Bengalis in Pakistan

Bengalis in Pakistan
(Pakistanis of Bengali origin)

x120px x120px Notable Pakistanis of Bengali and Bangladeshi origin: Zaib-un-Nissa Hamidullah · Mahbub Jamal Zahedi • Khawaja Nazimuddin • Iskander Mirza • Munni Begum
Regions with significant populations
Karachi
Languages
Bengali · Urdu · English (Pakistani English) · Bangladeshi languages
Religion
Islam

Pakistani Bengalis (Urdu: پاکستانی بنگالی ‎) are those Pakistani citizens, who migrated from East Pakistan, later Bangladesh, and settled mainly in Karachi.

Migration from East Pakistan

Many of the people are migrants from East Pakistan, settled in the present day West Pakistan, and remained loyal to Pakistan, while others immigrated from Bangladesh later. Much of the Bangladeshi-origin population also includes the thousands of stateless Biharis, Stranded Pakistanis, who were allowed resettlement in Pakistan. Surur Hoda was actively involved in issues relating to Bihari refugees in Bangladesh. Surur Hoda organised a delegation, headed by Ennals and Ben Whitaker, which contributed to nearly 200,000 refugees returning to Pakistan.

Suppression under Bhutto's Rule

By 1995 however, continuous migration led it to cross the 2,500,000 mark. During the administration of Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto, some top advisers became concerned with the large Bangladeshi migrant population, afraid they could become second largest group in Karachi after Urdu-speaking Muhajir people and disturb sensitive demographics. Accordingly, Bhutto ordered a crackdown and deportation on Bangladeshi immigrants. Benazir Bhutto action strained and created tensions in Bangladesh–Pakistan relations, with Khaleda Zia, who was in power in Dhaka during the time, refusing to accept the deportees and reportedly sending two planeloads back towards Pakistan and Muslim political parties in Pakistan also criticised Bhutto and dubbing the crackdown as anti-Islamic. She was ultimately forced to abandon the order.

Bengali colonies

According to the community leaders and social scientists there are over 100,000 Bengalis and up to 40,000 Rohingyas living in Karachi. There are numerous Bengali colonies in Karachi, often called "Mini Bangladesh", such as Machar Colony, Musa Colony and Chittagong Colony. The Bengali communities in Pakistan are also adopting Urdu and are assimilating with Muhajirs. When one walks through these colonies, one can see the colorful Bengali signboards, Bhashani caps, lungis and kurtas. The Chittagong Colony has a bazaar, which was famous throughout Pakistan as the center for Dhaka cloth. In more recent times, the Bengali population has seen a decline as the perilous journey from Bangladesh has been fraught with danger and tense borders. Furthermore given the tense ethnic rivalries and lack of social welcome in Pakistan Bengalis have now been travelling elsewhere.

Culture and education

University of Karachi offers Bachelor's and Masters courses in Bengali.

Karachi was also the headquarters of the local Bengali language newspaper Daily Qaumi Bandhan.

Notable people

• Munni Begum
• Habibullah Bahar Chowdhury
• Raja Tridev Roy
• Zaib-un-Nissa Hamidullah
• Alamgir (pop singer)
• Jalaludin Abdur Rahim
• Roopa Farooki – British writer (half Pakistani, half Bangladeshi)
• Ikram Sehgal

See also

• List of Pakistani Bengali films
• Musa Colony
• Daily Qaumi Bandhan
• Machiara Colony
• Chittagong Colony

External links

• Bangladeshi migrants struggle in Karachi slum (video)
• You Can't Get There From Here: Bengali immigrants in Pakistan now wish they'd never left Bangladesh
• Bengali immigrants in Karachi polarised over violence in Bangladesh
• Bengalis afraid of losing their identity and rights
• The Bengal Borderland: Beyond State and Nation in South Asia
• Too many mouths to feed in Karachi’s slum fishermen’s colony