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Death in Dhaka
Few things will make one sick to the stomach as quickly as some of the mementoes of the 1971 war in Dhaka.
Artifacts at the museum, among them skulls and bones discovered from a mass grave in Dhaka.
Few things will make one sick to the stomach as quickly as some of the mementoes of the 1971 war at the Liberation War Museum in Dhaka. Tucked away in a lane in the suburbs of Segun Bagicha, the museum documents the events that led to the creation of Bangladesh, and preserves the mementoes and photographs of those that fought in the war.
As a Pakistani schooled in a sanitised version of history, the museum makes one cringe with revulsion. Skulls and bones recovered from a killing field in Mirpur, Dhaka, stare at you from a glass cupboard. A black and white image shows vultures picking at the bodies of those left for dead. In another image, a snake is stretched out on the back of a dead body — an unknown victim of the cyclone that battered East Pakistan in 1970, and led to increased feelings of alienation amongst East Pakistanis with the slow aid response from West Pakistan. Lewd sketches of women are among the graffiti found in a Pakistan Army camp.
My tour guide turns to me, “You tell me, how can we forgive or forget this?” Umm-e-Hani Shoily is a college student and, though this is her third visit to the museum, some of the images still fill her with horror.
Occupying a two-storeyed house, the Liberation War Museum documents the history of East Pakistan from the days of British Rule to 1971. Established in 1996 by the Liberation War Museum trust, a group of individuals focused on preserving and presenting history, the museum is funded by the Government of Bangladesh and donations from an NGO and individuals. Images of slain army officers, women and intellectuals dot the walls and a separate room is dedicated to notable personalities that led the war. Amena Khatun, an archivist and curator at the museum, says the place sees up to 150 visitors every day. The collection of pictures and mementos has been primarily given by private donors. “This is amazing, people feel the urge to preserve their belongings and their history,” says Khatun.
Khatun is amongst the millions of Bangladeshis who lost a loved one in 1971 — her father, a furniture shop owner and supporter of the Mukti Bahini, went missing in May 1971. His body was never found.
In 1999 hundreds of skulls and bones were discovered in a mass grave in Dhaka. “A Bihari man, who had been involved in the massacre told us about this mass grave, which was then excavated with the help of the authorities. There are many killing fields around here.”
Though the man who pointed out the location of the killing field is still free, Khatun is optimistic: “We can’t trace everyone, but the war crimes tribunal is working on identifying and trying the main culprits involved in these incidents.”
Arriving in Bangladesh as the Cricket World Cup 2011 kicked off in Dhaka, all one could see in the capital were green and red flags; the patriotism in the air was palpable. But with the patriotism, there is a constant reminder everywhere in Dhaka of what 1971 stood for. On walls, there are sketches of the 1971 war — including an image of a Pakistan Army soldier snatching a Bengali girl’s dupatta. “We don’t hate Pakistanis,” says Shouli. “But everyone here has lost someone in the war: fathers, brothers, sisters, mothers.”
Khatun sums up the patriotism of Bengalis, “We went through 200 years of British rule, and then the Pakistan rule, after which we got our own nation.”
Even those who didn’t lose a direct relation in the war suffered, like Swatee Majid, the owner of the house where the museum is currently based. “Our entire family was scattered, some of them had to leave,” she says. “When we were part of Pakistan, they never accepted us, or our language. What has changed since 1971 though is that we’ve become more rough in terms of our natures as a result of what happened.”
Khatun feels that a way forward would be for the Government of Pakistan to apologise and acknowledge the events leading up to and of 1971. “Its not possible to forget, especially for those who lost everything. Pakistan must apologise.”
According to Mofid ul Haque, one of the trustees of the museum, “The idea is to move beyond the conflict. We have to learn lessons from the events and look at the reasons as to why this happened.”
But with Pakistan unwilling to accept responsibility, the possibility of that seems remote. The Hamood ur Rehman Commission report, which was supposed to investigate the events of the 1971 War, states: “According to the Bangladesh authorities, the Pakistan Army was responsible for killing three million Bengalis and raping 200,000 East Pakistani women. It does not need any elaborate argument to see that these figures are obviously highly exaggerated.”
Despite testimony given by military officers to the effect that massacres of innocent people did take place — for example: “Lt Col SM Naeem (Witness No 258) CO of 39 Baluch said “innocent people were killed by us during sweep operations and it created estrangement amongst the public” — textbooks, political and military leaders continue to whitewash the documented massacre and rape of Bengali men and women.
“What amazes me, after one looks at all of this (in the museum), is that there is still war and conflict going on,” says Majid.
