Present-day Bangladesh and the Indian state of West Bengal were once the province of Bengal during British rule. The colonial government under Viceroy Lord Curzon decided to split the province in two, the east comprising a Muslim majority and the west comprising a Hindu majority. Indian nationalists came out in protest against what was seen as divide and rule policy. The decision was later reversed after sustained Indian pressure in 1911.

A Muslim mass gathering in Dhaka in favour of the partition of Bengal, 1906.

Source: The Sphere, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

For many Muslims, the move was seen in a positive light as it meant greater political agency in a region where Hindus had greater socio-economic status and power. The issue of minority representation became more acute as Britain implemented political reforms that gave Indians more say in their own affairs.