Yoginder Rangi asked: What are the causes of Bangladesh's independence?

Smruti Pattanaik replies: Factors that contributed to the creation of Bangladesh are: economic disparity between East and West Pakistan, and disparity in the representation in the civil service and Army of Pakistan. Two other factors contributed to the disenchantment among East Pakistanis. First, the concept that the defence of the East (Pakistan) lies in the West (Pakistan) led to investment in infrastructure and communication network in West Pakistan. This was in spite of East Pakistan's larger contribution to the economy. In the 1965 Indo-Pak war East Pakistan was left defence-less and at the mercy of India. Second, the one unit formula introduced by President Ayub Khan made West Pakistan equal to East Pakistan though East Pakistan had 53 per cent of population in terms of political representation at the centre. Many prominent Bangladeshis feel the 1971 liberation war and creation of Bangladesh was the actual implementation of the 1942 Lahore resolution which spoke of 'independent states' for Muslims in the north and the East.