Bangabandhu renamed East Pakistan as Bangladesh on this day
One of the lesser-known days in the History of Bangladesh is 5 December, as the day marks the first time the word 'Bangladesh' replaced 'East Pakistan' unofficially by Father of the nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman.
On 5 December in 1969, Bangabandhu made a declaration naming the then East Pakistan as Bangladesh at a discussion arranged by Awami League in the capital marking the death anniversary of Huseyn Shaheed Suhrawardy.
The incident is mentioned on page 274 of the book 'Karagarer Rojnamcha' written by Bangabandhu. It reads, "...on behalf of the people, I am announcing that from today, the name of the eastern province of Pakistan will be Bangladesh only instead of East Pakistan."
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The news of the announcement was subsequently published in newspapers the following day and was spread nationwide.
And after a nine-month-long Liberation War, Bangladesh became independent on December 16 in 1971.
