Despite India’s desire, Bangladesh did not merge with India, and instead of one, two Muslim countries were established in the subcontinent. However, when Sheikh Mujib tried to take away the ideology of life from the Bengali Muslims and wanted to make Bangladesh subservient to India, the freedom fighters of the same country did not even spare the founder of the nation and eliminated him along with his family. I visited Sheikh Mujibur Rahman’s house in Dhanmondi, which became his execution site. Every room is a sign of warning, and the walls cry out that whoever tried to abolish the existence and separate identity of the two nations acknowledged in 1947 met a tragic end.
This reality has been proven multiple times that the people of East Pakistan have always been more aware and freedom-loving than those of the Western part. The speeches of Bengali members in the first National Assembly after the 1958 Martial Law, against dictatorship, are a historical asset of the Assembly Secretariat and should be a compulsory read for new members.
The people of East Pakistan neither accepted General Ayub’s dictatorship nor bowed to the incompetent and morally corrupt characters like General Yahya and Niazi. They are the inheritors and guardians of the highest values and traditions of freedom, which is why, after Sheikh Mujib, when his daughter, with a fascist mindset, took away the people’s rights and freedom and mortgaged Bangladesh to India, imprisoned every opponent, hanged 80-85-year-old venerable figures (none of the so-called champions of human rights worldwide raised a hand to stop her), and then when this tyrant tried to snatch the dreams of young students in the name of quotas, the students of the entire country stood up, overthrew this dictator, and threw her across the border.
To discredit the students, Sheikh Hasina accused them of being “volunteers who support Pakistan.” In response, the students of the entire Bangladesh shouted in unison, “Who am I? Who are you? Volunteer! Volunteer!” Afterward, the Palestinian flag was raised in some places along with Pakistan’s flag, but the truth is that all this was done out of intense hatred and reaction against Hasina Wajid and her policies. Pakistan had no role in the historic freedom movement of the students of Bangladesh.
Sheikh Hasina maintained an antagonistic attitude toward Pakistan, even more than Pakistan’s enemies. She sided with India on every issue concerning Pakistan. She did not only target Jamaat-e-Islami but also made Bangladesh a secular state. She separated Islam and Islamic beliefs from state affairs. In universities, those who talked about Islam or read the Quran were expelled. A video went viral in which students stood before the atheist dean of Dhaka University, reciting Quranic verses to him, the same dean who had banned Islamic gatherings or Seerat-un-Nabi events, and eventually, the dean had to resign.
Brave students of Bangladesh! We were certainly pleased to hear your slogans, but we never mentioned, nor do we wish to mention, any kind of confederation. We congratulate you on your third liberation. We only desire that the bitterness and hatred in your hearts toward us disappear. We acknowledge that you were the elder brothers, the creators of the Muslim League, and your role in the establishment of Pakistan was far greater than ours.
Therefore, the decision-making power in united Pakistan should have been yours, but that did not happen. Injustices occurred on our part, but these injustices were not from the people of West Pakistan; their hearts beat for you. The injustices were from General Ayub and General Yahya, who were never representatives of the people; they seized power by force. They were not elected rulers but usurpers. The people of West Pakistan themselves were subjected to their injustices and oppression for many years. Nevertheless, we apologize once again to our Bengali brothers and sisters for the injustices committed by these dictators. Pakistan’s elected Prime Ministers have also apologized multiple times.
Please consider one request with a calm mind: here in our country, too, some individuals and parties opposed the creation of Pakistan and sided with Congress in 1947. However, after Pakistan was established, most of them accepted Pakistan wholeheartedly and then took an oath on its constitution to become members of the National Assembly, ministers, and provincial Chief Ministers and Governors, and they continue to do so. No one demanded to ban them or declared them traitors to be hanged.
Great nations exhibit magnanimity. Until December 16, 1971, Dhaka and all of Bangladesh were part of Pakistan (East Pakistan). If some of its residents assisted their country, Pakistan, in the face of Indian forces or formed organizations like Al-Badr to help the Pakistani military, they did not violate any international law. Therefore, no case could be prosecuted against them. You should not hold any negative feelings toward them. If Bangladesh ever faces a similar situation, they will be at the forefront in defending the homeland. An agreement had also been reached between the governments of Bangladesh and Pakistan that neither country would prosecute any citizen for war crimes related to the 1971 war. Professor Ghulam Azam, Motiur Rahman Nizami, and Salahuddin Chaudhary had accepted Bangladesh wholeheartedly.
They took an oath under its constitution and served as members of parliament and ministers in the cabinet. But fifty years later, suddenly, Prime Minister Hasina realized that since these people criticized her dictatorship, they should be eliminated by imposing half-century-old allegations on them. Bought-and-paid-for judges stamped the desired decisions, and in the twenty-first century, a ruthless ruler hanged her political opponents, writing a new history of cruelty and barbarity. The world’s silence and the apathy of the Pakistani government on this issue are extremely regrettable. We also request the youth of Bangladesh to read books by unbiased writers instead of the false and venomous books written under the supervision of the Indian government. If you read even Subhash Chandra Bose’s niece Sharmila Bose’s book “Dead Reckoning,” you will understand the facts of 1971.
In government-supervised books, the atrocities of the Pakistani army are exaggerated thousands of times, while the Mukti Bahini’s actions are not even mentioned. Neutral writers have described the atrocities of the Mukti Bahini and the genocide of non-Bengalis in such a way that it sends shivers down one’s spine. In Pakistan, Professor Saleem Mansoor Khalid might be the only scholar who has continuously informed the world about the atrocities committed by Hasina Wajid. The government should immediately send a goodwill delegation to Bangladesh, led by this devoted man, to meet with the politicians, intellectuals, teachers, students, journalists, and scholars there and convey the feelings of the people of Pakistan to them.
Dear students! You freed yourself from General Yahya and his lustful clique in 1971. We respect your freedom, but we also hope that you do not forget the first freedom you gained in 1947. The ideological and political leaders of that struggle were Allama Iqbal, Muhammad Ali Jinnah, A.K. Fazlul Huq, Hussein Shaheed Suhrawardy, and Khawaja Nazimuddin, who are our common heroes. Therefore, your current freedom is not your second but your third freedom.
Lastly, we advise you to be cautious and vigilant, as India will try its best to sabotage your revolution. Revive Islamic culture in your country and promote Muslim culture. Eradicate corruption from its roots. Provide excellent governance to the people and ensure justice at every level. By delivering good governance and justice, you will never be deprived of the people’s power. We, the people of Pakistan, do not desire any formal union; our only wish is that the winds from Dhaka are filled with love. If a thorn pricks in Dhaka, the pain should be felt in Islamabad, and when Islamabad is hurt, a wave of concern should spread through Dhaka. We sincerely pray for your freedom, development, and prosperity. May Allah be your protector and helper.