Bengalis in Pakistan are ethnic Bengali people who had lived in either

West Pakistan West Pakistan was the western province of Pakistan between One Unit, 1955 and Legal Framework Order, 1970, 1970, covering the territory of present-day Pakistan. Its land borders were with Afghanistan, India and Iran, with a maritime border wit ...

East Pakistan East Pakistan was the eastern province of Pakistan between 1955 and 1971, restructured and renamed from the province of East Bengal and covering the territory of the modern country of Bangladesh. Its land borders were with India and Burma, wit ...

prior to 1971 or live in present-day

Pakistan Pakistan, officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by population, fifth-most populous country, with a population of over 241.5 million, having the Islam by country# ...

. Most Pakistani Bengalis, are bilingual speaking both

Urdu Urdu (; , , ) is an Indo-Aryan languages, Indo-Aryan language spoken chiefly in South Asia. It is the Languages of Pakistan, national language and ''lingua franca'' of Pakistan. In India, it is an Eighth Schedule to the Constitution of Indi ...

and Bengali and are mainly settled in

Karachi Karachi is the capital city of the Administrative units of Pakistan, province of Sindh, Pakistan. It is the List of cities in Pakistan by population, largest city in Pakistan and 12th List of largest cities, largest in the world, with a popul ...

. Bengalis that arrived in Pakistan before 1971 have now assimilated with the Urdu-speaking people in Karachi. Despite the historical fact that Bangladesh was formerly East Pakistan, the term 'Pakistani Bengali' is now no longer popularly used. However, a large population of nearly 3 million exists. The absence of strong bilateral communication between the two nations prevents Pakistani Bengalis from visiting relatives in Bangladesh or sending financial support. Local employers practice hiring Bangladeshis because their charges for work are lower than local Pakistanis. Their lack of citizenship documentation makes them vulnerable to exploitation by employers. Additionally, the absence of a birth registration certificate (referred to as a B-form) has obstructed the education of many and, without a Computerised National ID Card (CNIC), barred them from pursuing high-paying job opportunities.

History

Pre-1947

The founding members of the Pakistani Bengali community were early migrants from

East Bengal East Bengal (; ''Purbô Bangla/Purbôbongo'') was the eastern province of the Dominion of Pakistan, which covered the territory of modern-day Bangladesh. It consisted of the eastern portion of the Bengal region, and existed from 1947 until 195 ...

who arrived in

Sindh Sindh ( ; ; , ; abbr. SD, historically romanized as Sind (caliphal province), Sind or Scinde) is a Administrative units of Pakistan, province of Pakistan. Located in the Geography of Pakistan, southeastern region of the country, Sindh is t ...

during the early 20th century. This community of early Bengali settlers assimilated into Pakistani culture and adopted

or became bilingual Bengali speakers.

1947-1971

After Pakistan's independence in 1947, a large influx of Bengalis arrived in Karachi from

. In 1971, some Bengalis opted to return to the newly independent Bangladesh while others opted to remain in Pakistan.

Post-1971

Thousands of East Pakistan Bengalis were living in West Pakistan before the 1971 war and Bangladeshi immigrants arrived in Pakistan right after their war against the same country. These Bengalis were Pakistan supporters, however, due to the political climate of the war they were not socially accepted or granted citizenship of Pakistan. By 1995, continuous migration of Bangladeshis crossed the 1,500,000 mark. During the administration of Prime Minister

Benazir Bhutto Benazir Bhutto (21 June 1953 – 27 December 2007) was a Pakistani politician who served as the 11th prime minister of Pakistan from 1988 to 1990, and again from 1993 to 1996. She was also the first woman elected to head a democratic governmen ...

, members of the political party became concerned with the large Bangladeshi migrant population, afraid they could become the second largest group in Karachi after the Muhajir people and disturb sensitive demographics. Crime was also becoming a rising concern. Accordingly, Bhutto ordered a crackdown and deportation of Bangladeshi immigrants. Benazir Bhutto's action strained and created tensions in Bangladesh–Pakistan relations, with Khaleda Zia, who was in power in

Dhaka Dhaka ( or ; , ), List of renamed places in Bangladesh, formerly known as Dacca, is the capital city, capital and list of cities and towns in Bangladesh, largest city of Bangladesh. It is one of the list of largest cities, largest and list o ...

during the time, refusing to accept the deportees and reportedly sending two planeloads back towards Pakistan and Muslim political parties in Pakistan criticising Bhutto and dubbing the crackdown as anti-Islamic. She was ultimately forced to abandon the order. In 2021, it was reported that over two million Bangladeshis illegally resided in Pakistan. The Bangladeshi government has refused to accept refugees because it is government policy to not accept citizens who left the country illegally. In 2024, the

Pakistan Rangers The Pakistan Rangers () are a pair of paramilitary federal law enforcement corps' in Pakistan. The two corps are the Punjab Rangers (operating in Punjab province with headquarters in Lahore) and the Sindh Rangers (operating in Sindh province w ...

caught at least one Bangladeshi crossing into the country illegally from the eastern border.

