December 17, 1971: When newspapers published from Dhaka removed the word 'Pakistan' from their names
The front page of the daily Ittefat on December 17, 1971 was as follows
Why Is the Date December 17, 1971, Significant in Media?
Article DescriptionAuthor, Tariq-uz-Zaman ShamilPosition, BBC News Bangla, DhakaDecember,17,2024.
Pros:
1. Symbolic Independence: Removing "Pakistan" from newspaper names was a strong symbolic act that represented Bangladesh’s newfound sovereignty.
2. Cultural Identity: It reinforced the distinct cultural, political, and linguistic identity of the Bengali people.
3. Public Morale: The change boosted national pride and unity among citizens who fought for independence.
4. Historical Significance: It marked a clear break from the prior political regime and helped document the historical shift.
Cons:
1. Disruption: Changing newspaper names might have initially confused some readers or disrupted brand recognition.
2. Economic Strain: Immediate rebranding of newspapers required financial and logistical adjustments during an already fragile economic period.
3. Polarization: Some individuals or groups still loyal to the former regime may have viewed the change as divisive.
4. Loss of Continuity: Older publications risked losing their historical continuity tied to their original names.
Before the formation of Bangladesh in 1971, almost all newspapers published from Dhaka (formerly East Pakistan) were under the strict control of the Pakistani government and all newspapers were published under the influence of strict censorship.
At that time, ‘freedom of the media’ was not a common term. Therefore, apart from the statements issued by the government of the time, most of the news appeared in the newspapers that were approved for publication by the government of the time.
That is why the newspapers published from Dhaka did not publish any specific news about the fight of the Mukti Bahini, the supporters of the separatist movement in Bangladesh, with the Pakistani army. If we examine the newspapers of that period, it is seen that during April to December 1971, the news related to this fighting and tension in the erstwhile East Pakistan was not getting any coverage in the Dhaka newspapers.
But after the surrender of the Pakistani army on December 16, the same newspapers that were under Dhaka restrictions emerged in a new form.
Many newspapers even changed their names. Especially those newspapers that had the word ‘Pakistan’ in their names were changed and replaced with ‘Bangladesh’.
Overnight, the name of the newspaper ‘Dayak Pakistan’ was changed to ‘Dayak Bangla’ and the name of ‘Pakistan Observer’ was changed to ‘Bangladesh Observer’.
The news of Bangladesh becoming ‘independent’ appeared on the top of the list in the Dhaka newspapers. Along with this, the news of the surrender of the Pakistani army and the success and freedom of the Bengalis were published in detail.
Along with this, news of past killings and atrocities during the nine-month-long ‘war of independence’ also began to be published regularly.
How was news of Bangladesh’s independence published?
After December 16, 1971, the name of Daily Pakistan was changed to Daily Bangla.
After the independence of Bangladesh on December 16, 1971, the biggest news in the newspapers published from Dhaka on December 17 was the surrender of the Pakistani army and the independence of Bangladesh.
On December 17, the front page of the daily ‘Ittihad’ published this news in big and bold letters like this: ‘The occupying Pakistani army surrendered, Sonar Bangla became free.’ (i.e., gold-like Bangladesh became free.)
At the beginning of this news, it was written in praise of the Mukti Bahini that ‘Well done Mukti fighters, the most terrible and dark night of March 25 has come to an end.’ (On March 25, 1971, the Pakistani army’s ‘Operation Searchlight’ began.)
After this, giving details of the surrender of the Pakistani army, the newspaper wrote that ‘The Pakistani army has unconditionally surrendered yesterday, Thursday, at 5:15 PM, Bangladesh time. The world's eighth largest independent and sovereign state, the People's Republic of Bangladesh, has been established.
The newspaper wrote, referring to the Pakistani army, that "the roads, fields and towns of the remote areas of this country were stained with the blood of countless helpless children, men and women."
The news in the newspaper "Ittefaq" claimed that during this period, neighboring India had given shelter to about one crore people from Bangladesh.
Ittefaq wrote that "after only 12 days of fighting with the Mukti Bahini fighters and the Mitra Bahini, yesterday (December 16) the armed forces of Pakistan were forced to surrender unconditionally."
