The Birth of Bangladesh

Not many people recall the Dominion of Pakistan. It was set up after the British left India in 1947, and there were two territories a thousand miles apart, East and West Pakistan. The only thing connecting them was religion. “We don’t even look the same,” says Qasa Alom, a Birmingham born British Bangladeshi. “They are tall and fair, we are short and darker. My cousin was teased by Pakistanis, who said he smelled of fish.”

The liberation war of 1971 was really nasty. The fighting only ended when India came in on the side of Bangladesh, by when millions had been forced to flee. This year Independence Day - March 26 - marks half a century since the country was born.

“Why wouldn’t I want to make this programme?” says Qasa Alom. “It’s such a massive story, the birth of the seventh most populous nation in the world, my origin country, a place we hardly ever hear about. The stories of Pakistan and of India, they are frequently on the airwaves but Bangladesh has been left out. Even in my own community, my generation seems to know absolutely nothing about the war, the refugees, the genocide. Why is that?"

With contributions from Azmina Siddique and Huma Yusuf, plus members of Qasa's own family including his mum. Qasa Alom hosts the BBC Asian Network's Big Debate and was winner of radio presenter of the year at the Asian media awards 2020. Producer Miles Warde makes the How to Invent a Country series for Radio 4