Mohammad Zainal Abedin: If any independent survey or referendum is conducted in Bangladesh today, over 80% of Bangladeshis will vote for restoring normal relations with Pakistan. I came to this conclusion seeing the sentiment of the readers ventilated on the comment box of a report captioned “New air of relations between Dhaka-Islamabad, Imran Khan can make any announcement” published on the Daily Manabzamin (21 January, 2021) of Dhaka.

The report claimed that Prime Minister Imran Khan of Pakistan initiated to normalize relations with Bangladesh and called on Bangladesh PM Sheikh Hasina during the UN Generally Assembly Session held last year (2020).  With that end in view, both the PMs personally and diplomatically exchanged their views, remained engaged in reducing their past differences and restoring congenial relations between the two countries, which before 1971, were one country. The report informed that the understanding between the two PMs minimized their differences a great deal and led them to have a telephonic conversation, when the Pakistan PM  even invited the Bangladesh PM to visit Pakistan.  On the basis of such relations, the daily predicted that Imran Khan, before the next Bangladesh independence day on March 26, may announce something dramatic to enhance his efforts to restore the friendly relation that prevailed before 2008.

The Daily Manabzamin report attracted many readers to comment on it. If we go through these readers’ comments printed on January 21, we can get a sense of the sentiment of the common people of Bangladesh. 

Bangladeshis comment on friendly relations with Pakistan

Mohammad Nazrul Islam expressed his opinion in English saying that Pakistan and Bangladesh are siblings. They fought together with the Hindus and the British and got freedom from both. If Pakistan wouldn’t have come into existence, the dream of Bangladesh never could have come into existence. Sometimes siblings fight among themselves but eventually reconcile.

Bangladeshis will be very happy seeing our lost brother come back. Our prophet Mohammad (p.b.u.h) said: “A Muslim mustn’t be angry with his Muslim brother more than two-and-a half days.” Our Holy Book, The Quran, also encourages us to forgive our brothers and reconcile with them. Now Imran Khan mustn’t delay and officially admit the wrongs the Pakistan army committed in 1971 with the people of the former East Pakistan. Today is better than tomorrow, but of course, India doesn’t want, at any cost, any reconciliation between these two siblings.

Akm Nurul Islam opined, “There is a saying in diplomacy that there is no permanent enemy, or permanent friend, too. Everything changes in this rotating earth. You have to gain something through your diplomatic and negotiation skill. Burning example is North Korea. Keep it in mind that we have Rohingya problem which needs to be resolved immediately, as it may turn to a regional security issue that will affect Bangladesh the most, as we know that China is the main actor. Again, Pakistan is the most trusted and friendly neighbor of China.”

Nazrul Islam, who wrote in Bengali said that most of the people of Bangladesh intensely hate India, but love Pakistan. India has been engaged in destroying Bangladesh since its independence, while the India-backed media of Bangladesh never reveals the truth.

Sayed, a freedom fighter, wrote in English, “We want peace as all are friends, none is an enemy. But Pakistan deprived us since the beginning of the independence of Pakistan in 1947. They must provide us (Bangladesh) with the proper shares (of assets) and then Pakistan can be a friend.”

Mortuza Huq disagreed with the reporter, asking him whose opinion it was that the people of Bangladesh have strong objections in establishing relations with Pakistan. To know the sentiment of the people, a referendum could be held in Bangladesh.

Motahar wrote that it was the personal opinion of the reporter that the people of Bangladesh have reservations and objections in normalizing relations with Pakistan. Friendship with Pakistan is essential to counter the atrocities of India and that the interests of the Muslim Ummah are involved.

Riyadh Mahmoud suggested that Pakistan must regret what happened to us (East Pakistanis) in 1971. This would lead the two countries to create a new relationship for the next generation, because if a new government comes to power in the future, they will have good relations with Pakistan and that the Awami League should think over the issue.

