FSA:-Pakistan Bangladesh Relations

09 June 2022 2:40pm

Way back during the Ming dynasty, the great Muslim Admiral of the Chinese
fleet, Zheng He (1371 AD – 1433 AD) who is said to have discovered America
even before Christopher Columbus, came to Chittagong during one of his seven
voyages across the world. Chroniclers who accompanied him, opined that the
people of Bengal “are good at cloth-weaving ” and many “go out for a living.”
Both these aspects of the people of Bengal hold true even in the 21stcentury.
Bangladesh has a thriving garments industry, and a large number of
Bangladeshis work abroad in the Middle East, US and the UK.
Located in the eastern part of the subcontinent, the full name of Bangladesh is
the People’s Republic of Bangladesh. Earlier, the name and by Bay of Bengal
and a border strip with Myanmar in the south-east. Bangladesh has an area of
143,998 square kms.
By various estimates, Bangladesh has a population of 162 million. The capital,
Dhaka has a little more than 15 million inhabitants. The main port city is
Chittagong.
Muslims constitute 89.5 percent of the total population of Bangladesh. Around 9
per cent of Bangladeshis are Hindus, which makes Bangladesh a country having
the third largest Hindu population in the world, after India and Nepa with
Pakistan on the way to becoming the fourth. The rest are mainly Buddhists and
Christians. More than 90 per cent of Bangladeshis are ethnic Bengalis.
The national language and the official language of Bangladesh is Bengali, which
is the mother tongue of almost the entire population of the country. The use of
Bengali is mandatory in all government offices except in external relations of the
country, in accordance with the Bengali Language Implementation Act of
1987.6was spelt ‘Bangla Desh;’ later the two words became one.
The Constitution of Bangladesh was enacted on 4 November 1972 which became
effective on 16 December 1972. It was suspended in March 1982 and later
restored in November 1986.
Constitution has been amended a number of times.

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The main political parties in Bangladesh include: Bangladesh Nationalist Party
(BNP), led by Begum Khaleda Zia; Awami League (AL) headed by Sheikh
Hasina; and the Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami whose current Ameer is Shafiqur
Rahman. The road to democracy for Bangladesh has been bumpy. The founder
of Bangladesh, Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, was brutally assassinated. In its
history, Bangladesh has witnessed military takeovers.
Bangladesh faces infrastructure and energy problems. The economic growth
rate has been 6 per cent. Bangladesh has an agrarian economy. Around 21% of
the GDP comes from agriculture, forestry and fisheries. The country’s total
exports have been worth more than $ 35 billion. The export products include,
garments, fish & sea foods, agricultural produce etc. The main export partners
are: US, Germany, UK, France and Spain. Its total imports are more than $ 47
billion, which include machinery & equipment, chemicals, cement, and cotton.
Major import partners of Bangladesh are:
China, India, Malaysia and Japan.
Importantly, Bangladesh’s per capita GDP in dollar terms is
expected to grow 4% to $1,888.9 Bangladesh has been an LDC (Least Developed
Country) since its birth. In 2018, Bangladesh fulfilled all the three eligibility
criteria for graduation from the UN LDC list for the first time. Now, it “is on
track for graduation in 2024.” East Bengal (East Pakistan) is the most important
component of Pakistan, inhabited as it is by the largest single block of Muslims
in the world.
Quaid-e-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah
(Address in Dhaka - March 1948)
Pakistan considers Bangladesh, a brother Muslim country. The people of the
two countries struggled together for independence from the colonial rule. Both
share a common religion and common history. Pakistan and Bangladesh enjoy
mutually beneficial relations. The two countries follow a cooperative approach
at the international fora especially, OIC and SAARC.
Taking a peep at the past would be relevant. The Muslims of Sindh, Punjab,
Frontier regions, Balochistan and Kashmir in British India launched a valiant
struggle for the establishment of the new country, Pakistan. And, the Muslims of
Bengal played their important role in the creation of Pakistan.

