By
Sajjad Shaukat
Bangladesh’s Prime
Minister Sheikh Hasina Wajid and her ruling party Awami League have
continuously been pursuing Indian directions by conducting anti-Pakistan
campaign. Therefore, after passing of 42 years to the events of 1971, which
resulted into the separation of East Pakistan, Abdul Qadir was hanged because
of his loyalty to Pakistan.
In connivance with New
Delhi, Bangladesh government and Awami League have launched a massive media
campaign in order to spread venom against Pakistan, its armed forces,
Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) and against all those Bangladeshi nationals
who were loyal to the state during 1971 crisis.
People of Pakistan have
shared moments of happiness and sorrows with the people of Bangladesh. The
tragedy of dismemberment of East Pakistan was aimed at creating a compliant
country through India trained and financed terrorists (Mukti Bahini) who had
killed thousands of Pakistanis in cold blooded activities. In this connection,
while addressing a ceremony during his Bangladesh tour, Indian Prime Minister
Narendra Modi openly stated on June 7, 2015 that Indian forces helped Mukti
Bahini (terrorists) to turn East Pakistan into Bangladesh. He elaborated that
former prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee had played an active role in
separating Bangladesh from Pakistan, and he had also come to Delhi in 1971 to participate
in the Satyagraha Movement, launched by Jana Sangh as a volunteer to garner
support for the Mukti Bahini members.
Indian yearning came to
a grinding halt when people of Bangladesh consolidated as a sovereign nation.
The unfathomable desires of people of both the countries to maintain kinship
and cherish their social and spiritual bonds were perceived as a failure of
1971 Indian proxy in East Pakistan.
It is notable that
Indian leadership by exploiting the concerns of Bangladesh Army over the raising
of “Jatiyo Rakhi Bahini” (National vanguards) in 1972 once again created
volatility in Bangladesh by patronizing the killing of Sheikh Mujeeb-ur-Rehman.
The supplementary purpose of this depressing incident was “to make 1974
tripartite agreement dormant”. To further keep the people of Bangladesh in
desolation, fueling the hatred and creating extremism in the society, Sheikh
Hassina Wajid was incorporated into the Bangladesh Politics. Since then through
devious judicial trials, she has been executing elderly opposing politicians
and as an extension of her personal and political vindictive posture by
manipulating the fateful 1971 event to further the Indian interests. Turmoil,
so shaped continues to haunt people of Bangladesh, as she is refusing olive branch
offered by people of Pakistan.
Ironically, Awami
League’s purported nationalism is based on fabricated figures about the killing
of three million Bengali people in 1971. Sheikh Mujib uttered this figure
during an interview with the British broadcaster, David Frost. It was not
authenticated by independent researchers or international institutions. During
the conflict, only two division of Pakistan’s Army with limited small weapons
was deployed in East Pakistan and it has no motivation to kill so many people
in such a short conflict being fought in unfavorable operational situation.
Nevertheless, genocide
committed by Indian trained terrorists in East Pakistan cannot be ruled out.
Awami League’s delusions, under Sheikh Hasina’s are expected to create grave
problems for Bangladesh. The growing discontent in the country over
authoritarian and vindictive rule of Awami League vis-à-vis antagonistic
approach towards Pakistan is causing a division in Bangladeshi society.
Now, the situation is
turning bleak as foreign investments are evaporating and unemployment is
multiplying. The growing socio-economic degeneration is causing discontent
suiting the terrorist outfits like ISIS (Daesh). Their financers are taking
full advantage to recruit the combat terrorists and train them in contiguous
Indian area for further insertion in various regions. Its fallouts in
Bangladesh are evident. Western media has reported about presence of ISIS in
Bangladesh. In the recent past, two foreigners were shot, while a Shia gathering
was targeted in the country. Extremist groups like Ansarullah Bangla Team (ABT)
and Jamaat-ul-Mujahideen Bangladesh have established affinities with ISIS and
are very active these days. Some of the Western countries even advised their
citizen not to travel to the country.
It is optimistically
suggested to Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and other leaders of Awami League
that without indulging into a blame game, creation of Bangladesh may be
acknowledged as one of the most tragic chapters in the history of Pakistan—tragedies
test the resilience of the nations to survive and progress. Towards this end,
Sheikh Mujeeb-ur-Rehman has signed an agreement in 1974 so that past shall not
over-ride the present and future relations with Pakistan. Living in past sends
the message of hopelessness, leadership must rise to the occasion and guide the
nation towards integration and prosperity.
