North Bengal Province (Bengali: উত্তরবঙ্গ প্রদেশ, Urdu: شمالی بنگال صوبہ) was a proposed province in Pakistan in 1968 and later in Bangladesh in 1972 and 2010. During the Six point movement for East Pakistan's autonomy in 1968, the non-Bengali Muhajir community initiated a movement to establish the proposed province, known as the Muhajirland Movement. In 1969, the movement's activists proposed creating a separate province consisting of predominantly Muhajir inhabited districts of East Pakistan's North Bengal. Right-wing political parties supported the North Bengal Province movement to undermine the Six point movement.
The activists issued a declaration highlighting the risks of declaring North Bengal a province before its development and presented a list of 20 demands. In 1970, Yahya Khan, president of Pakistan, rejected the proposal for a new province. After the independence of East Pakistan as Bangladesh in 1972, cabinet member Mafiz Ali Chowdhury proposed forming Padma Province with the region of North Bengal. In 2010, Hussain Muhammad Ershad, founder and chairman of the Jatiya Party, included a proposal for North Bengal Province comprising the Rangpur Division in his plan for a provincial system. His party also incorporated the plan to establish the province in their 2018 election manifesto.
Background
In 1947, when Pakistan gained independence as the Dominion of Pakistan, the partition of British India's Bengal Province took place, and the Muslim-majority region of East Bengal, later known as East Pakistan, became a part of Pakistan. During this time, Muslim refugees from India (Muhajir), primarily from the Bihar Province, took refuge in East Bengal. According to a survey conducted in the 1960s, their population in East Pakistan was 2 million.
History
In 1968, the Six point movement began in East Pakistan demanding autonomy. During this time, the non-Bengali Muhajir community launched the Muhajirland movement in the East Pakistan's North Bengal aiming for provincial implementation. From September 1969, under the leadership of S.Q. Huda, convener of the East Pakistan Muhajir Front, the North Bengal Province Movement was organized. The movement demanded the inclusion of Muhajir-dominated districts of Rangpur, Dinajpur, and Bogura (present-day Rangpur Division, Bogura District, and Joypurhat District) in the proposed province. To counteract the Six point movement, right-wing political parties supported the proposal for the proposed province.
On 22 September 1969, during a press conference in Rajshahi, ASM Solomon, general secretary of Krishak Sramik Party suggested forming a province with East Pakistan's Khulna and Rajshahi Divisions (current Khulna Division, Barishal Division, Rajshahi Division, and Rangpur Division). As a justification, he highlighted the lack of development in Northern Bengal since the 1950s. He also proposed establishing a permanent bench of the Dacca High Court and branches of the State Bank of Pakistan and the Industrial Development Bank of Pakistan in Rajshahi.
On 12 October 1969, the movement's declaration was published, stating that declaring North Bengal a province before its development could lead to negative competition between the two provinces of the region of Eastern Pakistan, potentially obstructing autonomy for East Pakistan. The declaration included 20 demands, such as the construction of the Jamuna Bridge and the establishment of Pakistan's second capital in North Bengal. On 3 January 1970, while being in Ishwardi Airport, president Yahya Khan rejected the demand, stating that creating a new province would not solve the issues of the region. However, he agreed to establish a branch of the State Bank of Pakistan in Rajshahi.
In 1972, after the independence of East Pakistan as Bangladesh, Mafiz Ali Chowdhury, the Minister for Power, Natural Resources, and Scientific and Technical Research of the country, demanded a separate province named Padma for the development of North Bengal. In 2010, Hussain Muhammad Ershad, founder-chairman of the Jatiya Party, proposed a provincial system in Bangladesh. His framework included 8 provinces, one of which was the North Bengal Province, centered on the Rangpur Division with Rangpur as the proposed capital. In its 2018 election manifesto, the Jatiya Party pledged to establish the North Bengal Province centered on Rangpur. In 2022, a legal notice was sent to the High Court Division proposing the formation of four provinces, including one comprising Rangpur and Rajshahi Divisions. Jatiya Party reiterated this commitment in its 2023 manifesto for the province.
Administrative divisions
| Divisions | Districts | Headquarters |
|---|---|---|
| Rajshahi | Rajshahi | |
| Rangpur | Rangpur |
References
- Parveen, Farhana (18 August 2017). "উর্দুভাষীরা কেন বাংলাদেশের মূল সমাজে মিশতে পারেনি?" [Why Could Urdu-Speaking People Not Integrate into Bangladesh’s Mainstream Society?]. BBC (in Bengali). Retrieved 10 January 2025.
- Chowdhury, Afsan (2021). ১৯৭১: অসহযোগ আন্দোলন ও প্রতিরোধ [1971: Non-Cooperation Movement and Resistance] (in Bengali). Dhaka: Kothaprokash. p. 17, 27. ISBN 9789845101332.
- ^ "পূর্ব পাকিস্তানে একটি নয়া প্রদেশ গঠিত হওয়া উচিত" [A New Province Should Be Formed in East Pakistan]. The Daily Azad (in Bengali). 23 September 1969. pp. 1, 6.
- "স্বায়ত্তশাসনের প্রশ্ন নস্যাৎ করাই 'উত্তর বঙ্গ প্রদেশ' দাবীর উদ্দেশ্য" [The Objective of the 'Northern Bengal Province' Demand Is to Undermine the Question of Autonomy]. The Daily Sangbad (in Bengali). 13 October 1969. p. 1.
- "আলাদা প্রদেশ গঠনে সমস্যার সমাধান হইবে না" [Creating a Separate Province Will Not Solve Problems]. The Daily Ittefaq (in Bengali). 4 January 1970. p. 1.
- Rafiq, Ahmad (4 February 2016). "ভাষা আন্দোলন শহরে-গঞ্জে" [Language Movement in Cities and Towns]. Prothom Alo (in Bengali). Retrieved 9 January 2025.
- "আট প্রদেশের রূপরেখা তুলে ধরলেন এরশাদ" [Ershad Proposes Outline of Eight Provinces]. BDNews24.com (in Bengali). 13 March 2010. Retrieved 10 January 2025.
- "জাতীয় পার্টির ইশতেহার প্রাদেশিক ব্যবস্থা প্রবর্তনের অঙ্গীকার" [Jatiya Party’s Manifesto: Commitment to Provincial System]. Kaler Kantho (in Bengali). 15 December 2018. Retrieved 10 January 2025.
- "দেশে ৪টি প্রদেশ ও ৪টি হাইকোর্ট প্রতিষ্ঠার দাবিতে আইনি নোটিশ" [Legal Notice to Form 4 Provinces and 4 High Courts]. The Daily Star (in Bengali). 20 January 2022. Retrieved 10 January 2024.
- "প্রাদেশিক সরকারব্যবস্থা প্রবর্তন করা হবে: চুন্নু" [Provincial Government System Will Be Introduced: Chunnu]. Banglanews24.com (in Bengali). 21 December 2023. Retrieved 10 January 2025.