Hi Moujee,
Thank you for reading this very old essay. In this essay I have described in complete honesty what I had seen with my own eyes, and what I had experienced with my own person in the tumultuous days of the onslaught of Pakistani army’s atrocities in Bangladesh.
![kill29 Genocide][https://web.archive.org/web/20191025201044im_/http://www.genocidebangladesh.org/wp-content/uploads/2007/12/kill29.jpg]
You might think Bhutto, Yahya, and Mujib were responsible for the disintegration of Pakistan. But it is not that simple. The reality is: since its beginning, Pakistan was destined to be a failure, a state consigned for break up. The reason is very simple: Pakistan was an artificial country made in the utopia of Chowdhury Rahmat Ali, Sir Iqbal, and Jinnah.
Nevertheless, Pakistan, the old version, had a short span of breathing because of Islamic intoxication. Very soon, the people of Bangladesh realised the true nature of Pakistani rulers. It was complete apartheid and colonialism. The truth was: West Pakistan took Bangladesh (the East Pakistan) as its market and colony. You may read many articles on the disparity in the distribution of economic cake between East and West Pakistan.
Mujib and other Bangladeshi leaders simply highlighted those disparity and wanted to free the people of Bangladesh from the brutal exploitation of the Pakistani masters. The idea of an independent Bangladesh did not emerge just like that, it was in the making for twenty years, at least. Mujib was just the catalyst.
Anyway, to cut the story short, it is not true that Mujib was sentenced to death for the 'Agartala Conspiracy Case'. If my memory serves me correct, the Government of Pakistan was forced to withdraw or postpone this egregious sedition charge because of fierce public backlash.
You accuse Mujib of high treason, but Mujib did not led Pakistan army to defeat.
How about General A.A.K Niazi who unconditionally surrendered to the might of Indian army? Previously, the Pakistani Generals and their foot soldiers had vowed to fight to death for Islam and Pakistan. We did not witness any Pakistani General fight to death when the Indian forces' commander-in-chief ordered them to surrender unconditionally. The Pakistani General meekly accepted all the terms of surrender, and duly signed the surrender documents, which I had personally witnessed in the compound of Ramna race course in Dhaka.
So who do you think had betrayed Pakistan, Mujib or the Pakistani Generals? Who do you think is the traitor?: Mujib or General A.A.K Niazi?
Further, to the Pakistanis Mujib may be a traitor, but to the Bangladeshis, he is the father of the nation, he is the undisputed leader who led the Bengalis to win their freedom.
By the same token, Jinnah might be a hero for the Pakistanis, but for the Bengalis he is just another element in the creation of Pakistan. He is the one who proclaimed to make Urdu the only state language of Pakistan, even though the Bengalis were in majority. What would be your reaction if the majority Bengalis wanted to make Bengali and only Bengali the state language of Pakistan?
You are not correct to say that the Bengalis wanted two different currencies. They simply wanted autonomy for East Pakistan, leaving certain key issues, such as foreign affairs, currency...etc to the authority of the central government.
It is also not true that Mujib had broken (or tore) the photograph of Jinnah.
Why must the West Pakistan steal the wealth legitimately earned by Bangladesh (then East Pakistan)?
The accusation of looting by the Indian army is largely based on heresy. During the entire period of Indian army's stay in Bangladesh I did not hear a single case of looting by the Indian soldiers. Of course, the boot lickers of Pakistan army cannot wait to tell false stories. Even the looting by common criminals and thieves are passed up as the looting by the Indian army!
In contrast, the Pakistan army had looted millions of homes, including ours, which I have described in my account of the Pakistan army's atrocities in Bangladesh.
I do not blame you for having a complete incorrect picture about the breakup of Pakistan. Pakistani authorities have never told its citizens the truth. But those Pakistanis who had seen and experienced the 1971 genocide will vouch that what I have written is one hundred percent true. Even the Pakistani journalist Anthony Mascarenhaus, deeply perturbed by what he had seen with his own eyes, could not control his conscience. Returning to his job in Pakistan, he resigned, migrated to UK (perhaps) and wrote a book The Rape of Bangladesh to depict the barbarity of Pakistan army on the innocent, unarmed civilians of Bangladesh. By and large, through this book, the world had come to learn about the gratuitous killing of Bengalis by the Pak army.