Anis ul Haq placed some demands to normalize relations with Bangladesh. His demands are: 1. Pakistan must apologize for the war crimes of 1971; 2. Pakistan should declare Yahya, Bhutto, Niazi and Tikka as posthumous war criminals; 3. All the Pakistani citizens now living in Bangladesh must be repatriated to Pakistan; 4. Share of pre 1971 assets must be given to  Bangladesh. If Pakistan accepts these demands, the issue of normal a relationship between Bangladesh with Pakistan can be considered.

Md. Helal Karim welcomes the probable normalization of relations between Bangladesh and Pakistan. He opined that it is not true that the people of Bangladesh have strong objections in restoring relations with Pakistan. Such a statement is erroneous. This is the reporter’s misconception. Other than a few pro-India people in Bangladesh, everyone wants a good relationship between Bangladesh and Pakistan. India is exploiting us in the name of friendship. India kills our people along the Indo-Bangladesh border and deprives us of the legitimate share of rive water. They (Indians) are not our friends, rather our foes.

Amir, citing the Manabzamin report, quoted the State Minister for Foreign Affairs, Shahriar Alam, saying if Pakistan wants to improve relations with Bangladesh, it must first apologize. All unresolved issues must be resolved at once. A relationship with Pakistan is likely not going to be easy, and while the trial of war criminals would continue, the intervention of any other country is absolutely unacceptable.

Aminul feels that India, for its own benefit, sided with us during the war of independence. We have fought for our needs. The history of independent Bangladesh was framed at the cost of many lives and chastity. In reality, India really dominates us. Showing its lordship, India threatens us and occasionally gives us gifts sending the dead bodies of Bangladeshis in the border area. There are many more heart-rending Indian stories of love for us. Pakistan has comprehended its mistake. We are the victims of so many conspiracies and in the current context, India causes much more damage than Pakistan did before 1971. The current leader of India is acrimonious to Muslims. We have a Muslim-majority country. Therefore, India openly causes various types of damage to us. So my opinion is, our country can develop strategic relations with any country for our own interest. The government can take any kind of action for the best interest of the country. There is no such thing as an eternal enemy in politics.

Mahmud opined that both Pakistan and Bangladesh are an independent countries. It is quite natural that there will have good relations between the two independent countries. Since our relationship with Pakistan ended with extreme bitterness, Pakistan must take the initiative to end that bitterness and lay the foundation for a good relationship, if it is possible even saying ‘sorry’.

Amir Hossain feels, I think by normalizing relations with Pakistan, Bangladesh will be the winner, particularly, as under such a situation, India will not be so desperate to treat us as their colonial state.

Hassanuzzaman wrote that to ensure the survival of Bangladesh, it is the demand of the day to take appropriate resistance to deter India’s aggression that continues since independence. In that case, improving relations with Pakistan will add a new dimension to the diplomatic wisdom of the rulers. It is as clear as daylight that most people in Bangladesh want to stop Indian aggression.

Monirul Islam, citing historical facts, wrote that if Japan could enhance its dignity and protect its interests by developing relations with the United States, why we can’t do the same? Our foreign policy doesn’t prevent it. So, we need to take the issue into consideration for the betterment of the country. We have to proceed learning lessons from the past and follow the same path to resolve new challenges, whether it is Pakistan or any other neighboring country. The country’s interest is above all other things.

Murari Mohan Mondal, opposing Pakistan-Bangladesh friendship opined that we are building unity with the anti-independence forces day by day. What could be a worse tool than the public disrespect of the freedom fighters?

Aftab Chowdhury said that other than the India-paid stooges, people of Bangladesh want a good relationship with Bangladesh so that it can face the atrocities of India. 

Habib expressed his observation writing that for Bangladesh, Pakistan is better than India and that India is the enemy of Bangladesh.

Lastly, Kazi asserted that the wise politician, the Prime Minister, worthy of the father of the nation, will make the right decision.

We have that hope.

Author: Mohammad Zainal Abedin is a Bangladesh-American journalist and researcher based in the US.