Today it has been 39 years since East Pakistan became Bangladesh. It has been longer that Bangladeshis have been politcially separate from Pakistan (39y) than they were together (24y). A new generation has grown up without seeing the time when the two countries were together. A lot of water has flown under the bridge since then and this is a good time for both countries to forgive and forget about the past. I would go as far as to say it should be okay to seek forgiveness from each other and say sorry for the war of 39 years ago. Nobody becomes smaller in stature by saying sorry except for inflated egos. It can only heal and make friends. And Pakistan needs friends.
We want to wish Bangladesh prosperity and good luck in their future.
Also see earlier posts at ATP:
2007: A Pakistani in Bangladesh
2007: Bangladesh Turns 36: Bringing Stranded Pakistanis Home
2008: History’s Ghetto: Stranded Pakistanis in Bangladesh
2008: Sahabzada Yaqub Khan
2009: 1971: A Blot of Shame
2009: 1971: The Lessons We Did Not Learn
2009: 1971: The Forgotten Silence
2009: 1971: Hum kay thehray ajnabi…
2010: Remembering Lt. Gen. Azam Khan
@Umair Khan says:
December 19th, 2010 3:22 am
What about partition of India, the sub-continent? Was it not a blunder either for the same reason? Where our extreme obsession with religion would lead us to?
Assalam -O-Alikum,
Let me correct history here a little bit. The real culprit that is India has not been given the right attention in the comments that have followed the post.
The Bengalies are real brave people and have been an active player in the Muslim politics in the sub-continent since the 1800. We shed ourselves of responsibilities by saying that it was us Muslims or Pakistanis pre-partition who fought amongst each other and both suffered a loss and humiliation in front of the World and the Indians in particular.
If we calm down a little bit it was the Indians working to split this country since 1947 so them may defame and underplay the struggles of the Muslims of the sub-continent. If America can be United States of America with 50 states and Europe can be EU and the British and Portugese etc rule far of lands then why couldn’t be there be a United States of Pakistan.
Please remember Pakistan East or West was is and will remain in history a great struggle of the Muslims and to add a bit of more history the Muslims ruled the sub-continent for a 1000 years so the Hindus had to take some revenge.
We wish the best to our ex-Pakistanis and current Bangladeshis as they are a part of us and Muslims at the end.
It is good to see that a change is happening in Pakistan to start thinking about 1971 and what we need to do and learn from it. ATP plays a good role by highlighting this.
Congratulations Bangladesh. Best wishes from Pakistan.
Well said. Actually I visited Bangladesh recently and was moved by the great hospitality and love of the people there. Pakistanis think of Bangladeshis with same love today.