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When Pakistan came into being on 14 August 1947, it had two administrative
units i.e. West Pakistan (consisting of Sindh, Punjab, Frontier regions,
Balochistan and parts of Kashmir); and East Pakistan (comprising East Bengal.)
Significantly, the Muslim League which established Pakistan in 1947, was set up
in 1906 in Dhaka. The person who tabled the Resolution calling for the creation
of Pakistan, for adoption at the historical session of the Muslim League in
Lahore on 23 March 1940, was a Bengali from Bengal. Today, Sher-e-Bangaal
Abul Kasem Fazlul Haque is remembered with respect both in Pakistan and in
Bangladesh.
East Pakistan had more population than West Pakistan. East Pakistan had
much less area than West Pakistan. East Pakistan constituted one of the least
developed regions of British India. East Pakistan was located two thousand
kilometers away from West Pakistan, hostile India being in between the two
parts of Pakistan.16
The Muslims of Bengal were in the forefront of the Pakistan movement. East
Pakistanis were proud citizens of Pakistan. Their Father of the Nation was
Quaid-e-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah, who is the Father of the Nation of
Pakistan; their national poet was Allama Muhammad Iqbal; their federal
capital, Islamabad,
and their national anthem was the national anthem of Pakistan. Sheikh Hasina
who took over as the Prime Minister of Bangladesh in January 2009, was a
Pakistan national. So was her father, Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, who in his
youth, raised full-throated slogans in favour of Pakistan. Sheikh Mujib also
acted as the
‘chief polling representative’ of Mohtarma Fatima Jinnah (sister of Muhammad
Ali Jinnah) in East Pakistan, when she contested the Presidential election
against President Ayub Khan in 1965.
Same is the case with other Bengalis, including the three times Prime Minister of
Bangladesh, Khaleda Zia, who is the wife of the former President of Bangladesh,
General Ziaur Rahman. As a Major in the Pakistan Army, Ziaur Rahman
valiantly fought for Pakistan in the 1965 war with India.17 Mention here of
former Bangladeshi President, Hussain Muhammad Ershad, would also be
relevant, who as a professional officer of the Pakistan Army was decorated with
honours for his dedicated services to the state of Pakistan. East Pakistan became

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Bangladesh in 1971. Muslim brothers turned against each other. A brother
killed a brother. Mistakes were made. Fatal mistakes were committed by some
in West Pakistan and some in East Pakistan. The common man in West Pakistan
and the common man in East Pakistan, was not responsible for 1971.
Many in East Pakistan felt seriously alienated. They were genuinely hurt. The
common man in West Pakistan never wanted alienation to take place in East
Pakistan in the first place. The year 1971 is perhaps the saddest chapter in the
history of Pakistan. Not just Pakistan, but for the Muslims of the subcontinent,
if not the Muslims of the world. Some say, 1971 constitutes the ‘Second
Granada.
To say that 1971 happened only due to the mistakes of West Pakistan and East
Pakistan, would be too naive a conclusion. India played the pivotal role in the
break-up of Pakistan, which was the largest Muslim country in the world. Later,
good sense prevailed. Pakistan and Bangladesh recognized each other in
February 1974. Subsequently, Pakistan set up its diplomatic Mission in Dhaka.
While memories of the past have faded from the minds of many, 1971 in
Bangladesh is understandably remembered as part of the country’s history.
History is important, just like root is to a shoot. History is the best teacher. It
eaches lessons. History is written by victors, not by the vanquished. History can
be correct, and history can be incorrect. History can beautifully conceal ugly
pogroms and heinous crimes; and history can inflate facts and figures.
Bangladesh has its perspective on 1971. The narrative varies. The Awami
League ideologues forcefully stress that the Bengali people gave the “supreme
sacrifice” to liberate their homeland from the more than 90,000 Pakistani
“occupation forces” in 1971. In the process, it is underscored that, “3 million
Bengalis were butchered to death and 200,000 women raped” by the Pakistan
army, in the “worst ever genocide” during the “War of Liberation” of
Bangladesh.
The theme of 3 million killed and 200,000 women raped, is a regular feature,
repeated again and again in Bangladesh. The focus on history can become more
intense during the National Days in Bangladesh. These are: 16 December, which
is called the ‘Victory Day’ when units of the Pakistan army in East Pakistan
surrendered in Dhaka on 16 December in 1971; 21February, the ‘Language
Day’ when demonstrations took place in favour of Bangla language in East