Pakistan’s eagerness in
fostering good relations with Bangladesh can be gauged from huge investments in
Bangladesh by Pakistani traders. These investments could further increase, if,
government of Bangladesh offers and ensures a conducive atmosphere.
Bengalis must know that
in the backdrop of Modi’s statement, role of India in dismemberment of Pakistan
through state sponsored terrorism (insertion of Mukti Bahni) and Indian support
to separatist elements in Pakistan’s province of Baluchistan has already been
exposed, as Islamabad has recently presented solid evidence to the UN and the
US in this respect.
India’s deliberate
intervention in fomenting trouble in united Pakistan was in contravention to
article-4 of UN Charter. Moreover, memoirs of then Indian Foreign Minister
Manekshaw indicate that the former Indian Prime Minister Indra Gandhi had
revealed her intents to scheme for dismemberment of Pakistan in April 1971.
Besides, world must take
notice of Indian interventionist and hegemonic policies vis-à-vis her
neighbors. India occupied Sikkim, subdued Bhutan, sponsored terrorism in Sri
Lanka and is now teasing Nepal, while, based in Afghanistan, Indian secret
agency RAW is still sending militants in Pakistan in order to destabilize this
country.
Nonetheless, while
rectifying the historical record regarding the events of 1971, government of
Bangladesh must mention that two Divisions of army (20000, which latter grew to
34000) operating in adverse environment has no motivation to go on civilian killing
spree. It must know that if total number of troops was 34000, then how come the
much publicized figure of 93,000 troops is true?
In this context, as
regards to so-called genocide of the Bengali people, a famous Bengali
journalist Sarmila Bose authored a book, “Dead Reckoning: Memories of the 1971
Bangladesh War” after thorough investigation. She terms the number, a
gigantic rumor, while Hamoodur Rahman Commission Report considers
even 26,000 as an exaggerated figure. Richard Sisson and Leo E. Rose in book
titled “War and Secession: Pakistan, India and the Creation of Bangladesh” and
Gary Bass in his book “The Blood Telegram” clearly admit that figures
about so-called genocide were Indian purported.
Reality is that Indian
sponsored terrorist outfit Mukti Bahini created mayhem—carried out most of the
destruction and killings in East Pakistan, which were propagated through media
as well as diplomatic channels as atrocities of Pak Army. And many Pakistani
were subjected to excesses by Mukti Bahini/Sheikh Mujib activists. Some Bengali
sources admitted to have killed 30,000 to 40,000 West Pakistanis during the
conflict. The US Consul estimated that up to 66,000 non-Bengalis were killed.
Awami League-India nexus
has once again engulfed Bangladesh in the shape of Sheikh Hasina Wajid who has
unleashed a reign of terror in the country. Resultantly, disappointment and
dissatisfaction of the opposition parties, civil society, sensible media
persons etc. is growing and the foreign investment is evaporating and economy
has slowed down. Shaikh Hasina’s incumbent term as prime minister is illegal,
as the opposition alliance had boycotted 2014 general elections.
Unprecedented
unemployment and poverty are being manipulated to recruit combat terrorists and
train them in India. Emergence of ISIS in Bangladesh shall be worrisome for
international community. As India has been attempting to exploit ISIS in
Afghanistan to counterweight Taliban and growing economic activity of China,
and ISIS Bangladesh chapter is likely to be exploited to counter Chinese
entrance in Bangladesh.
People of Bangladesh may
identify their real enemies which are India and Awami League which are creating
conditions for break up of Pakistan and has made Pakistanis and Bengalis to
fight with each other. Now, they are again active to promote pro-Indian
feelings through Awami League and Sheikh Hasina’s government and gag the
opposition, so that it can be turned into a fully compliant state.
Nevertheless, as part of old anti-Pakistan campaign, Awami League
conceals facts about the dismemberment of Pakistan.
Sajjad Shaukat writes
regularly for Opinion Maker. He writes on international affairs and is author
of the book: US vs Islamic Militants, Invisible Balance of Power: Dangerous
Shift in International Relations
Email:
sajjad_logic@yahoo.com
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