East Bengal

East Bengal (/bɛnˈɡɔːl/; Bengali: পূর্ব বাংলা/পূর্ববঙ্গ Purbô Bangla/Purbôbongo) was the eastern province of the Dominion of Pakistan, which covered the territory of modern-day Bangladesh. It consisted of the eastern portion of the Bengal region, and existed from 1947 until 1955, when it was renamed as East Pakistan. East Bengal had a coastline along the Bay of Bengal to the south, and bordered India to the north, west, and east and shared a small border with Burma (presently known as Myanmar) to the southeast. It was situated near, but did not share a border with Nepal, Tibet, the Kingdom of Bhutan and the Kingdom of Sikkim. Its capital was Dacca, now known as Dhaka.

Quotes

• East Bengal and West Bengal share the same culture, the same history, and the same heritage. We cannot be kept apart.
  • Abul Kasem Fazlul Huq's speech at a public gathering in Kolkata, 1954.

• We believe that if we can establish a non-communal state in East Bengal, then West Bengal, Assam, and Tripura, which are currently ruled and oppressed by Hindi-speaking people, will one day be willing to join an independent Bangladesh.
  • Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman said this to Abdul Gaffar Choudhury regarding the flag of independent Bengal, designed by the Bangladesh Revolutionary Council.[1]

• Communal riots in Bangladesh could have been prevented if West Bengal, Assam, and East Bengal had united to form an independent country encompassing all communities.
  • Abdul Gaffar Chowdhury [2]