December 16, 1971, is the dark day in the history of Pakistan when the world’s largest Islamic state was torn apart by India’s conspiracies.
India massacred millions of Muslims by providing military, financial, and diplomatic support to the enemies of Pakistan and imposed war on East and West Pakistan which divided Pakistan into two parts only 24 years after its formation.
East Pakistan
The eastern part of Bengal became part of Pakistan during the partition of India in 1947 and was called East Pakistan. The distance between these two parts of Pakistan was 1600 km.
The only relationship between the two countries was that of Islam, although they were quite different in terms of race and language, and the reckless government of West Pakistan eventually aroused these prejudices.
East Pakistan under the leadership of Sheikh Mujibur Rehman separated from us on December 16, 1971, and became known as Bangladesh. India supported Bangladesh in the 1971 war and thus Pakistan, the largest state of the Muslim Ummah, was divided.
India’s propaganda
The two parts of Pakistan were 1600 km apart. They separated from each other due to the war in India, and since then close relations could not be established.
Misunderstandings began to grow among the people on both sides and India took full advantage of this situation because of its hostile stance and turned the people of East Pakistan against West Pakistan through misleading propaganda.
A large number of Hindu teachers were teaching in the educational institutions of East Pakistan. They prepared the kind of literature in which the seeds of hatred for West Pakistan were sown in the hearts of the Bengalis and they turned against their own Muslim brothers.
Military action
After the 1970 general elections, the law and order situation in Pakistan deteriorated and the then government decided to take military action against the Awami League, the most popular political party in East Pakistan. It was declared an illegal party and the political activities of the league were banned.
The military action forced the Awami League chief and hundreds of Bengalis to flee to India, giving India a reason to interfere in Pakistan’s internal affairs.
Mukti Bahini
Sheikh Mujeeb-ur-Rehman had formed a paramilitary organization called Mukti Bahini which played a pivotal role in cutting off the eastern arm of Pakistan and creating Bangladesh which had the blessings of India.
He took part in the massacre of his compatriots and Biharis and made the history of terrorism and tyranny. From the very beginning, he was involved not only in the Bengali but also in the Indian forces who trained him in guerrilla warfare.
Al Shams and Al-Badr
According to former Pakistan Army officers, the Indian government was not only providing arms and training to the insurgents but also carrying out operations inside the border with the help of intelligence and logistical support of the Mukti Bahini.
Not only was the Pakistan Army facing a severe shortage of manpower but due to unfamiliarity with the local routes, effective action against the enemy would have been very difficult if not impossible. He expressed his desire to fight with the Pakistan Army.
These volunteers of Al-Badr were in love with Pakistan and this young man stood by the side of the Pak Army against Mukti Bahini and the Indian Army till the last moment. These young men always responded to every order of the Pak Army. He would sacrifice his life for the work entrusted to him.
Punish those who support Pakistan
Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Mujibur Rahman issued an act to punish politicians and volunteers who sided with Pakistan after the formation of Bangladesh. Attempts were made to punish all those who opposed the Awami League in the 1970 elections under this Act.
Al-Badr and other volunteers in Bangladesh still have not forgotten about massive rapes, murder,s, and looting cases that happened 40- to 50-years ago. Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch have also called the executions and life sentences unfair. Human rights groups say the demands of justice have not been met in these cases.
Problems of Bengalis in Pakistan
During the tragedy of the fall of Dhaka, millions of Bengalis were trapped in Bangladesh, while today, half a century later, millions of patriotic Bengalis living in Pakistan are fighting for their identity. Bengalis in Pakistan are facing problems with the issuance of identity cards.
The government of Pakistan has decided to issue National Alien Card to Bengalis but they say that if they are Pakistanis then they should be given a National Identity Card instead of an Alien Card and they should be recognized as Pakistanis and their legitimate rights should be provided and if we look at the problems that the besieged Bengalis in Bangladesh are facing after 50 years, the situation is more or less the same for the Bengalis of Pakistan.
Due to lack of identity Bengalis are viewed with suspicion in education, job creation, business, and in every field. The government should solve the problem of the identification of patriotic Bengalis so that Bengalis who love Pakistan can play their role in national development.