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Pakistan in 1952; and 26 March, the Independence Day when Ziaur Rahman
declared independence from Pakistan in 1971.
The National Day functions in a normal country would norm The propaganda
against Pakistan promoted in Bangladesh, can be understood from the following
comments:
- In an article titled ‘Gently blow the winds of change’ in Bangladeshi
newspaper, The Daily Star of 16 December 2011, Sharmeen Soneya Murshid,
underlines, “Bangladesh was born out of the ashes of a demolished Pakistan, a
religion-based state that imploded because of its narrow, intolerant and divisive
politics.”
- In a write up in the Special Supplement carried by the Bangladeshi media on
16 December 2013, Anisuzzaman referred to the statement by Prime Minister
Tajuddin Ahmad, when he “informed the entire world” in 1971, that “Pakistan
is now dead and buried under a mountain of corpses.”
- In her analysis in the same Supplement, Rifat Zafreen stresses that the “war of
liberation cannot be completed” without the mention of the unparalleled
contribution from “the then honorable Prime Minister of India Smt.
(Indira) Gandhi.”
- Sanat Kumar Saha commented on the occasion (16 December 2013), “a
section” of people (in Bangladesh today) “still” seek “refuge in, and try to glorify
the Middle Eastern form of fundamentalism 1400 years back.”
At international conferences/seminars organized in Dhaka, the Awami League
government show-cases its version of history on 1971 to foreign delegations.
During the cultural programs presented on the occasion, graphic scenes of rape
of Bengali women by the Pakistan army ‘in uniform’ are re-enacted with loud
sound-effects, to the horror of foreign dignitaries. The dignitaries may also
include some from Pakistan, who have been formally invited to attend the event
by the Government of Bangladesh.
Addressing a public rally in Dhaka on 30 August 2014, Prime Minister Sheikh
Hasina branded Begum Khaleda Zia, Chairperson of BNP, as a “killer” and “a
person with a sick mind.” She asked KhaledaZia to “go to Pakistan.”
PrimeMinister Hasina emphasized, “There are many people in Bangladesh who
still wish to be slaves of Pakistan and they do not believe in the country’s

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independence. Khaleda Zia is one of them, and she is still with the defeated
forces (of the Liberation War of 1971).
People, who want to be Pakistan’s slaves, may leave the country for Pakistan.”
Hasina also underscored that the BNP-Jamaat alliance had killed people in the
name of movement to resist the general elections (in Bangladesh), the same way
as Pakistan army had killed Bangladeshis in 1971. Not everybody agrees with
the aforementioned statistics (3 million killed and 200,000 raped) being
propagated in Bangladesh. Many emphasise that these figures are a ‘pure
fiction.’A large number of members of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party do not
agree with the accuracy of these figures. The overwhelming majority of the
members of the third largest political force in the country, Bangladesh Jamaat-
e-Islami, does not agree with the figures. So is the case with many common
Bangladeshis. Importantly, nobody in Bangladesh, especially when Awami
League is in power, would publicly question the party’s 1971 narrative for
understandable reasons. Nobody in Bangladesh would like to be branded as one
of the ‘anti-liberation’ elements who supported the cause of united Pakistan in
1971.
At the same time, analysts have, despite pressures, undertaken serious research
work, questioning the statistics propagated in respect of 1971. These include
American, British and even Indian and Bengali scholars. Here, it would be
relevant to refer to the views expressed by the Indian scholar, Sarmila Bose. In
her book, ‘Dead ReckoningMemories of the 1971 Bangladesh War’ published in
2011, Bose opines, “….it appears possible to estimate with reasonable confidence
that at least 50,000–100,000 people perished in the conflict in East
Pakistan/Bangladesh in 1971, including combatants and non-combatants,
Bengalis and non-Bengalis, Hindus and Muslims, Indians and Pakistanis.
Casualty figures crossing one hundred thousand are within the realm of
possible,
but beyond that one enters a world of meaningless speculation.”