Haque concurs, “We must move beyond the conflict — it’s a difficult challenge, but we must start the process. We’ve presented facts and documents at the museum, but we will continue to ask why this happened.”
Published in The Express Tribune, Sunday Magazine, March 20th, 2011.
Reader Comments (133)
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This version of history is challenged by a lot in Bangladesh itself. its haseena’s way of staying in poser. ignore this and move on. there is nothing to learn here.Recommend
All this is Indian propaganda spread in Bangladesh…soon we will be united and the green crescent fill fly in DakhaRecommend
This clearly shows that we are hading towards total destruction…Mukti Bahni and all the related Indian propaganda machine was responsible for what happened back then….How can you beleive that in 1965 we were one nation and within a year or so from creation of Mukti Bahni Bangladesh was created ….???
It was all due to Hitler like propaganda of Mukti Bahni and Indians….and now we are trying to justify those heineous propagandas in the name of Liberal Journalism….
Remember these skulls were of humans who were killed by Mukti Bahni…!!!!
I am really really ashamed at whatever has been written on this page…….Just to be counted amongst liberal….does not necessitate that we should part with cruel Indians…
Just go to BANGLADESH AND INTERVIEW old people who were there in 1971 you will see that truth is different…it was India who did it…..
India is doing it again in Baluchistan……..Recommend
Madam, with due respect, the Pakistanis too can make a museum in the memory of those West Pakistanis who were butchered and in some case, fed poisonous water through pipes by mukti bahini and say: “Tell us, how can we forgive or forget this”?Recommend
The skulls recovered from mass grave are of those Biharis who were intentionally killed by Mukti Bahni. Male members of Bihari families escorted in every town of East Pakistan(Now Bugladesh) and killed in mass.Recommend
Disappointed with this distorted version of historyRecommend
THIS IS ONLY 1 SIDE OF STORY..WHAT ABOUT MASS KILLING OF NON BENGALIS BY CRUEL MUKHTI BAHNI? YOU SHOULD SHOW THE OTHER SIDE OF PICTURE ALSO..Recommend
The trophies of the twisted JI mindset to seek worldly power in the ‘holy’ cloak of religion. Good for Bangladesh to ban JI. Now JI must be banned world wide as a clear and present danger to humanity. They promote and practice hatred and bigotry.Recommend
If it is true, Pakistan won’t lose anything to apologise to Bangladesh. We celebrated our independence as one nationa from the british empire and we were the same one nation who faced the troubled times together for 24 years. We might have made mistakes but that shouldn’t hijack the two nations by the likes of JI. Remember we owe a lot to Bangladesh, including the name.Recommend
i am in Dhaka nowadays ,i have visited national museum and banghabandhu museum in Dhonmandi .Where is this museum located that you mentioned ?Recommend
Unfortunately we are still in denial. For all those please do check facts, not what we believe or been told but the reports by different Human rights organizations and independent groups. If we still want to live in the ignorance and denial we will soon repeat it, it was this ignorance of the facts about the mis treatment of Bengalis west that lead to the separation. Stop blaming India and others alone, they just took advantage of what was going on but the seed of hate and mistrust was from our own people’s treatment and atitude, change it before we lose more … just read the Hamud Ur Rahman report , most of which was suppressed by the government, why ? where do we get our information … propaganda of own government. If you do not believe me just go talk to the people who suffered, if you think they are lying then look int other international news and articles of that era and the reports by other independent agencies and if you want just to feel good about your self then ignore this and be happy in your own dream land created by our own government to put curtain to it’s massacres and killing of our own people.Recommend
Read the following to further top up the post:
1. http://www.dawn.com/2011/03/13/smokers-corner-violent-ghosts.html
2. http://ibrahimsajidmalick.com/forsaken-crimes-of-pakistan-army/550/Recommend
Its disappointing how many Pakistanis in the comment box are still in denial. Whenever you’ll go outside Pakistan and meet a Bengali you’ll realize he had lost someone in that war, you will realize how brutally our army killed Bengalis. In the very same way its butchering Baluchis. Don’t realize it, but you’re still at the wrong side of the history.Recommend
Mukti Bahini were trained and supplied by the Indian forces. RAW supported not only MB but also lit fires on both sides to aggravate the conflict. Now we see more of the same with its support of the Baloch insurgents as well as the so-called TTP.Recommend
The same game is being played in Baluchistan. Pakistan Army was forced to deal with the situation when politician failed to resolve the issue they were supposed to resolve with open heart. All was aggravated and over projected to malign a nation and divide muslims of a nation of high potential.We all know that there are always two sides of a story and half truth is equal to a complete lie.Recommend
it is high time the bengalis forget and forgive……the only reason they are not able to do so is because they are constantly reminded of it through hideous images on walls and museums which have skulls as mementos!Recommend
