Healthy Pakistan-Bangladesh ties will help both countries
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Writing about Pak-Bangladesh relations, with any measure of objectivity, is difficult for anybody hailing from either of these nations. As the 50th anniversary of the 1971 war closes this month and Bangladesh celebrates its independence, there are lessons in the successful Bangladesh model for Pakistan.
The narratives of 1971, often intertwined with emotional national pride, are divergent. And that is understandable as Pakistan and Bangladesh were one country before 1971 and separated from each other after a war. The birth of two nations from one bigger unit often leads to acrimony and brings in its wake issues that take a long time to settle. India and Pakistan are a case in point in addition to Russia and Ukraine, Serbia and Bosnia.
The Muslim leaders of Bengal played a seminal role in the establishment of Pakistan. They were cerebral, well-educated and had a strong inclination for independence. Muslim League, the party that spearheaded the movement for Pakistan, was established in Dhaka in 1906. Pakistan’s resolution of 1940 was moved by Fazal ul Haque, commonly known as the Tiger of Bengal. So the people of East Bengal (later East Pakistan) were jubilant in 1947 when Pakistan was established. They however, reacted strongly when Mohammad Ali Jinnah, Pakistan’s founder, said that Urdu would be the only national language of Pakistan. This reflected their strong sense of sub-national identity.
Henry Kissinger once described Bangladesh as a basket case. The country was least developed, had limited area with dense population and was prone to natural disasters. However, Bangladesh has made phenomenal progress and proven Kissinger wrong. It has run a successful family planning program and has effectively empowered females through micro-finance. The female entrepreneurs have played a leading role in garment industry which is a major export. Bangladesh and Pakistan can fruitfully cooperate in many fields including climate change.
Pakistan recognized Bangladesh at a tripartite meeting in New Delhi in 1974. Bilateral relations visibly improved in 1980’s when Pakistan exported F6 aircraft and some tanks to Bangladesh. However, the relationship has been lukewarm for about a decade now, for a number of reasons.
Bangladesh and Pakistan can fruitfully cooperate in many fields including climate change.
Javed Hafeez
The current year has seen some melting of the ice. Prime Minister Imran Khan congratulated his counterpart Sheikh Hasina Wajid on Independence Day and invited her to visit Pakistan. She has accepted the invitation. She has also invited Prime Minister Khan to visit her country.
While these are welcome signs, there still exist hurdles on the way to a warm and co-operative relationship. The biggest impediment is the insistence by Bangladesh that Pakistan should extend a formal apology for the events of 1971. Pakistan had formally said in 1974 that it regretted the events of 1971 but that was not considered sufficient. Now, the extension of a formal apology by Pakistan is not that simple for it will have consequences like war reparations, division of assets etc.
The idea of establishing the South Asian Association for Regional Co-operation (SAARC) was conceived by Bangladeshi President Zia ur Rehman and was instantly supported by Pakistan. It was a useful forum which unfortunately could not achieve its potential due to Indo-Pakistan issues. Since that multilateral approach has not worked well, it would be only prudent to move ahead bilaterally in the framework of existing institutions. Bilateral Joint Economic Commission and Foreign Secretary level talks should be reactivated soon.
The Indian factor has usually weighed heavy in this relationship. Even now, a thaw in these relations has something to do with Bangladeshi problems with India after it passed the Citizenship Act and made formal registration obligatory. About two million Bangladesh citizens working and living in Indian Assam fear expulsion, as a result. It would be far better if the two countries stopped looking at each other through the Indian prism. They should develop a healthy bilateral relationship of their own based on trade, cultural exchanges and people to people contacts. It is indeed a pity that there is no direct air link between the countries right now.
Robust trade relations often open doors for better political ties. Unfortunately, Pakistani exports to Bangladesh have been declining since 2011. Being a cotton and textiles producing nation, Pakistan can export raw material for the thriving garment industry. Think tanks of the two countries should have regular discussions. They should offer more exchange programs to students and professors.
It is good that Bangladesh prefers geo-economics over geo-politics. This is one reason for its success in poverty alleviation. Both India and Pakistan need to learn from the policies that have been implemented successfully in Bangladesh.
The two countries have a great deal in common in history. But for the creation of Pakistan, there would be no Bangladesh. However, the fruition of the idea of Pakistan would also not have been possible without the wholehearted participation of the dedicated leaders of Muslim Bengal.
– Javed Hafeez is a former Pakistani diplomat with much experience of the Middle East. He writes weekly columns in Pakistani and Gulf newspapers and appears regularly on satellite TV channels as a defense and political analyst.
Twitter: @JavedHafiz8
