This article is about the historic province of East Bengal. For the East Bengal Football Club, see East Bengal Club. পূর্ববঙ্গ Purbobôngo East Bengal Former administrative units of Pakistan ← 1947–1955 → Flag Symbol Capital Dacca (modern-day Dhaka) Language(s) Bengal Religion Islam Government Republic Governor  - 1947-1950 Sir Frederick Chalmers  - 1950-1953 Sir Feroz Khan Noon  - 1953-1954 Chaudhry Khaliquzzaman  - 1955 Iskandar Ali Mirza Chief Minister  - 1947-1948 Khawaja Nazimuddin  - 1948-1954 Nurul Amin  - 1954-1955 A. K. Fazlul Huq  - 1955 Abu Hussain Sarkar Historical era Partition of Bengal  - Established August 15, 1947  - Disestablished October 14, 1955 Area  - 1947 144,000 km2 (55,599 sq mi) Population  - 1947 est. 162,221,000       Density 1,126.5 /km2  (2,917.7 /sq mi) Currency Pakistani rupee

This article is part of the series Former administrative units of Pakistan Original provinces Baluchistan East Bengal Federal Capital Territory North-West Frontier Province Sind West Punjab Princely states Baluchistan States Union Amb Bahawalpur Chitral Dir Hunza Kalat Khairpur Kharan Las Bela Makran Nagar Swat Minor states Jhalawan Phulra Sarawan One-unit provinces East Pakistan West Pakistan Other subdivisions Gilgit Agency    Trans-Karakoram Tract Marri-Bugti Country East Bengal Capital Dacca Area 144,000 km² Languages Bengali Established  August 15, 1947 Abolished October 14, 1955 East Bengal (Bengali: পূর্ববঙ্গ Purbobôngo) was the name used during two periods in the 20th century for a territory that roughly corresponded to the modern state of Bangladesh. Both instances involved a violent partition of Bengal. Contents 1 First partition, 1905–1912 (Indian period) 2 Second partition, 1947–(Pakistani period) 3 Provincial Government 3.1 Former provincial symbols of East Pakistan (1955-1971) 4 See also 5 References First partition, 1905–1912 (Indian period) Main article: Partition of Bengal (1905)

Also see Indian Independence Movement File:Bengal gazetteer 1908-9.jpg Map of Eastern Bengal and Assam Province, from Bengal Gazetteer, 1907-9 The first instance of the name was during the British rule of India. British governance of large swathes of Indian territory began with Robert Clive's victory over the Nawab of Bengal, Siraj ud-Daulah, at the Battle of Plassey in 1757. The victory gave the British East India Company dominion over Bengal, which became the headquarters of British administration in the sub-continent. After the Indian rebellion of 1857 (known as the "Mutiny"), the British government took direct control away from the East India Co., and established its imperial capital at Calcutta, the city founded by the Company. By 1900, the British province of Bengal constituted a huge territory, stretching from the Burmese border to deep into the Ganges valley. With the assumption of Lord Curzon to the office of Viceroy of India, British India was finally put under the charge of a man who considered himself an expert in Indian affairs. Curzon, seeing the logistical problems of administering such a large province, proposed to divide Bengal. Bengal, henceforth, would encompass Calcutta and the western territories, roughly comprising modern West Bengal, Bihar, and Orissa. Eastern Bengal and Assam, the new province, would roughly encompass modern Bangladesh and the northeastern states of India (then all grouped under the heading of Assam, with its capital at Dacca).

While Curzon claimed the action was one merely founded upon administrative principles, the growing nationalist movement, which originated with the educated elite of Calcutta and the Bengali aristocracy, took the action as an attempt to cut off Bengal's Hindu intellectual leaders (based in Calcutta) from the majority Muslim agriculturalists of the east, dividing the nationalist movement along lines of class and religion. The partition of Bengal, effected in July 1905, sparked a firestorm in the nationalist movement. The partition was revoked in 1912, but it was accompanied by slicing off the non-Bengali portions of the province – creating two additional provinces, Assam and Bihar and Orissa (both themselves further subdivided after Indian independence) – and the shifting of the capital from Calcutta to Delhi. In the now divided Bengal, East Bengal comprised an area of 196,540 square miles (509,000 km2) that included 18 million Muslims and 12 million Hindus. The (old) Bengal area had 141,580 square miles (366,700 km2) with a majority of 42 million Hindus and 9 million Muslims. Second partition, 1947–(Pakistani period) Main article: Partition of Bengal (1947) Main article: Two Nation Theory