Also, textbooks in Bangladesh today, refer to the period from 1947 to 1971 when
East Pakistan was part of Pakistan, as an ‘era of exploitation of Bengalis by
(West) Pakistan.’ Bangladeshi analysts would emphasise that the movement for
Bangladesh started in East Pakistan when the legitimate rights of Bengalis were
trampled upon by West Pakistan, otherwise Bengalis never wanted to separate
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from Pakistan. At the same time, other commentators underline that Bengalis
supported the idea of Pakistan in 1947 ‘only as a political tactic’ to separate at a
later stage.
On its part, the Government of Pakistan has remained circumspect. Seldom has
Islamabad commented on events relating to 1971. Political observers ascribe this
circumspection to the desire to look ahead, and not to hurt the sentiments of the
common man in Bangladesh ‘since many Bangladeshis even today look up to
a strong Muslim Pakistan.’ Another myth that has generally become acceptable
is that 93,000 soldiers of the Pakistan Army surrendered to India in Dhaka on 16
December 1971. The fact is that the total fighting force of the Pakistan army in
East Pakistan in December 1971 was only 34,000. Indians deliberately
exaggerated the actual figure to magnify their success against Pakistan during
the war.
Bangladesh did the same for identical reasons. And, Pakistanis did not correct
the gross exaggeration due to domestic political considerations.In fact,
ZulfikarAli Bhutto who became the President of Pakistan (West Pakistan)
immediately after the 1971 war, had launched his democratic struggle against
the military dictatorship of Field Martial Ayub Khan. As such, he wanted to
keep the army under pressure. He and his government therefore, never wanted
to
correct the exaggeration.
Many in Bangladesh focus on Pakistan, with negativity. On their part,
Pakistanis especially youngsters, do not focus on Bangladesh at all. According to
a senior Professor of History at the Punjab University, Lahore, on one occasion
he wanted to test the general knowledge of his students in respect of East
Pakistan. On a 16 December, a few years ago, he asked his students to make a
guess on the significance of the day. One bright student asked, “Sir, is today
your birthday? ”
The people of Pakistan and the people of Bangladesh do not know many
important aspects of 1971. May be now, the level of amenability to listen to the
truth has increased. As a young Pakistani, I was sad at the tragic turn of events
in
1971. I could not understand, why our own people had turned against their own
country!
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On many occasions, so many Bangladeshis albeit in private, also spoke bitterly
about ‘Hindu India.’ They spoke of “Indian interference and Indian hegemony.”
They said, “Bangladesh has become an Indian colony – a surrogate.” A
crestfallen young man, commented, “Maybe, now it is our destiny, to remain at
the mercy of Hindu India till eternity, for stabbing the idea of Muslim Pakistan
in the back.”
Some wept and cried, and cried bitterly. I shared their grief. I could not ask
them, why did they break their own country, Pakistan! Perhaps, this is the time
to reflect and introspect. To Islamabad, 1971 is a past and distant history.
Unfortunately, history is mainly remembered by historians and students of
history. If the initiative to undertake this study is good, may Allah reward me; if
otherwise, may Allah forgive me. Pakistan wishes Bangladesh well. Why did it
happen in the first place!The developments relating to the debacle of East
Pakistan are complex and complicated. The tragedy involves ideology,
geography, nation-states, individuals and destiny. In short, the story is not
simple: there is no black and white, but grey.
In the words of Kamal Matinuddin, “It is an irony of fate that the very people
who were in the vanguard of the Pakistan movement, whose area was the only
Muslim majority province of undivided India which had a Muslim League
ministry and whose illustrious son had not only moved but drafted the Lahore
Resolution, fought a bitter struggle, years later, to destroy a country which they
themselves had helped to build.”177 Considerable research has been undertaken
by many on factors that led to the tragedy.
Without going into details, the following needs to be looked at:
- Early demise of the Father of the Nation of Pakistan, Quaid-e-Azam
Muhammad Ali Jinnah in September 1948 just 13 months after the creation of
Pakistan.
- Difficulties in establishing sound political institutions.
- Distance between the two parts of Pakistan with hostile India in between.
- International conspiracy.
- Personal ambition of stalwarts in both East Pakistan and West Pakistan, and
imprudent top military and civil leadership.It is also opined in Dhaka today that

