Dhaka, March 25 -- Bangladesh did not suddenly appear in 1971. It was not created in a moment of crisis, nor born out of a single political decision. Rather, it emerged through a long and continuous historical process-shaped by geography, culture, power, resistance, and the enduring will of its people.

To understand Bangladesh, one must look beyond the immediate events of March 1971 and recognise a deeper truth: this was the culmination of a civilisational trajectory, not an accident of history.

Ancient Bengal existed as a distinct ecological and cultural space, defined by its riverine geography. The Ganges-Brahmaputra-Meghna basin provided fertile land that enabled early settlement and agricultural development. From around 4000-1500 BC...