Growing Pakistan-Bangladesh schism

By Moonis Ahmar

Forty-six years after the disintegration of Pakistan and the creation of Bangladesh, historical facts continue to be a source of discord between the two countries.

Apart from Afghanistan and India, Bangladesh is another country in South Asia whose relations with Pakistan are not friendly and normal. Recent schism in Pakistan-Bangladesh relations occurred when on October 31 Pakistan High Commissioner Rafiuzzaman Siddiqui was summoned in Bangladesh Foreign Ministry and handed over a strong protest note in which Dhaka demanded that Islamabad tender a formal apology over sharing a video post on the High Commission face book in which it was claimed that Ziaur Rehman and not Mujibur Rehman had declared the independence of Bangladesh. The controversial video also claimed that Mujibur Rehman only wanted autonomy and not independence from Pakistan.

The handing of a protest note to the Pakistan Higher Commissioner in Dhaka was counterproductive because on November 2, the Bangladeshi Higher Commissioner in Islamabad Tariq Ahsan was summoned by Director General South Asia, Ministry of Foreign Affairs in which it was made it clear to him that Islamabad will not tender an apology as demanded by Bangladesh and that Pakistan High Commission in Dhaka had not uploaded controversial video on its face book. Islamabad also strongly protested over undiplomatic language used in the protest note handed over by the Bangladeshi Ministry of Foreign Affairs to the Pakistan High Commissioner.

Reportedly, the protest note by Bangladesh stated that, “nothing can be farthest from the truth than claiming that the architect of independent Bangladesh and Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman did not want Bangladesh’s independence or that Bangladesh’s independence was declared by anybody other than the Great Leader himself.” Bangladesh Foreign Secretary also stated that, “such breach of diplomatic norms and practices and deliberate propaganda to spread shameless lies shall not only jeopardise bilateral relations, but would render a great disservice to succeeding generations of historians, intelligentsia as well as common people who champion the cause of truth and justice.”

Forty six years after the disintegration of Pakistan and the creation of Bangladesh, historical facts continue to be a source of discord between the two countries. Historical controversies like whether independence was declared by Sheikh Mujib or by Ziaur Rehman or Sheikh Mujib wanted autonomy or independence can only be properly addressed and resolved not by allegations and counter allegations by the two countries but by a joint historical commission, composed of reputed historians of the two countries to unveil the truth which Bangladesh alleged was distorted in the controversial video reportedly posted on the face book Pakistan Affairs. Truth about the atrocities allegedly committed by the Pakistan armed forces during the military operation in the then East Pakistan from March-December 1971 and the killings of non-Bengalese by the Mukti Bahini can also be jointly investigated by the proposed Truth and Reconciliation Commission composed of the jurists, historians and eminent persons of the two countries so as to set the record straight.

The people of East Pakistan, who were in the forefront of Pakistan Movement since its inception, never wanted independence, but it was forced on them by the discriminatory and exploitive policies of the West Pakistani elites who happened to dominate in the country’s power structure

Growing schism between Pakistan and Bangladesh needs to be analysed by taking into account three major perceptions. First, the people of East Pakistan, who were in the forefront of Pakistan Movement since its inception, never wanted independence, but it was forced on them by the discriminatory and exploitive policies of the West Pakistani elites which happen to dominate in the country’s power structure.

The unilateral postponement of inaugural session of National Assembly, which was scheduled in Dhaka on March 3, 1971, triggered the outbreak of violence in the then East Pakistan. Awami League, led by Sheikh Mujibur Rehman, which had a majority by securing 162 seats in a house of 300 called the postponement of National Assembly session conspiracy hatched by the then military generals in connivance with minority Pakistan People’s Party leader Zulfikar Ali Bhutto to deny power to the majority. G W Choudhry, a member of President Yahya Khan’s cabinet and a constitutional expert has written his book, The Last Days of United Pakistan that he tried his best to pursue Yahya not to postpone session of national assembly or if it was necessary in view of Bhutto’s boycott another date should be announced of the holding of assembly session.

His advice was not accepted by Yahya and the assembly session was postponed which led to the launching of civil disobedience movement by Awami League. The launching of “operation search light” to crush Awami League on March 25, 1971 culminated into the disintegration of Pakistan and the emergence of Bangladesh. Therefore, the perception that had the inaugural session of National Assembly been taken place in Dhaka, Pakistan may have been saved as the government had allowed Awami League to contest December 1970 elections under its six points. If six points were not seditious under the Legal Framework Order (LFO) why power was not transferred to Awami League?

Second, once Sheikh Mujib was released from prison and sent to London in January 1972 by the government of President Z A Bhutto, he claimed that since long he was striving for an independent state of Bangladesh. Therefore, if he wanted autonomy under the framework of united Pakistan why he consistently took the position after being released by Bhutto that his struggle was for Bangladesh? The argument given by Mujib to totally rule out any association with West Pakistan was based on his premise that since he was imprisoned by the military regime of Yahya Khan since March 26, 1971 in a solitary confinement in West Pakistani jails he had no idea what was going on in East Pakistan and the reports narrated to him about the atrocities carried out by Pakistan military during nine month long military operation against the Bengali population were enough to justify his total and final break from Pakistan.

Third, the perception which is forcefully projected by the Awami League regime of Sheikh Hasina that from time to time Pakistan is engaged in acts denying the existence of Bangladesh. For instance, in a seminar which was held on November 27, 2000 at the Bangladesh Institute of Strategic and International Studies (BIISS) Dhaka, Pakistan’s Deputy Higher Commissioner Irfanur Rehman Raja reportedly questioned the liberation movement of Bangladesh by stating that it was provoked by miscreants. Bangladesh immediately protested over his remarks and called for his immediate expulsion. Early December 2000, Pakistan recalled its diplomat from Dhaka and regretted the controversy which was unleashed as result of remarks made by Pakistani diplomat.

The Bangladesh Foreign Ministry while handing over protest note to the Pakistan High Commissioner in Dhaka on the face book controversy also maintained that, “the government deeply regrets that notwithstanding Bangladesh’s repeated overtures the malicious campaign by Pakistan and its various agencies against Bangladesh has not come to a halt.” Unfortunately, schism in Pakistan-Bangladesh relations seems to be existential in nature as both sides have failed to reconcile to the truth that historical injustices committed from either side should not be denied. That regardless of what had happened in 1971, vast majority of the people of Bangladesh still possess enormous goodwill for Pakistan. Yet Islamabad needs to avoid acts which question the existence of Bangladesh or the liberation struggle which is an integral part of their country’s history. Was it justified on the part of Pakistan to officially protest over the hanging of Bangladeshi citizens since 2013 on their acts during the military operation from March-December 1971? Since then, relations between Pakistan and Bangladesh have soured as Dhaka has been blaming Islamabad of interfering in its internal affairs.