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the November 1970 ‘Bhola cyclone’ which killed around half a million East
Pakistanis, played an important role in the alienation of the people of East
Pakistan.
There is another side to the story as well. According to Rushbrook Williams,
“No foreign country, no correspondent of a foreign newspaper, criticized India’s
handling of the results of such natural catastrophes as the successive floods and
droughts which have brought tragedy to millions of her people; it was assumed,
perfectly correctly, that her government were doing all that lay in their power to
afford succor and relief.” In contrast, international criticism unjustly focused on
Pakistan. “The important facts that meteorological warning was duly given –
unfortunately, such warnings are necessarily so frequent in the cyclone areas
that
they are too often ignored – and that the armed forces worked day and night to
bring relief, and can proudly claim that not a single life was lost through lack of
food or medical supplies after the force of the cyclone was spent, were ignored
both locally and by the outside world.”
Had there been a Prime Minister of India in 1971 other than Indira Gandhi, the
conflict could have been averted. After all, Pakistan and India had improved
relations when later Morarji Desai became the Prime Minister of India.
Bangladeshi Mindset Before proceeding further, it would be important to try to
understand the Bangladeshi mindset. The psyche of a people is developed and
conditioned by history, geography, climate, beliefs and some unique experiences.
This is particularly true in respect of the people of Bangladesh. According to a
senior Pakistani military officer, Major General Hakeem Qureshi, “Bengalis are
a cultured people. A love of fine arts is their hallmark. Pakistani
Parliamentarian, Muzaffar Hashmi opines, “Bengalis are a good, thinking
people; they are politically alert and sensitive. They established Muslim League
which later created Pakistan.” In a discussion in Islamabad in late 1960s,
Makhdoom Sajjad
Hussain Qureshi, who later became Governor of the Punjab (province of
Pakistan), remarked, “Bengalis are sensitive Pakistanis.” On the occasion,
Ghulam Mustapha Jatoi, who later became Chief Minister Sindh, expressed the
view, “Bengalis are not arrogant, they are a friendly people who struggled for
Pakistan.”
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In the same vein, Nawab Sadiq Hussain Qureshi, who subsequently served as
Chief Minister of Punjab, joined in to say, “Bengalis are humble, they like
simplicity. This is what Islam is all about.” Sheikh Mujibur Rahman writes in
his autobiography, “We Bengali Muslims have two sides. One is our belief that
we are. Also study ‘Ethnic Groups of South Asia and the Pacific:
Muslims and the other that we are Bengalis. Instances of envy and treachery can
be often found in our history. Surely no other language in the world has the
equivalent of the Bengali word for envy. Translated literally, the word would
mean ‘mortified at another’s good fortune’. You will find word such as envy and
malice in all languages and these are qualities people all over the world have but
only Bengalis are stricken by grief at another’s prosperity. They are never
happy to see their brothers do well.” Bangladeshis have a tremendous capacity
to resist and assert. According to a former Indian diplomat, “inferiority
complex, coupled with pride, is an important ingredient of the Bangladeshi
psyche. In 9th century AD, ‘Hindu Brahmans’ of Bengal considered ancestors of
the people of what is today Bangladesh, their ‘Hindu shooders’(low caste
Hindus.) If by mistake, a Bengali shooder overheard the recitations of the Hindu
holy book, Geeta, hot water was poured into his ears, so that he could not hear
the holy verses ever again.”190A Russian intellectual who knows Bengal well,
opined “the Muslims of Bengal were prosperous…
Then, started the downfall. They were severely repressed by Hindus with all out
support of the British, and repression by nature in terms of floods, has been
there as well.” In his view, “lust for money and disloyalty run deep in the blood
of many in Bengal, both East Bengal and West Beng.
Nobody would disagree with the view that people of Bangladesh are politically
alert and sensitive.
Former Minister for External Affairs of India Natwar Singh, writes in his
autobiography published in 2014, “I left Delhi on 2 April 1971 for Warsaw to
assume charge as Ambassador of India…” Later, the “Pakistani Ambassador to
Poland, a Bengali, asked to see me.” The meeting was held. A few days later,
there was “a dramatic sequel.” The Ambassador “met me late at night at my
residence. Without wasting any time, he said, ‘Here is the cipher code which
Pakistani Ambassadors use.’ I was flabbergasted.” For an Ambassador, the
cipher code “is of the highest importance,” as it is “the key for conveying top
secret information” to the Ministry (headquarters). “Only two people in an