Demographics

According to Shaikh Muhammad Feroze, chairman of the Pakistani Bengali Action Committee, over 200 settlements of Bengali-speaking people exist in Pakistan (mainly in

) of which 132 are in Karachi while other smaller communities exist in Thatta, Badin,

Hyderabad Hyderabad is the capital and largest city of the Indian state of Telangana. It occupies on the Deccan Plateau along the banks of the Musi River (India), Musi River, in the northern part of Southern India. With an average altitude of , much ...

, Tando Adam and

Lahore Lahore ( ; ; ) is the capital and largest city of the Administrative units of Pakistan, Pakistani province of Punjab, Pakistan, Punjab. It is the List of cities in Pakistan by population, second-largest city in Pakistan, after Karachi, and ...

. There are numerous Bengali colonies in Karachi, often called "Little Bangladesh" (or East Pakistan Colony in memorandum), such as Machar Colony, Musa Colony and Chittagong Colony. Colorful Bengali signboards, Bhashani caps,

lungi The lungi is a clothing similar to the sarong that originated in the Indian subcontinent. The lungi, which usually multicoloured, is a men's skirt usually tied around the lower waist below the navel. It can be worn as casual wear and night wear. ...

s and

kurta A ''kurta'' is a loose collarless shirt or tunic worn in many regions of South Asia, (subscription required) Quote: "A loose shirt or tunic worn by men and women." Quote: "Kurta: a loose shirt without a collar, worn by women and men from South ...

s are often seen in these areas of Karachi and remain unique. The Chittagong Colony has a

bazaar A bazaar or souk is a marketplace consisting of multiple small Market stall, stalls or shops, especially in the Middle East, the Balkans, Central Asia, North Africa and South Asia. They are traditionally located in vaulted or covered streets th ...

, which is famous throughout Pakistan as the center for Dhaka cloth. In more recent times, the Bengali population has seen a decline as the journey from Bangladesh is dangerous and crosses the tense India-Pakistan border. Furthermore, given the tense ethnic rivalries and lack of social acceptance in Pakistan, Bengalis have now been migrating elsewhere. Instances of Bengali Pakistanis being denied access to essential public services, such as hospitals and clinics, are frequently reported. Several cases have emerged where Bengalis, despite possessing official Pakistani National Identity Cards (NIC), were rejected by hospitals and denied medical assistance solely due to their Bengali heritage.

Notable people

* Khwaja Hassan Askari, the last Nawab of Dhaka * Muhammad Mahmood Alam,

flying ace A flying ace, fighter ace or air ace is a military aviation, military aviator credited with shooting down a certain minimum number of enemy aircraft during aerial combat; the exact number of aerial victories required to officially qualify as an ...

Pakistan Air Force The Pakistan Air Force (PAF) (; ) is the aerial warfare branch of the Pakistan Armed Forces, tasked primarily with the aerial defence of Pakistan, with a secondary role of providing air support to the Pakistan Army and Pakistan Navy when re ...

most famous for his service and numerous kills in Indo-Pak Wars * Sarfaraz Ahmed Rafiqui, Pakistani fighter pilot * Khwaja Khairuddin, a Pakistani politician * Khwaja Shahabuddin, a Pakistani politician and diplomat * Khwaja Zakiuddin, Pakistani aristocrat and statesman * Khwaja Habibullah, the penultimate Nawab of Dhaka * Muhammad Ali Bogra, Pakistani politician who served as Pakistan's third prime minister (1953–55) and also as foreign minister (1954–55 and 1962–63) * Alamgir, a popular Pakistani pop singer in the 1970s and 80s, known as founder of pop in Pakistan * Hassan Jahangir, famous Pakistani popstar and singer of Hawa Hawa. Born in Karachi to Bengali parents * Robin Ghosh, Pakistani music composer and playback singer * Shabnam, one of Pakistan's most popular actresses * Rahman, one of Pakistan's most popular actors, famously paired with Shabnam * Runa Laila, singer who later moved back to Bangladesh * Shahnaz Rahmatullah, singer who sang Pakistan's two most popular patriotic songs ''Jeevay Jeevay Pakistan'' and ''Sohni Dharti.'' Later moved back to Bangladesh * Munni Begum, a Pakistani ghazal singer * Nurul Amin, a jurist who served as

prime minister of Pakistan The prime minister of Pakistan (, Roman Urdu, romanized: Wazīr ē Aʿẓam , ) is the head of government of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan. Executive authority is vested in the prime minister and his chosen Cabinet of Pakistan, cabinet, desp ...

