The main topic of the week has been the celebration of 50 years of liberation war victory against Pakistan, that was a war which involved terrible atrocities against the civilian population, so much so that, to this day, certain data remain obscure regarding the actual number of victims and perpetrators, also to remain unknown are the lasting scars of the conflict on the two countries and their population.
To cut it short, the whole question of independence began on March 23, 1971, when ethnic violence broke out across East Pakistan among the Bengalis and the Urdu-speaking population known as Biharis, then, on December 16, 1971, the Pakistan Army surrendered to the Indian Armed Forces after months of unspeakable barbarities and an uncountable amount of blood that has been shed and Bangladesh was born, cut to today when Bangladesh is a sovereign and independent country and rightfully so.
To play an important role in the matter was Indian Prime Minister Indira Gandhi when she provided extensive diplomatic and political support to the Bangladesh movement by touring many countries in a bid to create awareness of the Pakistani atrocities against Bengalis, the female Prime Minister’s commitment to this project will prove vital later during the war, in framing the world’s context of the war and to justify military action by India, in addition, following Pakistan’s defeat, it ensured prompt recognition of the newly independent state of Bangladesh.
On the day of the celebration, huge crowds paid tribute to Bangladesh’s war heroes in the capital Dhaka and other cities, furthermore the Independence Day of Bangladesh is celebrated every year on March 26, a date that is definitely not random but singled out specifically to reference the morning of March 26, 1971, when Sheikh Mujibur Rahman declared Bangladesh’s independence from Pakistan, which were known at the time as East Pakistan and West Pakistan, respectively, therefore it is not hard to imagine that the day is characterized by parades, speeches, fairs, and ceremonial events to commemorate that historic day in 1971.
“In 10 years, we will see very changed and different countries. We are looking at green technologies, renewables in this era of climate change to create employment, IT and digital platforms, startups,” said India’s Foreign Secretary Harsh Vardhan Shringla.
Bangladesh has held celebrations throughout the year to mark the golden anniversary of its independence but, in spite of this, some events were called off because of the coronavirus pandemic which continues to hit the country very hard.
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi was the guest of honour to mark the outbreak of the conflict, as a matter of fact, the recognition of his country’s crucial aid and support at the time.
“I recall the great valour and sacrifice by … the Indian Armed Forces,” Modi, who laid a wreath in New Delhi to mark the anniversary, tweeted on Thursday, and again, “Together, we fought and defeated oppressive forces.” Stated the Prime Minister.
Even though Bangladesh is marking 50 years of independence this week, freedom celebrations are starting to worry some citizens, about the possibility that the country is giving up on two key principles enshrined in the constitution, democracy and secularism, there are valid reasons to worry about the said matter, in fact, Democratic rule was short-lived in Bangladesh, it lasted just four years after its inception, after that, the country’s founder and first president, Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, was assassinated in a coup, this event started an endless sequence of decades of military rule that followed, in which secularism was removed from the preamble of Bangladesh’s constitution and Islam was made the official state religion.
Eventually, democracy was restored in 1990, but right groups say that the country has not had a free and fair election in years, consequently long-time Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has countered criticism of her rights record by pointing out Bangladesh’s growing economy. “If I can provide food, jobs and health care, that is human rights,” she stated.
Moreover, widespread violence against women and girls continues, activists say, despite the passage of half a dozen laws passed to protect them which now seem useless seen that campaigners say educational campaigns, police enforcement and an independent judiciary are fundamental to establishing accountability and change.
References:
Bangladesh at 50: still a democracy?, available at:
https://www.aljazeera.com/program/the-stream/2021/12/16/bangladesh-at-50-still-a-democracy
Bangladesh marks 50 years of liberation war victory against Pakistan, available at:
https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2021/12/16/bangladesh-50-years-liberation-war-victory-day-pakistan
Bangladesh marks 50 years of war victory against Pakistan, available at:
The Untold Stories of the Independence War in Bangladesh, available at:
https://jacobinmag.com/2021/04/independence-war-bangladesh-pakistan-india/
https://nationaltoday.com/independence-day-of-bangladesh/
By The European Institute for International Law and International Relations.