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Embassy are privy to this code; the Head of Mission and the Cipher Assistant. I
personally took the Pakistani cipher code to Delhi and handed it over to the
RAW Chief, Rameshwar NathKao.”
General perceptions of each other (Pakistan, India, Bangladesh)
Views in Pakistan about Bangladesh
- Pakistan is the only country in the world where, by and large, an
overwhelming majority of people, in each and every segment and sphere of the
society, have a feeling of affection for the people of Bangladesh.
- According to a common view, “The people of Bangladesh were not responsible
for 1971; it was India, who from day one, wanted to break up Pakistan. Some of
our people committed excesses. We feel really bad that we could not keep our
Bengali brothers and sisters
happy.”
- There is no real realization of the genocide and crimes against humanity
committed against West Pakistanis and Biharis living in East Pakistan in 1971,
by the Awami League led Mukti Bahini. Pakistanis tend to ignore and overlook
these atrocities.
- Pakistanis would sadly comment, “The Islamic Republic of Pakistan which was
the largest Muslim country in the world, should not have been dismembered in
1971.”
- Pakistan and Bangladesh should have the best of relations.
- Pakistanis do not consider President Yahya Khan, Lieutenant General Niazi,
Lieutenant General Tikka Khan and others like them, as their heroes. A very
large number of younger generation Pakistanis, especially in the age bracket of
16-30, are not even aware of the names of these persons.
- Many Pakistanis would say in all sincerity that Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, who
had won the 1970 general 1971: elections, should have been made the Prime
Minister of Pakistan. To an average Bangladeshi, all this would come as a
pleasant shock. Views in Pakistan about India
- India is a large country with a huge population.
- India has been fortunate to have developed democratic institutions.

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- India has a strong military. It also has a large industrial base and a strong
economy.
- India has deep rooted animosity towards Pakistan. India broke up Pakistan in
1971.
- India must resolve all outstanding issues with Pakistan, especially the issue of
Jammu and Kashmir.
- Indian movies and songs are good.
- On return from a visit to India, Pakistanis would generally comment, “Indians
are so dark; they are so ugly.” During their visits to India, Pakistanis are
shocked to note that some places in India “actually, stink of human urine.”
- Pakistanis are gradually becoming aware of the nefarious designs of the RSS
against the Muslims.
Views in Bangladesh on Pakistan
- Pakistan runs deep in the Bangladeshi psyche. The perceptions on Pakistan can
be mainly negative or positive. Overall speaking, there are shades of frustration,
inferiority complex, envy, jealousy or outright hatred; and in many cases,
feelings of love and affection for Pakistan.
- On their part, staunch Awami League analysts would assert that 1971 can
never be overlooked while dealing with Pakistan, even though years have passed
since the debacle. Importantly, they would never admit that they committed
crimes against humanity when the Mukti Bahini massacred and raped Biharis,
West Pakistanis and pro-Pakistan Bengalis in East Pakistan/Bangladesh.
- As regards views of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party and other political
parties in Bangladesh, nobody would say that history is not important. For them
also, 1971 is important. At the same time, they would prefer Bangladesh to
‘move on and live in 21st century, rather than living in the past.’
- Pakistani media does not focus on Bangladesh much. If at all it does, the focus
would be positive. Bangladeshi media regularly focuses on Pakistan. However,
the focus is not positive. Terrorist bombings, extremism, sliding economy which
gives the impression that Pakistan is falling apart, are all played up. Bangladeshi
intellectuals do not have a correct picture of the ongoing developments in
Pakistan. They have the tendency to view Pakistan through the Indian prism.

