By Afshain Afzal

Bangladesh is celebrating its 50 years of independence today. The great Bangladeshi nation announced national holidays from 17^th to 27^th March 2021 for the grand celebration of birth centenary of father of nation, Sheikh Mujibur Rahman's birthday 17^th March and Independence Day 26^th March. Government of Bangladesh held a 10-day golden jubilee celebration in the Dhaka and other parts of country. Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and President Abdul Hamid hosted four heads of state and government from Maldives (March 17-18), Sri Lanka (March 19-20), Nepal (March 22-24), Bhutan (March 24), and India (26-27 March) to join the grand celebrations in capital. Pakistan also organized the celebrations at its end to pay homage to its former Eastern part.

Today, Bangladesh is celebrating its independence but it hurts to recall the sad events linked with double game played by Washington and Indian plot to divide Pakistan into two pieces. One of the main reasons was also that there was a political divide between East and West Pakistan after the elections in 1970 that happened as result of joint conspiracy of New Delhi and Washington to dismember Pakistan. On one side Washington was supplying cache of arms and ammunition to Pakistan while on the other side it was voicing against Pakistan’s human rights violations allowing India RAW to play its role in separation of East Pakistan from West Pakistan. It was the Western and Indian propaganda put Pakistan into action when news spread that Indian military assisted and trained the Bangladesh’s guerrilla force, “Mukti Bahini”.

Indian government established Bangladesh’s government in exile and declared independence of Bangladesh. The media propagated that training camps were built for Bangladesh liberation forces with Indian assistance close to the East Pakistani border at number of places. On the other hand the US not only ordered a Task force of the Seventh Fleet including the nuclear powered aircraft carrier Enterprise and warships into the Bay of Bengal but also misguided Government of Pakistan regarding so called joint conspiracy by leaderships in East Pakistan and India to go for all out East Pakistan’s independence from Pakistan. CIA’s intelligence reports are even today considered as authentic as evidence of grand conspiracy by the Bengalis against state of Pakistan.

The military confrontation between India and Pakistan started from 3^rd December, 1971 and ended with fall of Dhaka. Pakistan forces also launched air strikes on East Pakistan’s territory on the basis of US-furnished intelligence input that civil war ended after the Pakistani military leadership ordered its troops, surrendered to avoid further bloodshed. If we peep into the facts, the situation between East and West Pakistan got worse when Washington advised Islamabad, not to hand over power to Bengalis because they lack the patriotic traits and would merge with India. Surprisingly, an outsider was telling the officials that who is patriotic and who is not. However, there was nothing to do with patriotism because Sheikh Sheikh Mujeeb ur Rehman won convincing majority in the elections and demanded right to establish government at the Centre. The US Senator Edward M.Kennedy visited camps in Calcutta, constructed by India for Bengalis on August 11^th, 1971 and instigated Bengalis against Pakistan’s army. Undoubtedly, the US was playing double games with Pakistan. The horrifying stories of massacres turned the situation from bad to worse. Moreover, the political maneuvering by third parties on both sides that led to the separation of Bangladesh after war shaped the future of Pakistan, Bangladesh and India.

America played the most negative role in separating Eastern and Western parts of Pakistan, leading to unrest and chaos. Archer K Blood, then American Consul General writes in his memoir: "The situation remains confused as two sides jockey for position and wait for others to force the issue. Mujib has, we believe, defused the immediate crisis. … Little by little the Sheikh and the Awami League become the de facto authority in East Pakistan. Meanwhile, the concept of Pakistan continues to erode. The Sheikh's tactics, if successful, reduce the chances of open confrontation by exposing only a fuzzy target for the Martial Law Administration. At the same time, he keeps the initiative and maintains control of the situation.

American Embassy in Islamabad was more pessimistic in their assessment: "Thus, events of March 6-7 have deferred showdown, but have not altered basic elements. Bangla appear bent on a degree of autonomy the Pak military (and probably Bhutto) unable to swallow. The question now is whether Yahya or Mujib will blink first – or whether neither will blink. Showdown cannot be put off much longer." In their assessment of what does Sheikh Mujibur Rahman now intend the US Embassy report wrote: "His goal remains unchanged – 'Emancipation' of Bangladesh from West Pakistan domination. This could mean full provincial autonomy' as under six points. It could also mean Mujib has come to believe that the freedom he seeks is attainable only by outright independence."

Sheikh Mujibur Rahman was active worker of Bengal Provincial Muslim League from his college-hood at Islamia College, Calcutta, In 1943 became member of the All-India Muslim League Council. Later in after the creation of Pakistan, he was top Muslim League leader and close aid of Quiad-e-Azam Mohammad Ali Jinnah. He was so much inspired by Mohammad Ali Jinnah, the Quaid-e-Azam that during pre-partition he used to sell pro-Pakistan weekly newspaper Millat on the streets of Dhaka along with other workers. In 1948, he was one of the leading founding member of East Pakistan Muslim Students League.

After the tragic death of Quaid-e-Azam Mohammad Ali Jinnah in September 1948, Awami Muslim League was formed in 1949 and Sheikh Mujibur Rahman was one of the founding Joint Secretaries. In early January 1950, on the occasion of the visit of Pakistan's Prime Minister Liaqaut Ali Khan to East Pakistan, Muslim League under Sheikh Mujibur Rahman took out an anti-famine procession in Dhaka due to which Sheikh Mujib was arrested and expelled from Muslim League for two years. In January 1952, he joined Maulana Bhashani, who was great friend of Quaid-e-Azam Assam who joined Muslim League Party in 1934 and ever since he devoted his whole life for Pakistan movement. Sheikh Mujibur Rahman remained General Secretary of the Awami Muslim League from 1953 to 1966 and its President from 1966 to 1974. During the elections of 1965, he joined hands with Fatima Jinnah and opposed dictatorial rule of General Ayub Khan. He and his party launched the campaign of Fatima Jinnah in East Bengal during her elections and because of him and other Bengali leaders Fatima gained more votes from East Bengal as compared to West Pakistan. He himself was elected as the Member of the National Assembly and always opposed the activities of the Pakistani establishment in the house.

During the War of 1965, Sheikh Mujibur Rahman being a loyal Pakistan did everything which could be done for Pakistani forces against India; from campaigning to collection of devotions and supporting Pakistan cause through speeches. Many amongst the Pakistani politicians were anti Quaid-e-Azam and anti-Fatima and did not allow her to win the elections, however, Mujibur Rahman stood side by side with Fatima Jinnah as solid rock. Fatima Jinnah died in July 1967 and afterwards there was no one to protect the rights of the people of East Pakistan.

In the 1970 national elections, despite leading his party to a major victory in the elections, Mujibur Rahman was not invited to form the government. On 25 March 1971, he was arrested by the Pakistan Army in an Operation Searchlight. During his nine-month detention, insurgency erupted and an attempt was made by Pakistan Army to crush Bengali nationalists and bring peace. An all-out civi-war between the Pakistan Army and East Pakistani nationalists started in which USA played a major role in the disintegration of Pakistan. In the meantime, India forces intervened and it led to the liberation of East Pakistan as an independent nation and emergence of Bangladesh in 1971. The enemies of Bangladesh could not see happy and prosperous Bangladesh and President of Bangladesh Sheikh Mujibur Rahman was martyred in a military coup d'état on 15 August 1975. Today, although Bangladesh has been separated from Pakistan but no matter what, Pakistan will ever remain its supporter. The people of Pakistan are equally joyful in the happiness of their Bangla brothers and sisters and pray for their happiness, prosperity and development.