Editing History of Bangladesh (section)

===Formal Declaration of Independence===
[[Image:Bangladesh 1971 Liberation.jpg|thumb|upright=1.25|Illustration showing military units and troop movements during the war.]]
In the early hours of 26 March 1971, a military crackdown by the Pakistan army began. Bangabandhu [[Sheikh Mujibur Rahman]] was arrested and the political leaders dispersed, mostly fleeing to neighbouring India where they organised a provisional government. Before being arrested by the Pakistani Army, Sheikh Mujibur Rahman passed a hand written note which contained the [[Bangladeshi Declaration of Independence|Bangladesh's Declaration of Independence]]. This note was widely circulated and transmitted by the then [[East Pakistan Rifles]]' wireless transmitter. The world press reports from late March 1971 also made sure that Bangladesh's declaration of independence by Bangabandhu was widely reported throughout the world. Bengali Army officer Major [[Ziaur Rahman]] captured the Kalurghat Radio Station<ref name="Posted by Admin">
{{cite web |url=http://newsbd71.blogspot.com/2011/03/flames-of-freedom-beginning-of.html |title=Major Ziaur Rahman's revolt with 8 East Bengal Regiment at Chittagong |publisher=Newsbd71.blogspot.com |date=20 March 2011 |access-date=18 February 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131003062645/http://newsbd71.blogspot.com/2011/03/flames-of-freedom-beginning-of.html |archive-date=3 October 2013 |url-status=live}}
</ref><ref name="youtube">
{{cite web |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XtAUbEfi58E |title=Zia clarifies his timing of declaration of independence |website=YouTube |date=10 December 2007 |access-date=6 January 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150603013031/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XtAUbEfi58E |archive-date=3 June 2015 |url-status=live}}
</ref> in Chittagong and read the declaration of independence of Bangladesh during the evening hours on 27 March.<ref name="bdnews24">{{cite news |url=http://arts.bdnews24.com/?p=2769 |newspaper=bdnews24.com |script-title=bn:সংযোজনস্বাধীনতার ঘোষণা: বেলাল মোহাম্মদের সাক্ষাৎকার |language=bn |access-date=6 January 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100329134219/http://arts.bdnews24.com/?p=2769 |archive-date=29 March 2010 |url-status=dead }}</ref>

<blockquote>''This is [[Swadhin Bangla Betar Kendra]]. I, Major Ziaur Rahman, at the direction of Bangobondhu Mujibur Rahman, hereby declare that the Independent People's Republic of Bangladesh has been established. At his direction, I have taken command as the temporary Head of the Republic. In the name of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, I call upon all Bengalees to rise against the attack by the West Pakistani Army. We shall fight to the last to free our motherland. Victory is, by the Grace of Allah, ours. Joy Bangla.''<ref>
{{cite book |last=Gupta |first=Jyota Sen |date=1974 |title=History of Freedom Movement in Bangladesh, 1943–1973: Some Involvement |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=DedtAAAAMAAJ&q=temporary |edition=First |location=Calcutta |publisher=Naya Prokash |pages=325–326 |access-date=15 November 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160603211014/https://books.google.com/books?id=DedtAAAAMAAJ&q=temporary |archive-date=3 June 2016 |url-status=live}}
</ref></blockquote>

The [[Provisional Government of the People's Republic of Bangladesh]] was formed on 10 April in Meherpur (later renamed as [[Mujibnagar]], a town adjacent to the Indian border). Sheikh Mujibur Rahman was announced to be the Head of the State. [[Tajuddin Ahmed]] became the Prime Minister, [[Syed Nazrul Islam]] became the acting president and [[Khondaker Mostaq Ahmed]] the Foreign Minister. There the war plan was sketched out with Bangladesh armed forces established and named "Muktifoujo". Later these forces were named "Muktibahini" (freedom fighters). [[M. A. G. Osmani]] was appointed as the Chief of the Armed Forces. The training and most of the arms and ammunitions were arranged by the Meherpur government which was supported by India. As fighting grew between the Pakistan Army and the Bengali [[Mukti Bahini]], an estimated ten million Bengalis, mainly Hindus, sought refuge in the Indian states of [[Assam]], Tripura and [[West Bengal]].

The freedom fighters were not able to beat the military.<ref name="Willem van Schendel 129"/> The Pakistani military created civilian and paramilitary groups to neutralise the freedom fighters.<ref>{{cite book|author=Willem van Schendel|title=A History of Bangladesh|date=12 February 2009|publisher=Cambridge University Press|isbn=9780511997419|page=167}}</ref> They recruited Biharis and Bengalis who did not support the separation of East Pakistan.<ref name="Baxter 1997 88">{{cite book|last=Baxter|first=Craig|year=1997|title=Bangladesh: From A Nation to a State |publisher=Westview Press|page=88|isbn=978-0-813-33632-9}}</ref>

When it became clear that neither the Pakistani military nor the freedom fighters could win, India gradually started its invasion. It increased its efforts at the international level<ref>{{cite book|author=Willem van Schendel|title=A History of Bangladesh|date=12 February 2009|publisher=Cambridge University Press|isbn=9780511997419|page=169}}</ref> and increased its military activities in East Pakistan but did not declare war out of fear of the geopolitical aftermath. India had its opportunity to declare war when Pakistan attacked Indian airfields on 3 December. The Indian military and Mukti Bahini had the edge with better weaponry, complete air and naval supremacy and support from most locals. The Pakistani army killed and raped many Bengalis. Pro-Pakistan militias killed Bengali intellectuals near the war's end. Pakistan's administration collapsed and the army surrendered on 16 December.<ref>{{cite book|author=Willem van Schendel|title=A History of Bangladesh|date=12 February 2009|publisher=Cambridge University Press|isbn=9780511997419|page=170}}</ref>