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- Psychologically, all this gives Bangladeshis a feeling that first they defeated
Pakistan in 1971; and now they are outshining Pakistan. So, there is a sense of
victory in Bangladesh, against the “defeated state of Pakistan.” At the same
time, many in Bangladesh have sympathy for Pakistan, and would like Pakistan
to remain a strong powerful country, especially as a counterpoise to India.
Views in Bangladesh on India
- India has spent billions of dollars on Bangladesh. There is not much
acknowledgement of this in Dhaka, at least among the common Bangladeshi.
- Indian music and movies are popular. A large number of Bangladeshis travel
to India for education, business, medical treatment and sightseeing.
- A few Bangladeshi Muslims would feel comfortable with India. India is
considered a hegemonic power. Occasionally, comments are made according to
which, the “Brahmans of Kolkata look down upon the Muslims of Bangladesh.”
- Barring very few, nobody in Bangladesh would dare speak against India in
public. There is a strong feeling of helplessness vis a vis India.
- At the same time, there is a feeling of connectivity with Indian West Bengal,
due to the common language and common Bengali culture.
- The main view in Bangladesh is that the actual intention of New Delhi in 1971
was not to help in the cause of Bangladesh, but to dismember “the arch enemy,
Pakistan.”
- Many in Bangladesh would be thrilled to see India disintegrate. In their view,
this way, they would get rid of the “regional hegemon.”
- There is also a strong desire among some in Bangladesh for a ‘Greater Bengal’
or ‘Greater Bangladesh,’ according to which, “it is not really impossible for the
Indian northeast to join Bangladesh in the distant future.”
- The Hindus of Bangladesh are a solid vote bank for not only the Awami
League, but India. Views in India about Pakistan and Bangladesh - A large
number of Indians would opine that Pakistan “is an unstable, fundamentalist
Muslim country.”

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Legislative developments in Bangladesh relating to 1971 On 24 January 1972,
the Bangladesh Collaborators (Special Tribunals) Order was promulgated by a
Presidential Decree in Bangladesh. It provided for the prosecution of
“collaborators” by “special tribunals.” Between 1972 and 1974, it is said that
some 37,000 persons were arrested in Bangladesh and investigations commenced
against them.
The acts the Order criminalized were wide-ranging, including murder, rape,
arson and genocide. A number of suspects fled the country and were reportedly
never charged. In addition, at that time, India was holding 90,000 or so
Pakistani prisoners of war. Of these, Dhaka had asked for return of 195 so that
they could be prosecuted in Bangladesh. In response, Islamabad is said to have
filed a claim in the International Court of Justice, claiming that only Pakistan
could try its citizens.
On 20 July 1973, Bangladeshi Parliament passed the International Crimes
(Tribunals) Act (ICTA) which provided for the detention, prosecution and
punishment of persons. In February 1973, prior to the adoption of ICTA, Prime
Minister Sheikh Mujibur Rahman issued the Bangladesh National Liberation
Struggle (Indemnity) Order, which gave the Bangladeshi “freedom fighters”
immunity from prosecution for acts committed if they were in connection with
“the liberation struggle of Bangladesh.”
On 16 May 1973, Sheikh Mujib declared clemency for those convicted of petty
offenses under the Collaborators Order. On 30 November 1973, the Bangladeshi
government announced a general amnesty for all collaborators (except those
accused of murder, rape, arson, or genocide). Consequently, 26,000 persons
detained under the Collaborators Order were reportedly released. In April
1974, India, Pakistan and Bangladesh signed the tripartite agreement which
paved the way for the eventual recognition of Bangladesh by Islamabad.
After Sheikh Mujibur Rahman was assassinated in August 1975, the new
government in Bangladesh repealed the Collaborators Order, disbanded the
tribunals set up under it, and pardoned and released all those detained and
convicted. The government 1971 also passed the Indemnity Act that gave those
involved in the assassination, immunity from any legal action.
More than twenty years later, the Indemnity Act was revoked in 1996. In March
2009, the Awami League government announced that it was preparing to

14
establish the International Crimes Tribunal (ICT), to prosecute those accused of
‘war crimes’ in 1971.
The saddest part of this whole process is, that no one in Bangladesh has been
held accountable for the ‘crimes against humanity,’ committed against the West
Pakistanis residing in East Pakistan in 1971, and the Biharis, who even today
continue to live in Bangladesh in large numbers.

