I'm not going to troll you on history because, unlike Indians, I actually do respect your history (and I even like you bra). I'm just trolling due to certain Bangladeshi members are getting out of hand.
I still think Pakistan and Bangladesh should have been 2 countries as nothing really United us.
No, considering the politics of those days and people's sentiment, it was not possible to make two countries in 1947 on the basis of two-nation theory based on religion. Moreover, other than a few Vadera in the west, most of the population were not hating Bengali Muslims only because we are not as handsome as Pathan-Punjabis are. There was quite a goodwill for west Pakistanis in the east as well, especially for the Pathans.
Only your Vaderas and their scissions did not like east because here we had successfully abolished Zamindary system. They were fearing their own demise within the framework of united Pakistan once an east Pakistan-based party comes to power.
I do not think any leader in the east could have saved himself after uttering "Pakistan M*rdabad" in public. We both felt we were Pakistanis. Even, Mujib did not declare independence in his 7 March speech. Whatever may Hasina Bibi tells now, he actually finished his speech with "Joi Pakistan". It was a message for a united Pakistan.
In his speech, he also stated, "Janab Yahya Khan Sahab, you are the President of the country. Come and see what your Fouj are doing here". It was also a clear political message that his PAL will retain him as the President when it forms the govt. Actually, only a very limited few of his follower leaders were in favor of complete separation.
However, that Kazilbush Yahya Khan and ZA Bhutto made things easy for those PAL hawks.