পাতা:বাংলাদেশের স্বাধীনতা যুদ্ধ দলিলপত্র (চতুর্থ খণ্ড).pdf/৪৬০

430 বাংলাদেশের স্বাধীনতা যুদ্ধ দলিল : চতুর্থ খন্ড Indian territory, were lumped together under a single state (Pakistan) on the basis of Islamic religion. The conspiracy of the British imperialists had played a big role in the creation of this state with such a peculiar character. From the very inception of this state, the ruling classes, the reactionary big bourgeoisie and feudalists, collaborating with imperialism, especially US imperialism, had in their own narrow class interests pursued a policy of suppression of all democratic and national rights of the various nationalities, such as of Bengalis in East Pakistan and Sindhis, Pathans and Baluchis in the Western Wing. As a result of the policy of the national suppression and discrimination pursued by the ruling classes, the condition of the people of East Pakistan had become extremely miserable in all aspects. Democracy was ruthlessly suppressed and virtual dictatorship had reigned supreme. People had no democratic right, no civil liberty and no freedom of the Press. Arrests, imprisonment and persecution of the democrats and progressive elements were a daily phenomenon. Hundreds of patriotic workers, including many communists, were always in jails. In the economic field, big business, all of whom non-Bengalis, controlled banking, insurance, big industries and the entire economy of East Pakistan. The big business, known as the "22 monopolist families", had an overall domination over the economic life of Pakistan as a whole and was given a free hand of exploiting the working class and the people of East Pakistan. In the rural side, feudal exploitation went on rampantly. Further, as a natural consequence of the policy of the ruling class to appease the big business and to practice national discrimination, a big imbalance and disparity had cropped up between the economic condition in Hast and West Pakistan. Whereas the per capita income in the Eastern Wing was lower than that of the Western Wing, the prices of all commodities, including food, were higher in the Eastern Wing. We do not, however mean to say that the people of West Pakistan were favored. Rather, they were also heavily exploited and oppressed. But the fact was that East Pakistan was virtually turned into a market and hunting ground for the "22 monopolist families" who were based in West Pakistan. They were also transferring the profits they earned in East Pakistan to their head offices in West Pakistan. Such fight of capital from East Pakistan together with the neocolonial exploitation of the penetrating US capital (amounting to about Rs. 3,000 crones) and the exploitation of the monopolists and feudalist had shattered the entire economy of East Pakistan. The over whelming majority of the people of East Pakistan lived in utter distress. Another result of the policy of national discrimination practised by the ruling classes had been that the people of East Pakistan, though in a majority (56 per cent), had little share in the Central services including the army. They were deliberately and plan fully kept away from all important jobs at the Centre, which were filled from the upper classes of Punjab. In short, the people of East Pakistan were deprived of all rights and mercilessly oppressed and exploited. Similar was the condition of the Pathans, Sindis and Baluchis.