There is no excuse for an educated Pakistani who has access to the internet to maintain their ignorant view of the World. It’s abundantly clear that you should toss out your local history books because “sanitize” is too kind of a word. The brutal facts may not be pleasant but denying this massacre is akin to denying the Holocaust – and unfortunately there are plenty of ignorant and biased people who do that all the time. Why your Wikipedian the history of this massacre take the time to look up the actual battle results of your various wars with India – and then ask yourself why those military leaders still have a job?Recommend
Some people here are forgetting that if a person/community is tortured continuosly, there bound to be some reaction which will not be very human and rational. So just pointing at the reaction of Mukti Bahini does not justify Pakistani army’s cruelty with respect to this chapter. I do agree the stats may be exaggerated to certain extent, but that no way minimize the grave crime committed by more than 1 Lakh Pakistani soldiers for a period of nine months. This was not a war against another army but random extortion of infinite proportion to a community. Protecting your own country’s integrity is one thing, but I would like to know what had compelled them to rape and murder innocent civilians ? I would like to know the reaction of the parents, wives and children of those 90 thousand Pakistani prisoners of war who have butchered others’ wives, children and parents . I understand that current Pakistani generation are apprehensive about this chapter in their history as that’s how their education system groomed them coupled with the propaganda spread by military and political body. But what is unacceptable is very little effort from a significant chunk of Pakistanis to unearth the truth and blunt denial of this mass genocide which is the second biggest in last century after Nazzis. Unfortunately unlike the German oppression to Jews, this dark period was not enough highlighted by the World media.Recommend
Scores of brainwashed pakistan study students trying to justify everything from terrorism to mass murder. All over the world, pakistan study is considered one of the most distorted literature collection. Everything from language, history, geography, religion …. is twisted to suit the millitary, ISI and power hungry corrupt politicians. What a shame, a bunch of english educated pakis dont even take time to google and search the truth available in every piece of article except pakistan studies which is a tool to teach citizen distorted version of paki bloodfilled and loser history. Its a cover up for the entire history of 63 years of mistake, shame, loss in every field imaginable, conspiracy and evil acts of pakistan.Recommend
Kazmi, Goga, Disappointed, Usman Hassan, Ashamed, Shahid Rizvi, are you fellow Pakistanis of mine SANE? Have you forgotten the military crackdown we did? Operation Searchlight? The 90% Awami League victory in the 1970 election? The refusal to allow the parliament to meet by Yahya Khan, and then the decision to launch a crackdown? That the plan was so horrible that Sahibzada Yaqub Khan, a man who would become our foreign minister, resigned from his military posting rather than kill all those people?
The retaliatory killings happened against the Biharis; but these were knives and staves versus the artillery, armour, air power and mechanised infantry our forces deployed against the rebels.
When our forces surrendered in December 1971, they numbered only 50,000 fighting soldiers out of the 90,000, whilst in a population of about 70,000,000.
Now imagine the ferocity with which 50,000 men could keep a population of 70,000,000 subdued.
That is how desperate and dirty the fighting in East Pakistan/Bangladesh was.Recommend
To those disputing the military crackdown and mass murder in Bangladesh, I have to ask if you’re sane? Have you forgotten the military crackdown we did? Operation Searchlight? The 90% Awami League victory in the 1970 election? The refusal to allow the parliament to meet by Yahya Khan, and then the decision to launch a crackdown? That the plan was so horrible that Sahibzada Yaqub Khan, a man who would become our foreign minister, resigned from his military posting rather than kill all those people?
The retaliatory killings happened against the Biharis; but these were knives and staves versus the artillery, armour, air power and mechanised infantry our forces deployed against the rebels.
When our forces surrendered in December 1971, they numbered only 50,000 fighting soldiers out of the 90,000, whilst in a population of about 70,000,000.
Now imagine the ferocity with which 50,000 men could keep a population of 70,000,000 subdued.
That is how desperate and dirty the fighting in East Pakistan/Bangladesh was.Recommend
I do agree with the author.The atrocity done by the holi Pakistani army was no different from Holucast.Peoples living in W.pakistan was completely ignorant of what was going in East.But surprising is that living in 21st centuary nothing has been changed here about the war.I am frustrated to see lot of Pakistani still playing the same old cards like their rulers of past who used to say its a india, zionist conspiracy against pakistan.You say, the greatest Bengali of all time Sheikh Mujibur Rahman was a agent of india and his Muktibahini was a bunch of traitor!
