Muslim League, the communal political organisation, which created Pakistan, lost its grip on BANGLADESH in 1952. It had been routed at the first opportunity-the 1954 Provincial Election. Its re-emergence under military dictatorship of Ayub Khan (1958- 1969) was artificial and superimposed. In BANGLADESH, 23.6% people are Hindus (1961 census). BANGLADESH opted for joint electorate in 1956 and gave its verdict in favor of secularism. In contrast, the elite in West Pakistan still hovers around Iqbal and his pan-Islamic doctrine. The Ahmadi-Quadiani (two Muslim sects) riot in 1953, in which 50,000 people died in Punjab, and the Shiah-Sunni (two Muslim sects) riots in Lahore are positive testimonies of the dimension of foul-play with religion, the vested interests is West Pakistan indulge in.
Further, the West Pakistan ruling class has hammered out a new divisive concept of first and second class Muslims. In the cycs of West Pakistan, the Bengalis arc converted Muslims from Hinduism. It should be mentioned here that it is not these differences that prompted BANGLADESH to declare independence. The primary cause is of course the economic exploitation the Bengalis were subjected to for the last 25 years. The differences are important to understand the mechanism through which the capitalist class of West Pakistan could make possible the connivance in their deliberate infliction on Bengalis conditions of life, calculated to bring about its physical destruction. In the last flood in East Pakistan (1970), according to some estimates, half a million died. The unconcerned attitude of Pakistan administration is well known.
To show the extent of economic exploitation, we shall quote only a few figures. In terms of the contribution of manufacturing to gross domestic product. BANGLADESH and West Pakistan started from the same level. (Planning Department, Government of East Pakistan, 1963). In 1959-69 the per capita income in West Pakistan was 32 % higher than in the East. By 1969-70, the per capita income of the West was 61 % higher (Reports of the Advisory Panels for the fourth Five-Year Plan 1970-75. Vol. I; Planning, Comm ission, Government of Pakistan. The Report notes these estimates as understatements, because of a lack of adjustment in the basic official data for the generally higher prices which prevail in BANGLADESH compared to West).
In the last 25 years, BANGLADESH'S share of total Pakistan export earnings has varied between 50% and 70%, while its share of imports has been in the range of 25% to 30% (Official statistics issued by the Central Statistical Office, Government of Pakistan). On the basis of population. BANGLADESII should have imported 67.5%. During the period 1948-49 to 1968-69, BANGLADESH has transferred approximately 2.6 billion dollars to West Pakistan (Conflict in East Pakistan: Background and Prospect, by three Professors of Ilarvard University). This calculated exploitation constitutes the crime of genocide under (c). Article II. against Bengalis-a distinct national ethnical, racial group.
Article III enumerates different acts punishable under the Convention, namely (a) genocide; (b) conspiracy to commit genocide; (c) direct and public incitement to commit genocide; (d) attempt to commit genocide; and (c) complicity in genocide.
The West Pakistan Army in BANGLADESH has committed the offence under (a). The attack started at 10.30 at night. There was no curfew. No provocation. The attack was
