Abstract
Partition of India in 1947 synchronized with the division of Punjab and Bengal
provinces that caused a massive migration of people between newly-born states of
Pakistan and India. The present study is confined to the refugee problem and its
settlement in East Bengal province of Pakistan. The burden of refugees' reception
and their settlement was a great challenge to be faced by the nascent state of
Pakistan. Much has been written on refugee rehabilitation and settlement in the
Punjab but the role of Federal Government of Pakistan in this regard in East
Pakistan has generally been overlooked by scholars. It is generally believed that
the issue of refugee migration and resettlement in East Bengal province had not
been seriously taken up by the government of Pakistan. It seems to be
misinterpreted as the matter of refugees remained one of the important issues in
the federal cabinet of Pakistan after partition. The State did not neglect the issue
of refugees in East Bengal rather kept in view all the problems; many relief works
were undertaken and grants were also issued for refugee rehabilitation and
settlement to East Bengal's provincial government. Moreover, the government of
Pakistan took this matter on the international level with Indian State and interStates diplomacy was started between India and Pakistan to address the question
of refugees' grievances in East and West Bengal. A series of Inter-dominion
conferences was started soon after independence and several political delegations
held meetings to cope with the refugee issues and finally, in 1950, the LiaquatNehru agreement was signed to protect the minority rights across the border. For
this research study, primary and secondary source material;Prime Minister
Papers, the Federal Cabinet records files, and especially the files of Refugees and
Rehabilitation Ministry have been extensively utilized.
Tahir Khan , Naumana Kiran. (2020) Rehabilitation and Settlement of Refugees in East Bengal: Role of Federal Government of Pakistan, 1947-1950, Journal of the Punjab University Historical Society, Volume 33 , Issue 1.
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