I dont want to explain the history as it has been already so many times.Recommend
@N:
Pakistan has not apologised to Bangladesh for 1971 misdeeds? Whom do you blame if Bangladesh cannot forget or forgive.Recommend
@Ashamed
You have put it very nicely. Commmpletelllyyyy agree with you! I hope Bangladeshis can understand this too. Unfortunately i think we have more Indians taking interest in our websites than Bangladeshis. So not sure if anyone from Bangladesh can read and understand what you say.
Its very disappointing to see that the writer has no clue as to what role did the Indians play in the fall of Dhaka. However, after reading through the comments, its good to know that there are still a lot of Pakistanis who don’t just blindly agree to the pro-Indian/anti-Pakistani propaganda.Recommend
@oppurbaBD : I beg to differ with you on Sheikh Mujibur Rahman as the greatest Bengali. No offence but I personally think it’s unfair to make such a specific conclusion though I know that your comment is your personal opinion and in no way means disrespect to other sons of Bengal. Bengal which resembles West Bengal and Bangladesh in today’s political context has produced innumerable dynamic souls and Mujibur is one of them.Recommend
After reading above comments, i know for sure that we have not learned a single damn thing for our bloody and moronic past. No wonder, we have become the hell hole of this very world. My sincere and deepest apologies to my Bengali brothers.Recommend
@Goga: SHARMILA BOSE – “She is controversial for her writing on the 1971 Bangladesh Liberation War, suggesting that the casualties and rape allegations in the Bangladesh Liberation War were greatly exaggerated for political purposes.[1][2] Her views have been criticized strongly in Bangladesh[3] and India.” http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sarmila_Bose
In my estimation what happens is that a lot of “evil” happens (I lived in those times and can remember newspaper reports & graphic images from the time) – to the people to whom it happens they feel a lot more happened & to the perpetrators they feel not that much happened. So Yes ! A lot of bad things happened – it would be silly to deny it but the role of historians is to revisit after things have cooled down & reexamine the subject.Recommend
Dear Mr. or Miss TLW… You are just listening one side of story..Have you ever listen to horrible experiences of Biharis.. You should listen to them..I have horrible real pictures of Bengalis massacre of Non Bengalis.. I have met so many eye witnesses of that massacre. I am not justifying Pak Army action…But You always need to listen both sides of story. They had conflict with Pak Army..Why they killed brutally innocent Non Bengali?Recommend
swat 2009 had the same fate.Recommend
These comments are unbelievable and sad. Yet another crime by your Army and ISI. An entire generation of Pakistan suffers the anger from history not knowing why. An entire generation growing up on fictional stories with no connection to things that actually happened and then feeling hurt and victimized by non-Pakistani accounts of history.
Someone asked why people don’t google and stuff. I do think they do, but the find the world “misinformed” because it simply doesn’t match the reality created for them.Recommend
@Mike Sullivan: “Mukti Bahini were trained and supplied by the Indian forces. RAW supported not only MB but also lit fires on both sides to aggravate the conflict. Now we see more of the same with its support of the Baloch insurgents as well as the so-called TTP.”
We have a “1000 years of rule” to avenge, you know. And we have just got started.Recommend
Those who do not learn from history are doomed to repeat it !
Pakistan has not learnt from Bangladesh, you can see them repeating it in Baluchistan, Fata and other western provinces.Recommend
This is just one side of story and figures told by Bangladesh authorities regarding killings/rape of their people. Yes, our army and politicians are mostly responsible for what happened in 1971 but you cannot deny the role of India. They are responsible too. I hope author also dig up what Mukhti Bahni did to our people too.Recommend
STOP SPREADING THIS WRONG MESSAGE OF PAKISTAN. WE ALL MADE MISTAKES, PAKISTAN ACCEPTS THAT BUT WHAT IS MENTIONED HERE IS NOT TRUERecommend
It is indeed interesting to hear Indians lecturing Pakistanis about the need to condemn atrocities committed in 1971 when the same Indians are supporting 500,000 “security” officers terrorizing 7,000,000 Kashmiris.Recommend
It’s deeply painful to know how much in denial some of my fellow Pakistanis are. We should apologize to Bangladeshis and pay them war reparations. And STOP making the same tragic mistake in Baluchistan!Recommend
pakistan must apologize for bangladesh carnage and try not to repeat such heinous crimes in balochistan and NWFP
India gave you freedom for not killing minority and muslims!!