A. K. Fazlul Huq Abul Kasem Fazlul Huq (26 October 1873 – 27 April 1962), popularly known as Sher-e-Bangla, was a Bengalis, Bengali lawyer and politician who served as the first and longest Prime Minister of Bengal, prime minister of Bengal during the Britis ...

, Pakistani lawyer and politician who was Chief Minister of East Bengal 1954, Interior Minister 1955–56, Governor of East Pakistan 1956–58 * Habibullah Bahar Chowdhury, a politician, journalist and sportsman * Hamidul Huq Choudhury, Pakistani politician, lawyer, and newspaper proprietor who served as Foreign Minister 1955–56 * Golam Wahed Choudhury, Pakistani political scientist and diplomat * Maulvi Tamizuddin Khan, Pakistani politician who served as second and fourth Speaker of the Pakistani National Assembly * Abdul Wahab Khan, Pakistani politician who served as third Speaker of the National Assembly * Fazlul Qadir Chaudhry, Pakistani politician who served as 5th Speaker of the National Assembly * Abdul Jabbar Khan, Pakistani politician who served as 6th Speaker of the National Assembly and as Acting President of Pakistan in 1965 and 1969 * Abdullah al Mahmood, Pakistani politician and lawyer *

Roopa Farooki Roopa Farooki is a British novelist and medical doctor. Born in Lahore, she lives between France and Great Britain. Her first novel, ''Bitter Sweets'', was shortlisted for the 2007 Orange Award for New Writers. Early life and education Farooki ...

– British writer (half Pakistani, half Bangladeshi) * Tariq Fatemi, a Pakistani diplomat who serves as the Special Assistant to the prime minister of Pakistan on Foreign Affairs, and previously served as Pakistan Ambassador to the United States and to the European Union * Zaib-un-Nissa Hamidullah, feminist writer * Altaf Husain, a

Pakistan Movement The Pakistan Movement was a religiopolitical and social movement that emerged in the early 20th century as part of a campaign that advocated the creation of an Islamic state in parts of what was then British Raj. It was rooted in the two-nation the ...

activist and founding editor and the first editor-in-chief of ''

Dawn Dawn is the time that marks the beginning of twilight before sunrise. It is recognized by the diffuse sky radiation, appearance of indirect sunlight being Rayleigh scattering, scattered in Earth's atmosphere, when the centre of the Sun's disc ha ...

'' * Shaista Suhrawardy Ikramullah, a prominent Pakistani female politician, diplomat and author *

Naz Ikramullah Naz Ikramullah Ashraf (née Naz Ikramullah) is a British-Canadian artist and film producer of Pakistani-Bengali origin. Background Ikramullah was born in London, England to a Muslim family. Her father, Mohammed Ikramullah, later became the ...

, British-Canadian artist and film producer of Pakistani-Bengali origin * Sarvath Ikramullah, Jordanian royal and wife of Prince Hassan bin Talal who is of Pakistani-Bengali origin * Shahida Jamil, is a Pakistani lawyer and politician * Begum Akhtar Riazuddin, feminist activist * Perween Rahman, Pakistani social activist *

Iskander Mirza Iskander Ali Mirza (13 November 189913 November 1969) was a Bengali politician, statesman and military general who served as the Dominion of Pakistan's fourth and last governor-general of Pakistan from 1955 to 1956, and then as the Islamic Repub ...

, a politician who served as the first

President of Pakistan The president of Pakistan () is the head of state of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan. The president is the nominal head of the executive and the supreme commander of the Pakistan Armed Forces.

* Indu Mitha, is a Pakistani exponent of

Bharatnatyam ''Bharatanatyam'' is a Indian classical dance form that came from Tamil Nadu, India. It is a classical dance form recognized by the Sangeet Natak Akademi, and expresses South Indian religious themes and spiritual ideas of Hinduism and Jain ...

and faculty member at the National College of Arts * Deebo Bhattacharya, musician, painter, and singer * Satya Prakash Singha, Pakistani politician *

Jogendra Nath Mandal Jogendranath Mandal ( Bengali: যোগেন্দ্রনাথ মন্ডল; 29 January 1904 – 5 October 1968) emerged as a prominent figure among the architects of the nascent state of Pakistan. He served as the inaugural Minister of ...

, Pakistani politician, later returned to India * Bhupendra Kumar Dutta, revolutionary and politician * Ashraf Tai, pioneer of Bando karate in Pakistan * Fazlul Karim, politician, lawyer, businessman, and soldier who served as Cox's Bazars Mayor in the 1950s * Mohammad Akram Khan, Islamic scholar, politician, and journalist * Sir

Khawaja Nazimuddin Sir Khawaja Nazimuddin (19 July 1894 – 22 October 1964), also spelled Khwaja Nazimuddin, was a Pakistani politician and statesman who served as the second Governor-General of Pakistan from 1948 to 1951, and later as the second Prime Minister ...

