Post by Jen B on Jun 29, 2014 2:21:37 GMT
Formerly part Pakistan (know as East Pakistan), Bangladesh gained its independence on December 16th 1971 after the Bangladesh Liberation War.
Until the first stamps for Bangladesh were printed and available, post offices overprinted "Bangladesh" on stamps of Pakistan.
Here are two examples. These are Pakistan SC# 160-161, 1962 WHO drive to eradicate malaria issue.
Seems odd to me that there would still be unused nine-year old stamps in the post offices for overprinting. So it makes me wonder if these are fakes.
The following stamp was part of a set of 15 stamps designed as the first issue of Bangladesh that was rejected by Bangladesh officials and never issued.
Banglapedia has an interesting article on the stamps of Bangladesh.
This site has this to say about the overprints:
Some districts bordering India were liberated before 16 December and the head post offices in these districts started functioning immediately. For example, the jessore Head Post Office started functioning on 8 December and since no Bangladesh stamps were available, the postmaster in charge overprinted nine stamps of Pakistan available at his stock and put them on public use. The DG, Bangladesh Post Office banned the circulation of these stamps on 4 February 1972.
...
On 19 December 1971, a circular was issued to all post offices at descending levels to use their own initiative in making and using rubber stamp to impress on all postage stamps and postal stationary available at their disposal. This was in line with a general government handout that instructed all offices to strike out the word Pakistan from all printed papers, signboards and names wherever applicable and replace it by Bangladesh. The postal authority realised that, it was impractical to instruct about specific or common design, type size of the rubber stamp and colour of prints to be used. The designs of the rubber stamps varied considerably. Colours used were different, but the most common was violet. Green and red colours were also used in some places. The postmark ink supplied by the post office was black. The use of such rubber-print stamps was allowed until an order on 7 April 1973 was issued to effect the ban on their circulation since 30 April 1973, the date when a set of 14 value stamps, namely, lp, 2p, 3p, 5p, 10p, 20p, 25p, 50p, 60p, 75p, 90p, Tk 1, Tk 2, Tk 5, and Tk10 were issued. This was the first regular set of postage stamps issued and circulated all over Bangladesh after the independence.
Until the first stamps for Bangladesh were printed and available, post offices overprinted "Bangladesh" on stamps of Pakistan.
Here are two examples. These are Pakistan SC# 160-161, 1962 WHO drive to eradicate malaria issue.
Seems odd to me that there would still be unused nine-year old stamps in the post offices for overprinting. So it makes me wonder if these are fakes.
The following stamp was part of a set of 15 stamps designed as the first issue of Bangladesh that was rejected by Bangladesh officials and never issued.
Banglapedia has an interesting article on the stamps of Bangladesh.
This site has this to say about the overprints:
Some districts bordering India were liberated before 16 December and the head post offices in these districts started functioning immediately. For example, the jessore Head Post Office started functioning on 8 December and since no Bangladesh stamps were available, the postmaster in charge overprinted nine stamps of Pakistan available at his stock and put them on public use. The DG, Bangladesh Post Office banned the circulation of these stamps on 4 February 1972.
...
On 19 December 1971, a circular was issued to all post offices at descending levels to use their own initiative in making and using rubber stamp to impress on all postage stamps and postal stationary available at their disposal. This was in line with a general government handout that instructed all offices to strike out the word Pakistan from all printed papers, signboards and names wherever applicable and replace it by Bangladesh. The postal authority realised that, it was impractical to instruct about specific or common design, type size of the rubber stamp and colour of prints to be used. The designs of the rubber stamps varied considerably. Colours used were different, but the most common was violet. Green and red colours were also used in some places. The postmark ink supplied by the post office was black. The use of such rubber-print stamps was allowed until an order on 7 April 1973 was issued to effect the ban on their circulation since 30 April 1973, the date when a set of 14 value stamps, namely, lp, 2p, 3p, 5p, 10p, 20p, 25p, 50p, 60p, 75p, 90p, Tk 1, Tk 2, Tk 5, and Tk10 were issued. This was the first regular set of postage stamps issued and circulated all over Bangladesh after the independence.
