The Creation of Bangladesh: Remedial Secession or Fait Accompli?

The paper, presented at the TWAIL Conference 2018 in Singapore, asks whether the creation of Bangladesh in 1971 was a remedial secession under the right of self-determination or a fait accompli of foreign military assistance.

The presentation argues for the first reading: ‘It qualified as an ideal, as ideal it can be, case for Remedial Secession under the contemporary norms regarding self-determination.’ It adds: ‘Most importantly, the continued reliance on the colonial territorial framework and prioritisation of territorial integrity are a mechanism employed to justify the continued denial of self-determination to the fourth world…’

The presentation’s last point ends: ‘It is problematic to assume that the West and the Westernised world is only capable of being a colonial power.’