Pakistan-Bangladesh bilateral relations

Pakistan and Bangladesh enjoy mutually beneficial relations. Many would not
be aware of the substantial aspects of the relations. After the establishment of
diplomatic relations with Bangladesh, the Pakistan International Airlines gifted
two aircra ft to the Bangladesh airlines ‘Biman’. In 1980s, Islamabad gifted
aircraft of the Pakistan Air Force to the Bangladesh Air Force.310 According to
Bangladeshi defense analysts, earlier Pakistan gave a gift of 35 tanks to the
Bangladesh army.
Importantly, Bangladesh armed forces do not buy weapons from India.
Bangladesh has been purchasing weapons from China, Pakistan and Russia.
Bangladesh armed forces have been regularly availing training facilities in
Pakistan. In the summer of 2014, the two countries reached an understanding
according to which Islamabad would provide training in Pakistan to more than
60 Bangladeshi army personnel in respect of the Al-Khaled tank produced by
Pakistan.
These important facets of the relations between the two countries are not
publicised. Trade between Pakistan and Bangladesh has been on the increase.
From around $ 477 million four years ago, bilateral trade figure stood at close to
$ 800 million in 2015. Every year, Pakistan spends around 10 million taka on
developmental projects in Bangladesh. Islamabad has set up cement plants and
other enterprises in Bangladesh which also include Beaconhouse and the City

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Schools in Dhaka. All this is besides the scholarships for education provided by
Pakistan. Some developments in bilateral relations, are mentioned below:
- Visit of Pakistan women’s cricket team to Bangladesh
(November 2011)
- Visit of Pakistan national cricket team to Bangladesh
(Nov-Dec 2011)
F-6 aircraft were gifted by President Ziaul Haque at the request of Bangladeshi
President Hussain Muhammad Ershad.
- Visit to Dhaka by a delegation from Staff College,
Lahore (November 2011)
- Pakistan participated in Dhaka National Trade Fair
(January 2012)
- Participation in SAARC Trade Fair, Dhaka (MarchApril 2012)
- Visit of Pakistan Cricket Team for Asia Cup to
Bangladesh (March 2012)
- Visit to Bangladesh by a delegation from National Defence University,
Islamabad (April 2012)
- Pakistan trade exhibition in Dhaka (May 2012)
- A 100 schools of Bangladesh participated in art competition in Dhaka (June
2012)
- Pakistani Qawwali concerts organised in Bangladesh (June 2012)
- Bangladeshi journalists visited Pakistan (2012 and 2013)
- Bangladeshi youth delegation visited Pakistan (2012
and 2013) The under-mentioned visits which have taken place between
Pakistan and Bangladesh, also need to be noted:

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- Prime Minister Sheikh Mujibur Rahman visited Pakistanat the invitation of
Prime Minister Zulfikar Ali Bhutto to attend the Second Meeting of the
Organisation of the Islamic Conference (OIC) in Lahore on 22-24 February
- Prime Minister Zulfikar Ali Bhutto paid a visit to Bangladesh in June 1974
- President Zia-ul-Haq visited Dhaka in May 1985, to express solidarity with the
people of Bangladesh after a severe cyclone hit Bangladesh
- President Zia-ul-Haq visited Bangladesh in December
1985
- President HM Ershad visited Pakistan on a bilateral visit in 1986
- Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto visited Bangladesh in October 1989
- Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif visited Bangladesh in January 1998
- President Pervez Musharraf visited Bangladesh on a bilateral visit in July 2002
- Foreign Minister Kasuri visited Bangladesh in 2003
- Foreign Minister Murshed Khan visited Islamabad in 2003
- Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz visited Bangladesh in 2004
- Prime Minister Begum Khaleda Zia visited Pakistan in 1992
Prime Minister Begum Khaleda Zia visited Pakistan in 1995
- Sheikh Hasina visited Pakistan in 1998
- Prime Minister Begum Khaleda Zia visited Pakistan on SAARC related visit in
2004
Prime Minister Begum Khaleda Zia visited Pakistan in 2006
- The Advisor on Foreign Affairs, Iftekhar Chowdhury, visited Pakistan in May
2008
Foreign Minister Hina Rabbani Khar visited Dhaka in November 2012

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