Drafted Notes on ‘The Cruel Birth of Bangladesh’

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Drafted Notes on ‘The Cruel Birth of Bangladesh’ 1 ■ Archer Blood first familiarised with East Pakistan (now Bangladesh) back in June 1960. ■ First job in Dacca as Deputy Principal Officer ... and Political Officer at the American Consulate General. ■ Previously worked for Foreign Service in Greece, West Germany and Algiers. ■ Executive Secretariat in the State Department, also in the Bureau Of Near Eastern and South Asian Affairs (NEA) as Desk Officer for Cyprus. ■ Considered himself as a NEA person, yet ruled out Arab as he wasn’t an Arabist and didn’t have time to learn Arabic. ■ Fascinated with British Raj stories, so interested more into the Indian subcontinent. ■ Assignment given; choice between Madras or Dacca, chose Dacca. ■ Dacca more autonomous than Madras. ○ Page 02 ■ Dacca thousand miles separated from embassy in Karachi. ■ Larger post in Dacca due to larger USAID mission. ■ East Pakistan more challenging and significant field for political reporting. ■ Pakistan made for a Muslim Homeland in the subcontinent. ■ Sindh, Balochistan, Punjab, Kashmir, NWF1– all consist of West Pakistan. ■ In West, Urdu lingua franca; in East, Bengali. ■ Islam, English Language, PIA2 - three vital WP3 elements. ■ Ethnic, cultural, geographical difference between two wings. ■ WP antagonistic over Kashmir, EP4 relaxed over Calcutta. ■ Kashmir little interest for EP. ■ Military, upper ranked civil servants, few wealthy industrialists from WP had political power. ■ WP getting most of foreign assistance and development funds. ■ Bengalis for end to the Martial Law Administration since October 1958. ○ Page 03 ■ MLA5 first under Iskander Mirza, then commander in chief Ayub Khan. ■ Bengali wanted a return to constitutional government. ■ Bengali political influence weakened over the years. ■ Ayub introduced Basic Democracy in 1959 to form own stable government. ■ BD6 a tutelary form of government. ■ Educate largely illiterate population by affording them limited representation– Ayub’s intention. ■ BD concerned with local government and rural development. ■ Multi-tiered system; ascending from union councils, subdivision level, district level 1 NWF: North West Frontier 2 PIA: Pakistan International Airlines 3 WP: West Pakistan 4 EP: East Pakistan 5 MLA: Martial Law Administration 6 BD: Basic Democracy drafted-notesdocx/and development advisory council. ■ The system represented a ‘turning backwards of the clock to the British rule days’; strictly controlled. ○ Page 04 ■ Ayub served as General Officer Commanding in EP in 1948-1949. ■ Bengalis suspicious of Ayub keeping BD system indefinitely. ■ Unpopular era of Ayub Khan during 1960-1962, in contrast to his appointed Governor General Azam Khan. ■ Azam removed as governor in 1962. ■ US-Pakistani relations closer during the 60s; Pakistan in SEATO7 and CENTO8. ■ Acquiring US military equipment– Pakistan’s primary objective. ■ Communist China and Pakistan allies despite latter in SEATO and CENTO. ■ Pakistan receiving economic, military assistance from the US, making a base in Peshawar for intelligence gathering. ■ Ayub Khan was however highly thought of in Washington D.C. ■ Blood’s family consist of: ● Wife Meg ● Elder daughter Shireen (11) ● Younger daughter Barbara (10) ● Youngest son Peter (8) ■ Had to adjust quickly due to vast differences in conditions compared to Germany and Greece. ○ Page 05 [Show More]

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