When Bihar touched East Pakistan (1947-1956)

When partition is discussed, often the Bengal story is overshadowed by that of Punjab, whether in movies, theatrical plays, or literature. At best, it is limited to certain Indian and Bangladeshi diasporas directly affected by it. Even if this is untrue, an important geographical adjustment is often ignored—one that had a massive impact on the socio-political landscape of a state apart from West Bengal. This state is Bihar, and this post is about the time when Bihar touched Pakistan.

Bihar, at present, consists of the following regions: Patna, Tirhut, Saran, Kosi, Darbhanga, Bhagalpur, Munger, Magadh, and Purnia. These nine regions are spread across 38 districts. Highlighting the region of Purnia, during partition, it was all clubbed under one single district spelled as Purnea. This included the Islampur and Chopra subdivisions of today’s Uttar Dinajpur in West Bengal (the Dinajpur district was divided between East and West Bengal in 1947). These areas were carved out in 1956 and added to West Bengal. Until then, this region of Bihar bordered East Pakistan’s Dinajpur and Rangpur districts. In fact, Purnea district acted as a buffer between the northern part of West Bengal—Darjeeling, Cooch Behar, and Jalpaiguri districts—and the rest of the region. Naturally, with Purnea sharing a border with East Pakistan and being a Muslim-majority district, there was a cross-migration of Hindus and Muslims between Bihar and East Pakistan. To this day, there exists a village in the interiors of Purnea district known as ‘Pakistan’ in memory of the Muslim population that migrated during this time.

More than a million Muslims migrated from Bihar to East Pakistan during partition but were looked down upon by Bengali Muslims to such an extent that they had nothing to look forward to in their new home. The rearrangement of Purnea district was meant to create a more homogenous West Bengal and possibly cut off the influx of illegal immigrants into Bihar, which was not self-equipped to handle such a refugee crisis. However, since most migration took place in West Bengal, Assam, and Tripura, Bihar did not face the brunt of illegal immigration. Still, the plight of Bihari migration to East Pakistan was disastrous. As Bihari populations formed ghettos and closed networks in various parts of East Pakistan, they faced discrimination and utter neglect from the Pakistani government, leaving them with a confused and unaccepted identity that swung their fate between the two countries. They were unemployed, impoverished, famished, malnourished, and had nowhere to go. Bihar itself was already in a state of poverty and unable to accept more than a limited number of people, while the outflow was much larger than the inflow. The growing presence of Bihari ghettos in Bangladesh posed a significant challenge for the Bangladeshi government. Furthermore, government schemes designed to support the poor and marginalized were not effectively implemented for the Bihari population.

By the time East Pakistan became Bangladesh in 1971, there were roughly 730,000 Bihari migrants in various enclaves of the country, including Dhaka, Rangpur, Chittagong, Khulna, Mymensingh, Comilla, and Sylhet. Many Bihari migrants found odd jobs in big cities, especially the capital Dhaka, but were not welcomed by the Indian government either, as the influx of migrants was overwhelming. Some even fled to Nepal when their home country could not accommodate them. Even when the West Dinajpur district was carved out from Purnea in 1956, cutting Bihar off from East Pakistan, it did not curb Bihari migration. Instead, the outflow increased significantly, creating severe migration issues for both India and Pakistan. The creation of West Dinajpur district was not intended to address the ongoing migration issue but to ease the administration of West Bengal and connect the Jalpaiguri and Malda divisions.

The 1971 Indo-Pakistan War for Bangladesh’s independence divided the Biharis. While native Biharis in India supported Indira Gandhi’s pro-India government, the Bihari Muslims in East Pakistan sided with Pakistan. This led to severe persecution by the Mukti Bahini forces. The divide was one of the reasons why the Bihari population continued to face discrimination, despite being Muslims in a Muslim-majority nation. The official estimate of Bihari casualties during the Bangladesh Liberation War stands at approximately 500,000, leading to absolute chaos within the Bihari community. Already a marginalized group, their plight worsened after Pakistan’s defeat, leaving them with no place to turn.

There were, however, small glimmers of hope amidst the adversity. In Saidpur city in northern Bangladesh, about 275,000 Biharis enjoyed a degree of freedom, as they outnumbered the local Bengalis. A voluntary organisation named Bangla Jyoti aimed to uplift the conditions of non-Bengalis and worked with the Awami League to teach Bangla to the Bihari population. In Chittagong, although there were considerable numbers of Bihari residents occupying their own homes, severe food shortages made the situation dire. However, such isolated instances of improvement meant little in the grand scheme of things for the hapless Bihari population.

With border issues improving and administrative changes taking place, Bihari migration to Bangladesh today has become minimal. Although the issue is no longer dominant, the scars of the past remain an indelible part of Bihari history. Today, Purnea district has been divided into Purnia (with a changed spelling), Araria, Katihar, and Kishanganj. The neighbouring West Dinajpur has also been divided into Uttar Dinajpur and Dakshin Dinajpur. These administrative changes have helped address migration issues, though poverty in the region remains a significant challenge.