Bangladesh Provisional Handstamped Overprint on Pakistan Stamps

Bangladesh · 1971 · Various

This is a provisional issue created during the Bangladesh Liberation War. Existing stocks of Pakistani definitive and commemorative stamps were overprinted by hand with a rubber stamp reading 'BANGLA DESH' in English. These handstamps were applied locally across various post offices, resulting in significant variations in ink, placement, and clarity.

Issued in the immediate aftermath of the declaration of independence in 1971, these overprints served as the first postage stamps of the new nation before official designs could be printed.