is a fascinating read because it is an admission of guilt by the establishment. It is a "Extra Quality" historical document because it confirms that the breakup of Pakistan was not an Indian conspiracy (though India played a role), but a suicide mission undertaken by a military junta that didn't understand politics and a political class that didn't understand democracy.
The general elections of December 1970 were supposed to unify Pakistan. Instead, they produced a mathematical nightmare. The Awami League won 160 out of 162 seats from East Pakistan, securing an absolute majority in the National Assembly. is a fascinating read because it is an
In 1966, Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, a charismatic Bengali leader, put forth the Six Points Demand, which called for greater autonomy and economic rights for East Pakistan. The demands were seen as a threat by the West Pakistani establishment, which responded with force, leading to widespread protests and arrests. The situation escalated in 1968, when a series of student-led protests and demonstrations broke out in Dhaka, the capital of East Pakistan. Instead, they produced a mathematical nightmare
Matinuddin courageously critiques the army’s racist dogma that "martial races" (Punjabis and Pashtuns) were superior fighters to Bengalis. He writes: "The Mukti Bahini, though lighter armed, had the advantage of interior lines, local knowledge, and absolute motivation. A soldier fighting for his home is always worth three mercenaries fighting for a flag." The demands were seen as a threat by