Index: Of Ittefaq

I. Introduction to the Index The Index of Ittefaq serves as a systematic finding aid for one of the most influential Urdu-language newspapers in South Asia — the Daily Ittefaq (দৈনিক ইত্তেফাক), founded in 1953 by the legendary journalist and political leader Maulana Abdul Hamid Khan Bhashani, and later nurtured by Tofazzal Hossain Manik Miah. This index is an essential tool for historians, political scientists, linguists, and journalists seeking to navigate decades of reporting on the Bengal region, particularly East Pakistan (pre-1971) and Bangladesh (post-1971).

The index is structured to provide access not only by date and headline but also by subject, person, place, event, and editorial stance, reflecting the newspaper’s unique role as both a chronicler and a shaper of history. Ittefaq (meaning "unity" or "accord" in Arabic/Urdu) began publication from Nawabpur Road, Old Dhaka. It quickly became the voice of Bengali nationalism, economic justice, and linguistic rights during the Pakistani regime. Its pages documented the Language Movement (1952), the rise of the Awami League, the Six-Point Movement (1966), the 1970 general elections, and the Bangladesh Liberation War (1971).