As tension between Hindus and Muslims kept mounting, one Muslim Movement activist Choudhry Rahmat Ali coined name Pakistan in January 1933 suggesting separate country for the community out of British India enunciating Two Nation Theory later propagated both by Muhammad Ali Jinnah and Allama Iqbal for creation of Pakistan. The partition of country into India and Pakistan led to the world’s largest forced migration of millions of people to leave their homes to move to the other country with avoidable blood-shed, communal dis-harmony, economic, social, cultural disasters and Kashmir conflict forever.
We all are aware that India and Pakistan have gone through numerous wars and the 1971 War led to dismemberment of East Pakistan becoming as new independent country of Bangladesh, burying Jinnah’s Two Nation Theory forever as apart religion, the two did not share anything with different languages, culture, distances and politics of conflict, the mistrust led to Bengali brethren’s genocide, dismembering Pakistan and creation of independent young nation of Bangladesh and the Father of the Nation, Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, the architect of the independent Bangladesh became its first prime minister (PM). He was killed in carnage on 15 Aug 1975 at his residence in Dhaka by a group of Army personnel. Bangladesh has gone though many upheavals and Sheikh Hasina having re-mobilized her late father’s Awami League (AL), played crucial role in ending General Ershad’s military rule and six years later, defeated Bangladesh Nationalist Party ( BNP) of Khaleda Zia and became the PM of the country for the first time in 2009.
Under Sheikh Hasina’s rule country’s GDP increased and even surpassed its erstwhile master (West) Pakistan and so did relations with India much to the dislike of many within and outside the country. But corruption, lack of opportunities to survive and progress for the poors, soaring inflation, high unemployment, bribes, money laundering, nepotism, government ministers and bureaucrats being bogged in numerous scandals led to wide protests in the country, which was further sparked by 30% quota in jobs for the families of freedom fighters of 1971 liberation war. Suppression of dissent and arrests of human rights activists, opposition, intellectuals and journslists had grown manifolds. While initially the students led peaceful demonstrations and strikes, but Hasina’s addressing students as ‘Razakars’ ignited violence to grave ends. The Awami League’s armed wing, the Bangladesh Chhatra League attacked protestors with weapons further escalating and aggravating violent protests. With no support of the powerful army, closing down of all the educational institutions, offices and total non-cooperation movement by the population, over 400 killings and long march of thousands of protestors to gherao PM Hasina in her official residence in Dacca, forced her to flee on 5 Aug 2024 to India. Hasina blames opposition BNP, Jammat-e-Islami (JeI) fundamentalists, Mohajirs, Razakars besides some foreign countries including China, the US and Pakistan for the debacle. It is believed Pakistan's ISI Brigadier in Pakistani High Commission in Dacca distributed money to student leaders, fundamentalists and dissidents exposing poor intelligence and internal security management with in the country and massive atrocities, rapes and killings of Hindus and burning of their temples and houses, creating fear psychosis in them to escape illegally to India. The Interim care taking government under noble laureate Muhammad Yunus accepting the role of Chief Advisor is very cool towards India and very hostile towards Hasina but considered very close to the US and EU, who with the support of the powerful army, has formed interim government of mix of student leaders, bureaucrats and technocrats as advisors, with much anger over India sheltering Hasina. In Oct 2006 Yunus was awarded Nobel Peace Prize, along with Grameen Bank, for their efforts to create economic and social development in Bangladesh. He has won a number of other awards, including the Ramon Magsaysay Award, the World Food Prize and the Sydney Peace Prize. Sheikh Hasina removed him from the Grameen Bank over allegations of violations of labour law, corruption, and money laundering and launched series of court cases against him. Yusuf carries it in his heart deeply and with sheltering Hasina, Yusuf’s relations with Modi are less sweet and more sour.
Like Pakistan, military has ruled Bangladesh often but it remains to be seen whether it will hand over full authority to Yunus and when fair general elections are held. Long political uncertainty, strikes and military curfews have slowed down the economy and garment production and Bangladesh is in a real mess seeking economic bail out from the US, IMF, EU, China and oil rich Muslim countries in the Middle-east.
In a few weeks from now, Bangladesh will celebrate the 53rd anniversary of its liberation from Pakistan BUT sadly with obliterating statues of the country’s founding father all over the country, Sheikh Mujibur Rahman and ousting of the AL popular leader and Mujib’s daughter from the power. Though, Pakistan has never apologized atrocities committed on its East Pakistani Bengali brethren, surprisingly, relations between Pakistan and Bangladesh have improved over the decades. Sheikh Hasina and Imran Khan were known to exchange pleasantries to improve bilateral relations as neighbouring countries that were one country till December 1971 liberation war.
Many JeI fundamentalists in both Pakistan and Bangladesh spread rumours stating that the 1971 War that Pakistan lost against India was as an Indian conspiracy to divide Pakistan. It is strange that Bangladesh which till now had been seeking apology from Pakistan over war crimes, rapes and genocides, again feels that common religious binding brings two counties closer which culturally and linguistically are opposite bd will always be far apart.
In the erstwhile East Pakistan, Urdu was imposed as national language by Pakistan in 1952 Language Movement leading to revolt and liberation of Bangladesh in December 1971. Surprisingly, Urdu resonated in Bengali speaking Bangladesh on Jinnah’s death anniversary on 11 September 2024 after ouster of Hasina!
