Re: Aik aur latka diya Hasina nay…
Well sadly I have to say this with great shame and disappointment that path to power in Pakistan goes through Punjab. Bhutto was incredibly popular in Punjab even at the village level. Once you have Punjab in your pocket, your lack of popularity in other province becomes irrelevant. This is as true today as it was over 40 years ago.
I think establishment and Bhutto just didn’t realise how mobilized and politically aware the Bengali electorate had become by 1970. In a land marred with rampant poverty, social injustice and regional isolation, they were going to vote for anyone who would promise to give them their rights.
But there was a definitely an element of great shock when they saw Mujib clean sweeping East Pakistan in such style, had they knew or taken this prospect a little seriously, I doubt the establishment would’ve held itself back from altering the result from the source in East Pakistan.