I appreciate your concern for Pakistan. Your love for your country is understandable. Similarly, you should also accept the reality, that the Bengalis have profound love and respect for their sovereign Bangladesh. No country is perfect. Bangladesh also has its share of imperfection. But, by and large, we are very happy to be free from Pakistani colonialism.
We have no hatred or ill-feelings for the ordinary Pakistanis. We wish them all the best, we wish a happy and prosperous Pakistan. Live and let live is our motto.
Sincerely,
Abul Kasem
From: mouj_007@hotmail.com
To: abul88@hotmail.com
Subject: hi respected sir
Date: Sun, 21 Dec 2008 00:42:30 +0500
assalam-o-alaikum
respected sir!
i read ur article "Nights and Days of Pakistani Butchers"i can understand the feelings of a student at that time of great political revival in east pakistan being a student.
firstly let me introduce myself i m a patriotic pakistani punjabi citizen living in "punjab" i m a student of 10th class.i m very interested in seeking much knowledge about the "fall of east pakistan" in this concern i have read much books on the particular issue. being a patriotic i also love our bangladesh although its not pakistan know Bangladesh ur soverign country has always remained closer to my heart because of the reason that some times we also had some link with that part. I had never been to Bangladesh but still think high abt bangladesh.
according to me this clear that bhutto, yahya and mujib were responsible for fall of east pakistan i u have some knowledge abt agartalla case it must be cleared to u that mujib was a traitor and was sentenced to death but due to the reaction of east pakistan as well as west pakistan (bhutto) for the sake of political revival he was set free.the west pakistanis had loving ties and hopes for u after 1970 elecctions the govt must be made by mujib but unfortnately the six points were the problem.
1:before 1970 elections u would be a patriotic citizen(i hope) mujib emphasised upon lessened of defence budjet but west pakistan was in danger so how could military be evacuated.????????????????
2:it was clear from the independence of pakistan that urdu would be national language so why the bengali???????????
3:how can a country have two currencies.????????????????????
4:if some amount was being spent on west pakistan then whats the problem????? both were the parts of pakistan.
5:mujib burnt the posters of quaid-e-azam ???????????
etc
so the six points were the sencelessness in thier shape a great mispreseption was being created betweem the bengali and pakistani masses.
now u have got every thing but is our bangladesh as progressed as compared to pakistan?????????????
i agree that if both wings had joined hands for the possible solution it was possible.
but due to selfishness of bhutto for the seat of prime minister of pakistan,yahya for president(larkana plan) and bangla bandhu for seat of primeminister of bangladesh(agartala plan) the masses were ground and stood against one another .
the use of army(operation searchlight) was not the solution but unfortunately it was the only choise for the culprit of the traitors belonged to awami league only not our bangali brothers.
as written in ur particular essay
"the army officer entered the bedroom. My sister asked the army officer why they were being harassed. The officer told my sister that he had information that there were many miscreants in our area. Their duty was to catch these miscreants and take them to cantonment for punishment. He then told my sister that he had found us very gentle, polite and cooperative and so he will let all of us go free this time. But he wanted to let everyone know that they will come again. At last he showed some respect to my mother by apologising to her and saying good bye to her in chost Urdu"
this shows that they gave respect to ur sisters not raped them.
unfortunately bengali turned against us after use of army and our joint army india also played its role.
i reffer u a book "raw and bangladesh" written by a bengali "zain-ul-abadin"
the book "witness to surrender" u must read
after winning war india also looted u a bengali writes in defence forum pakistan (pls visit, defense.pk)
i hope u will not mind. i apologise for any inconvenience but its fact in mind of a pakistani.
- A Bengali freethinker and is a teacher by profession
- Ccontributed in Leaving Islam – Apostates Speak Out and Beyond Jihad – Critical Voices from Inside
- Written extensively on Islam in various websites and is the author of several e-Books including: A Complete Guide to Allah, Root of Terrorism ala Islamic Style, Sex and Sexuality in Islam, Who Authored the Quran? and Women in Islam. Mr. Kasem leaves in Sydney, Australia
- Latest contribution is in the book Why We left Islam, edited by Susan Crimp et al.
- Can be contacted at abul88 at hotmail dot com and nirribilli at gmail dot com