Thousands of Hindus are protesting in Bangladesh demanding end to attacks on minorities and death and destruction of their temples and properties and human rights violations that are going on unabated despite Chief Advisor Yunus assurances.
According to Times of India (TOI) dated 15 September 2024, the recent attacks on Hindus who escaped religious violence in Bangladesh in the past and are struggling to obtain legal recognition in India. The Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) is the only hope that keeps them going in these shelter homes. Many Bangladeshi Hindus agitate wanting India to open its borders for Bangladeshi Hindus to migrate to India. With recent political upheavals in Bangladesh and so in the past, there is large influx of illegal immigrants to India in recent decades adversely affecting our economic, social, and security implications. The Sufi shrines are also being attacked in Bangladesh as they are contrary to fundamentalists’ practices while Yusuf’s interim government states its commitment to protect minorities’ while speed of normalcy returning is awfully slow and painful.
Till 1947 India and Pakistan were one country under British India. Likewise Pakistanis and Bangladeshis were one Pakistani citizens till 1971. There are many Bangladeshis who are still sympathizers of Pakistan because of past association and also because both are Muslims. With changed times, what in 1971 divided the country is bringing them closer to each other. So there are no permanent friends BUT permanent interests. Pakistan has announced a new visa policy under which many countries including Bangladesh, BUT NOT India, will be able to travel to Pakistan without visa fee.
It has been often seen that whenever there is a cricket or hockey match between India and Pakistan, Bangladesh invariably cheering Pakistan team and vice versa. But many Pakistanis over social media have often rejected union of Bangladesh and Pakistan and so have Bangladeshis with Pakistan exception being miniscule of JeI, Mohajirs and Rajakars residing both sides. It is the mind-set of the few Pakistanis doing such wishful thinking. Also, the Pakistan needs to see what it was doing closer home in Balochistan- East Pakistan like repetition of rapes and genocide of Baluchi people have not learnt lessons from the 1971 dismemberment.
Most Pakistanis don't have emotional attachment with Bangladesh. It is just another country that used to be part of us, post partition and that's all. With friendly and economically and militarily powerful secular India in between, Bangladesh's need for Pakistan is over. Some Pakistani has written in social media-
‘Pakistan regret the way East Pakistan got separation from the West Pakistan. We regret the way corrupt rulers of West Pakistan treated them and pushed them against the wall. We regret that our evil rulers denied their democratic rights to rule in 1971 when they won elections under the constitution of Pakistan. We forced them to secede from us. The worst of all was unnecessary bloodshed that occurred in East Pakistan.
The divorce between East and Pakistan was inevitable. But is turned out to be ugly, which resulted in the humiliating surrender in front of our archrival. All this would never happened had we learned to respect the democratic right of our East Pakistani brethren’.
Both countries are financially down and to revive economy have vast trade potential and while Pakistan is closer to China in the new equation, China would try bringing Bangladesh to its fold to surround and isolate India.
Pakistan and Bangladesh once one country have a few things common. Unlike India, both are not secular countries where democracy is rootless and not matured. Both have seen military coups, corruption, scams unemployment, poor health & educational conditions, human rights violation & exploitation of women and minorities.
Conclusion
It is too early to comprehend future of Bangladesh. World is watching which way the camel sits. Unlike India, the democracy in Pakistan, Sri Lanka Nepal, Bangladesh and Myanmar has not matured. Large poor population, lack of health and educational facilities, job opportunities, corruption and poverty elevation are the major issues that need priority attention. Many Pakistanis realise and believe that Bangladesh and Pakistan can never be one country all over again. Certainly, however, many people regret the parting of the ways, and especially how it came about.
India and Bangladesh are close strategic partners in counter-terrorism while both share a long international border and maritime boundary and exclusive economic zones. Although some disputes remain unresolved, and with recent political changes in Bangladesh, the relations between the two countries have been characterised as friendly. Trade, tourism and sharing of power and transportation of diesel to Bangladesh by pipe line from India, operation of to and fro bus and train services, cultural and students exchanges, have assured mutual dependency. India and Bangladesh share bonds of history, language, culture, and multitude of other commonalities. The excellent bilateral ties reflect an all-encompassing partnership based on sovereignty, equality, trust, and understanding that goes far beyond a strategic partnership. The partnership has strengthened, matured and evolved as a model for bilateral relations for the entire region and beyond.
The turmoil against Hasina though an internal matter of the country was so emotionally violent that younger generation of the Bengalis, born much after the liberation of East Pakistan from the clutches of West Pakistan dominated army and government, responsible for genocide of East Pakistan’s Bengali population, suddenly, after the fall of Hasina’s government, fond returning of old connectivity. Notwithstanding above, realistically not many intellectuals, statesmen, politicians, strategic thinkers and economists feel that the way Bangladesh was created out of hatred and genocide and parted away once forever, could ever be one again with Pakistan. Also, unlike two Vietnams or Germanys they are culturally and linguistically far apart and is in the interest of South Asia that they have good and close mutually beneficial relations as neighbouring countries for peace and prosperity of the South Asia.
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