Along with the news of the country's independence and those who sacrificed their lives for it, the founder of Bangladesh, Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, was also remembered. Mujibur Rahman was imprisoned in a Pakistani prison during this fight.
The news also said that after the independence of Bangladesh, 75 million people of this country are eagerly waiting for the release of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman from the Pakistani prison and his return to the country.
Almost similar news was published in many other national and local newspapers. The then daily ‘Daynak Pakistan’ published from Chittagong had the headline ‘Jaye Bangla, long live Bangladesh.’
After the independence of Bangladesh, this newspaper removed the word ‘Pakistan’ from its name and replaced it with ‘Bangladesh’.
On that day, the newspaper’s headline was ‘Jaye Sangrami Jantar Jai, Jaaye Banglar Jai’ (Success and freedom belong to the struggling Bengalis.)
Another newspaper published from Dhaka, the daily ‘Daynak Azad’, carried the headline: ‘The blood of Bengali fighters and the tears of mothers have not gone in vain, Bangladesh has been created and is free from restrictions.’
Its news was that ‘The struggle never goes in vain. The war for the independence of Bangladesh, which gave birth to many heroes, has brought fruit to everyone’s hard work. Thanks to the seventy-five million fighters who fought this war of independence, the dark clouds that had been hanging over the country’s skies have been lifted and Bangladesh has emerged on the world map like a new and bright dawn.’
‘It was a historic moment’
Various news items were published in several contemporary newspapers.
Among them, the daily Ittehad carried a headline, ‘This is a historic moment,’ and referring to the surrender of the Pakistani army, it said that ‘due to the joint action of the Bangladesh and Indian armies, the Pakistani army was facing defeat on one front after another even before December 16.’
‘After being surrounded on every front, Lieutenant General Amir Abdullah Khan Niazi, the then commander of the army in East Pakistan, sent a ceasefire proposal to the Indian Army Chief General Sam Manekshaw through the US embassy in Delhi on the evening of December 15.’
‘After this, Manekshaw stopped air strikes from the evening of December 15 to nine o’clock on the morning of December 16, and during this time the Pakistani army was asked to surrender unconditionally.’
The newspaper wrote that ‘General Niazi was given two radio frequencies so that he could contact Calcutta and inform them of the surrender. Niazi agreed to surrender on December 16 through the same radio frequency.
“After this, Indian Army officer Lieutenant General Jagjit Singh Arora arrived in Dhaka by helicopter at 3:30 pm on December 16 to negotiate the terms of surrender.” The report said that Group Captain A.K. Khondkar of the Mukti Bahini was also with him.
Later, at 5:15 pm, Lieutenant General Amir Abdullah Khan Niazi surrendered unconditionally to the Indian and Bangladeshi forces at the then Race Course Ground (now Suhrawardy Ground) in Dhaka.
The report said that after the surrender of the Pakistani army, the allied forces and the Mukti Bahini also took possession of their weapons and ammunition.
Celebration of Independence among the people
When Indian troops entered Dhaka on 16 December 1971, they were welcomed by the general public.
The newspapers of 17 December also reported that on the evening of 16 December, the people of Bangladesh celebrated independence in Dhaka and other parts of the country.
The ‘Daily Ittehad’ in its next day’s issue gave the following headline to the news about the atmosphere in Dhaka after independence: ‘People dancing happily on the streets of Dhaka celebrating victory: Hearty congratulations to Mukti Bahini and Dosta Bahini.’
This news said that ‘On the evening of 16 December 1971, as soon as the news of the surrender of Lieutenant General Amir Abdullah Khan Niazi was received, thousands of people came out on the streets of Dhaka. After which the whole city was on the streets of the city celebrating independence.’
Ittehad News wrote that ‘After nine months of long war and fighting, a wave of joy spread among the people as soon as the news of independence was received. Dhaka's Rajpath echoed with flags, processions and slogans of a free Bangladesh.
Regarding the scenes of that day, the daily Ittefat wrote in its news report that "the excitement and enthusiasm found in the crowds on the streets of the capital cannot be understood or felt without seeing it with one's own eyes."
Related Topics
#India #History #Bangladesh #Pakistan #Politics #War
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