over the radio
April 17 Mujibnagar (Bengali: মুজিবনগর), formerly known as Baidyanathtala is a town in the Meherpur District of
Bangladesh. It is a common reference for the government in exile formed by the leaders of the Awami
League, who were leading the guerrilla war for the independence of Bangladesh (then East Pakistan) from
Pakistan in 1971.
December 3 Indo-Pakistani War of 1971 breaks out
December 4 India officially invades East Pakistan
December 16 Surrender of the Pakistan army and liberation of Dhaka
December 22 The provisional government of Bangladesh arrives in Dhaka from exile.