, a conservative Pakistani politician and statesman who served as the 2nd prime minister of Pakistan * Sir Abdur Rahim, jurist and Islamic author who participated in the

* Jalaludin Abdur Rahim, Nietzschean philosopher and one of the founders of the influential

Pakistan People's Party The Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) is a political party in Pakistan and one of the three major Pakistani political parties alongside the Pakistan Muslim League (N) and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf. With a centre-left political position, it is cu ...

* Hamoodur Rahman, a jurist who served as the

Chief Justice of Pakistan The chief justice of Pakistan ( initials as CJP; , ''Munsif-e-Āzam Pākistān'') is the chief judge of the Supreme Court of Pakistan and is the highest-ranking officer of the Pakistani judiciary. The Federal Court of Pakistan was establis ...

* Hameedur Rahman, a senior judge of the Supreme Court of Pakistan * Syed Sajjad Hussain, academic, writer, and Pakistan Movement activist *

Muhammad Qudrat-i-Khuda Muhammad Qudrat-A-Khuda (1 December 1900 – 3 November 1977) was a Bangladeshi Organic chemistry, organic chemist, educationist and writer. He is most notable for publishing ''Qudrat-a-Khuda Education Commission Report'' in 1973 as a chairman ...

, Pakistani-Bangladeshi chemist * Abdus Salam Chatgami, Islamic scholar and former Grand Mufti of

Jamia Uloom-ul-Islamia Jamia Uloom-ul-Islamia (, ''Jāmiā Ulūm-i Islāmīyā'' / , ''Jāmi‘at-ul-‘Ulūm-ul-Islāmīyah'') is an Islamic University in Binori Town, Banoori Town, Karachi, Pakistan. The university continues the tradition of the Darul Uloom system ...

* Abdul Monem Khan, governor of East Pakistan 1962–69 * Abdul Motaleb Malik, politician who was the last civilian governor of East Pakistan * Mawlana Abdur Rahim, Islamic scholar, politician, Ameer of Jamaat-e-Islami East Pakistan, and Naib Ameer of Jamaat-e-Islami Pakistan * Ghulam Azam, politician and Ameer of Jamaat-e-Islami East Pakistan and Jamaat-e-Islami Bangladesh, later returned to Bangladesh. * Motiur Rahman Nizami, Islamic scholar and politician who led the Islami Chhatro Shongho (student wing of JIEP) and was Ameer of Jamaat-e-Islami Bangladesh, later returned to Bangladesh * Chowdhury Mueen-Uddin, former Pakistani journalist and British Muslim leader * Ashrafuz Zaman Khan, former employee of Radio Pakistan and American Muslim leader * Yusuf Ali Chowdhury, Pakistani politician * Najma Sadeque, journalist, author, and women's rights activist * Ikram Sehgal, defence analyst * Abul Hassan Isphani, Pakistani politician and diplomat * Farahnaz Ispahani, Pakistani-American writer and politician *

Huseyn Shaheed Suhrawardy Huseyn Shaheed Suhrawardy (8 September 18925 December 1963) was an East Pakistani barrister, politician and statesman who served as the Prime Minister of Pakistan from 1956 to 1957 and before that as the Prime Minister of Bengal from 1946 to ...

, a politician who served as

* Hasan Shaheed Suhrawardy,

polyglot Multilingualism is the use of more than one language, either by an individual speaker or by a group of speakers. When the languages are just two, it is usually called bilingualism. It is believed that multilingual speakers outnumber monolin ...

scholar and diplomat, brother of the former *

Begum Akhtar Sulaiman Begum Akhtar Sulaiman (née Akhtar Jahan Suhrawardy) (1922–1982) was a Pakistani-Bengali social worker, political activist and the daughter of Huseyn Shaheed Suhrawardy Huseyn Shaheed Suhrawardy (8 September 18925 December 1963) was an ...

, Pakistani social worker, political activist and the daughter of Huseyn Shaheed Suhrawardy * Mahmud Ali, Pakistani politician * Abdul Matin Chaudhary, Pakistani politician and journalist * Ajmal Ali Choudhury, Pakistani politician * Mahbub Jamal Zahedi, Pakistani journalist and philatelist * Parvez Mir, Pakistani cricketer and TV anchor * Mohammad Sajjad Alam, Pakistani-American physicist * Mohammad Shahid Alam, economist, academic, and social scientist * Nighat Seema, Pakistani singer * Ahsan Ali Taj, Pakistani musician, songwriter, and singer * Tina Sani, Pakistani singer * Muslehuddin, Pakistani composer

References

External links

Bangladeshi Students Association of Pakistan
{{Bangladesh–Pakistan relations Pakistani people of Bangladeshi descent,

Muhajir communities Refugees in Pakistan