36 years ago, on December 16, 1971, then East Pakistan became Bangladesh.
Last year Adil Najam had a very touching post on the same topic and I’ll strongly recommend a revisit to it here. Raza Rumi had also written a post after revisiting Dhaka recently.
I belong to a generation which did not see those times. My knowledge about this significant event of our history comes from the books I’ve read, things I have heard on the media and from elders, and from Pakistani and Bengali friends I’ve talked to.
A lot of water has passed under the bridges since then. Both nations have gone through a lot in these 36 tumultuous years. Whatever the past may have been - the good times and the bad - we at ATP pray for a bright future for both Pakistan and Bangladesh. We want to wish good luck to Bangladesh and its citizens for a bright future.
This December 16 is also time to seriously think about those Pakistanis who remain stranded in Bangladesh living in camps.
These are people who consider themselves Pakistanis, want to live in Pakistan, and whom we have ignored and forgotten. It is time to welcome them. If Pakistan can give refuge to millions of people from its western bordering country, we can welcome the few thousand who are our own, who remain stranded and stateless in Bangladesh, and who want to return to Pakistan.
Its time to bring them home!
Few things needs to be clarified here to those misinformed about the real fact. Bengali people are one of the most mercyfull and lanient people I ever known of. Those pakistanis were offered citizenship long time ago in 70’s and 80’s. This is them who wanted to be in Pakistan and refused to take Bangladeshi citizenship are called stranded pakistanis. Those who stayed out of camps and remained in the main stream are still Bangladeshi and nobody ever asked them to go back. There are millions of them. Anyways this new generation of those Pakistanis dont want to go back and they speak Bengali and became Bengalis and they are like any othere bengalis here. They celebrate 21st February, 26 march, 16 dec. They are noway responsible for the crime their elders did with pakistani soldiers and their bengali collaborators.
They should also feel lucky that they are living in peace and harmony which may not be possible if Bangladesh still with pakistan by looking at the caos the pakistan is going through till these dates.
All of our troubles are of our own making. We not only failed to learn important lessons from our sixty years of existence we did not not even try.
After all is said little will be done if we don’t accept individual responsiblity for the condition of our country and society. One mission that has been sacred for our organization is to gain justice for those who were illegally deprived of their nationality. If you want our county to be a country of laws then it is incumbent upon all of us to help victims of injustice regardless of the their religion, color, language, race or any other characteristic.
Please visit our web site noted above and help us in some material way ( we are not short of people who agree with us and approve of our goals but do nothing to help us.) God bless you all.
As a Bangladeshi, I’m ashamed that our government haven’t done anythign to help. A lot of the anti-Bengali actions were done by the ederly Biharis in 1971 but the young Biharis are free from blame; they should be given instant citizenship, as in if they want it. Fortunately madrassas give the young free education in the evenings. Poverty rate is decreasing in Bangladesh thanks to Dr. Muhammad Yunus, the poverty rate in our coutry goes down 2% every year so that’s a huge success. The government is in the process of granting about 133,000 biharis in Bangladesh citizenship, if I’m correct. The anger, the war, the pain are reparing among the Bengalis and insh’Allah the Biharis will live in a higher standard in the future. I pray and hope for their secure future.
Best wishes and prayers for all Bangladeshi friends.
I agree with the writer, we should bring stranded Pakistanis back. They deserve our respect and support.
I also agree. We need to bring the stranded Pakistanis back. For God’s sake, they are Pakistanis and want to be in Pakistan. We shoudl welcome them with open arms and do everything we can to help the return.
Also, I will also add my word of good wishes for Bangladesh. Ameen.
Thank you for this powerful post and raising this issue. I agree, it is time that Pakistani brought its stranded citizens back home. We have delayed this too long and it should no longer be delayed.
Also, I would add my best wishes to all Bangladeshi people.