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1947 - British colonial rule over India ends. A largely Muslim state comprising East and West Pakistan is established
1949 - The Awami League is formed to for East Pakistan's autonomy from W Pakistan
1970 - The Awami League, under Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, wins elections in E Pakistan. As the government in West Pakistan refuses to recognise the results, rioting follows. Cyclone hits E Pakistan claiming 500,000 people
1971 - Sheikh Mujib arrested and taken to West Pakistan. Awami League leaders proclaim the independence of the province of E Pakistan on March 26 - The new country is called Bangladesh. Nearly 10 million Bangladeshis flee to India as troops from W Pakistan are defeated with Indian assistance | | | | |
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| | As Hinduism in Bangladesh lacks Indian version's pomp, Hindu ceremonies are rarely conducted in the depths of temples to which access is restricted. | | | |
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| | Despite sustained domestic and international efforts to improve economic and demographic prospects, Bangladesh remains one of the world's poorest, most densely populated, and least developed nations. | | | |
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| | There is a proverb in Bangla which loosely translates into: If you have two Bengalis you will have three political parties. | | | |
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| | The Islamic religion was the driving force behind the creation of Pakistan, and it has remained an important component of Bangladeshi ideology. | | | |
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| | The sovereign and independent People's Republic of Bangladesh, as it stands today, is indebted to Bangabandhu. | | |
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Formerly East Pakistan, Bangladesh came into being only in 1971, when the two parts of Pakistan split after a bitter civil war which drew in neighbouring India. | | |
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