Bengal was divided into two provinces on 3 July 1946 in preparation for the partition of India - the Hindu-majority West Bengal and the Muslim-majority East Bengal. The two provinces each had their own Chief Minister. In August 1947 West Bengal became part of India and East Bengal became part of Pakistan. Tensions between East Bengal and the western wing of Pakistan led to the One-Unit policy. In 1955, most of the western wing was combined to form a new West Pakistan province while East Bengal became the new province of East Pakistan. This system lasted until 1971 when East Pakistan declared independence during the Liberation War of Bangladesh and the new nation of Bangladesh was formed. However Pakistan did not recognise Bangladesh until February 22nd 1974, and diplomatic relations were established on January 18th 1976. Provincial Government After absorption into the Dominion of Pakistan, the province of East Bengal was administered by a ceremonial Governor and an indirectly-elected Chief Minister. During the year from May 1954 to August 1955, executive powers were exercised by the Governor and there was no Chief Minister. Tenure Governor of East Bengal1 15 August 1947 - 31 March 1950 Sir Frederick Chalmers 31 March 1950 - 31 March 1953 Sir Feroz Khan Noon 31 March 1953 - 29 May 1954 Chaudhry Khaliquzzaman 29 May 1954 - May 1955 Iskandar Ali Mirza May 1955 - June 1955 Muhammad Shahabuddin (acting) June 1955 - 14 October 1955 Amiruddin Ahmad 14 October 1955 Province of East Bengal dissolved Tenure Chief Minister of East Bengal1 Political Party 15 August 1947 - 14 September 1948 Khawaja Nazimuddin Muslim League 14 September 1948 - 3 April 1954 Nurul Amin Muslim League 3 April 1954 - 29 May 1954 A. K. Fazlul Huq United Front 29 May 1954 - August 1955 Governor's Rule August 1955 - 14 October 1955 Abu Hussain Sarkar Krishak Sramik Party 14 October 1955 Province of East Bengal dissolved Former provincial symbols of East Pakistan (1955-1971)

The main (4) ex-provincial icons were the Royal Bengal Tiger, Oriental Magpie Robin, Banyan tree and the Water Lily all have been nationalised by the People's Republic Of Bangladesh since 1972. Provincial bird Of East Bengal, nationalised by the Bengalis Provincial animal Of East Bengal, nationalised by the Bengalis Provincial tree Of East Bengal, nationalised by the Bengalis Provincial flower Of East Bengal, nationalised by the Bengalis See also Partition of Bengal (1947) British India West Bengal History of Pakistan History of Bangladesh References ^ a b 'Statesmen of Bangladesh' Retrieved April 18, 2009. v · d · eBengali culture General Art · Architecture of Bengal · Architecture of Bangladesh · Calendar · Cinema · Cuisine · History · Language · Literature · Music · Poetry · Renaissance · Script · Sport (Bangladesh) · Theatre · Wedding · Bengali people (list) Specific

Dhaki · Fairs in Birbhum · Folk literature · Jatra · Maimansingha Gitika · Nabanna · Panjika · Pohela Baishakh · Poush Mela · Rabindra Sangeet · Tarja Folk songs and dances Alkap · Baul · Bhadu · Bhatiali · Bhawaiya · Chhau · Gombhira · Kavigan Crafts Bankura horse · Craft centres in West Bengal · Dhakai · Dhokra · Jamdani · Kantha · Nakshi Kantha · Sholapith v · d · ePakistan Movement History Honourable East India Company · Indian Rebellion of 1857 · Aligarh Movement · Urdu movement · Partition of Bengal · Lucknow Pact · Khilafat Movement · Nehru Report · Fourteen Points of Jinnah · Allahabad Address · Now or Never pamphlet · Two-Nation Theory · Round Table Conferences · Lahore Resolution · Direct Action Day · Indian Muslim nationalism · Cabinet Mission · Indian Independence Act · Radcliffe Line · Pakistan · Objectives Resolution · Independence · Republic Day · Kashmir Freedom Movement · Pakistani nationalism Organisations Muslim League · Unionist Muslim League · All India Muslim Students Federation · Khaksars Leaders Syed Ahmed Khan · Muhammad Iqbal · Muhammad Ali Jinnah · Ghulam Bhik Nairang · Liaquat Ali Khan · Bahadur Yar Jung · G. M. Syed · Abdur Rab Nishtar · Fatima Jinnah · Choudhary Rahmat Ali · Muhammad Ali Jouhar · Shaukat Ali · A.K. Fazlul Huq · Sikandar Hayat Khan · Zafar Ali Khan · Khawaja Nazimuddin · Abdul Qayyum Khan · Huseyn Shaheed Suhrawardy · Ra'ana Liaquat Ali Khan · more Activists Z.A. Suleri · Hameed Nizami · M.A. Zuberi  · Altaf Husain · Yusuf Khattak · Shaukat Hayat Khan · Muhammad Asad · Ziauddin Ahmed  · more