16 June 2011

UNESCO Campaign - Pakistan overprinted Bangladesh

  
Pakistan stamps overprinted BANGLADESH

These types of stamps exist in different varieties, printed in English and/or Bengali and with different colour inks.  I have not found them in catalogues but came across an interesting discussion on the subject on a collectors' forum.  A short extract is reproduced below:
"Immediately after the establishment of Bangladesh's Government , the post office could not afford printing new stamps for Bangladesh. Instead, they overprinted Pakistani stamps and postal stationery with the new country name "BANGLADESH" (valid March 26, 1971 until April 30, 1973).
The overprints were in English only - see
http://homepage3.nifty.com/~mariamma/tak-p11i.jpg and http://www.malariastamps.com/images/Pakistan/160_HandStamp2_z_z.jpghttp://www.malariastamps.com/images/Pakistan/160_HandStamp2_z_z.jpg ; in both English and Bengali letters - see http://www.malariastamps.com/images/Pakistan/160_HandStamp4_z_z.jpg ; and in Bengali letters only.
In the latter half of 1972, new Bangladeshi stamps were provided to post offices in the country. As a result, in 1973, Pakistani stamps, even with "BANGLADESH" overprints, became invalid throughout Bangladesh. (...)There were 14 former eastern districts plus a few others and all issued their own handstamps. I guess, that when order was restored and regular stamps were issued, they threw away the overprint devices and thus no combined record of who or where had that particular handstamp seems to exist."  (www.collectingbanter.com).

A great source of information - though unofficial - can be found here (www.paperheritage.co.uk).  

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