IF govt cant run then please hand over the land to indiaRecommend
Raj and many other Indians/Pakistanis here,
May you quote the source for the numbers and the figures of rape/murder committed by Pakistanis in 1971? While atrocities of 1971 must not be condoned, they must also be based on facts and not propaganda. The figures three millions murdered and 200,000 raped were provided by Bangladesh without any proof and and have been quoted verbatim by the likes of Raj. How and why Bangladesh came out with these numbers? This is supposed to be a question all educated English-speaking, nah, all people around the globe need to ask. May we start to ask Bangladeshis how they came out with these numbers and their proofs to back these up? It is important to demand Bangladeshis and Indians to come out with proofs to back their assertions because had Pakistanis mentioned that Indian soldiers have raped 100,000 Kashmiri women, Indians would be up in arms and demand proof for this accusation. So, the onus lies on those who accused Pakistanis of raping and mass murdering Bangladeshis in 1971 to come out with proofs to back up their assertions. Where are the mass graves? Where are the 200,000 Bangladeshi women raped?
Secondly, there were 34,000 Pakistani soldiers in East Pakistan during the peak of the war. If the rape figure were correct, each Pakistani soldier raped an average of eight women. This is an important quandary noticed by Sarmila Bose. Yes, self-righteous Pakistanis, Sarmila Bose, an Indian, dared to question figures/narratives provided by Bangladesh and India. Why aren’t you guys, having gray matters, engaged in the same critical thinking?Recommend
Maybe not 3 million dead and 200,000 rapes. Maybe there were 50,000 rapes and 5 lakh dead- STILL LOOKS PRETTY EVIL TO ME.
There is a very neutral source which testifies to the amazing brutality- the reports of the British doctors who were in Bdesh in 1970-71- their articles were published in British Medical Journal at that time. Google it, if you do not find it, let me know. I got reprints in my office.
Case closed. DR MISHRA, of India and UK
PS- I do not know much about atrocities by Mukhti Bahini, and my response is not to minimise or disrespect those deathsRecommend
The amount of Pakistani denial here is sickening. First and foremost, let’s recognize the irony that Pakistan, a country created to protect the interests of Muslims killed far more Muslims than anyone else has ever done.
Second, enough of the denial. The longer Pakistan lives in denial about what it has and hasn’t done, the longer it takes you to get rid of the fools who run the ISI and Army.
Pakistan is a unique country in that it’s ISI and Military lose almost every conflict they are involved in yet manage to convince the population that there was always some outside force that made them lose. That’s just wrong. That’s like North Korea showing on TV that their team beat Brazil in the Football World Cup.
Stop the lies. Open your eyes. Fix Pakistan.Recommend
@Ahmed Ilyas: ” STOP SPREADING THIS WRONG MESSAGE OF PAKISTAN. WE ALL MADE MISTAKES, PAKISTAN ACCEPTS THAT BUT WHAT IS MENTIONED HERE IS NOT TRUE ”
As a Hindu/Sikh, my basic question remains – (irrespective of the numbers) HOW AND WHY DID THE MUSLIM PAKISTANI ARMY MURDER AND RAPE FELLOW MUSLIMS ?Recommend
We should accept our mistake and should punish who did atrocities in with Bangladeshi. Its painful to see our people in refusing mode. Due to all this thing, what ever happens today
in Pakistan .
We are champion to commit crime and always try to putting blame in Indian, American or west.
Due to all this thing we create system of violence. and now this our created system comes on us and that why daily killing at Karachi, Punjab and tribal area.
Still we will not learned from this our mistake and still continue in refuse mode, will be doomed to divide nation. it is very much likely Pakistan will be divided. We are killing Afghan, Baloch, and we are saying this done by Indian and America , who are making fool.Recommend
To all my Indians Friends.
What about killings of Kashmiris By occupational Indian Forces? We had the Courage to Establish Hammod-ur- Rehman Commission. DO YOU INDIANS, BEING THE SO-CALLED lARGEST DEMOCRACY OF WORLD,, HAVE THE COURAGE to Discuss atrocities committed by indian army in Kashmir. Has any indian army personnel been punished by ur Holy state of Incredible India. before criticising pakista, look into horrible history an.Recommend
@ Sharma
Hope u r not Chetan Sharm?
Hazaron Khawaishen aise, ke Har khawaish pe dam Nikley.
By the way, we are well to do people, so not Accustomed to sleeping on Footpaths like Starved masses of Calcutta and bombay etc. Better feed ur people first and then think about us.Recommend
Let bygone be bygone and move ahead with positivity best expressible in the form of giving love and respect to Bangladeshies.They are our brethren and we should wipe out the scary images of past by extending all sorts of cooperation from all the walks of life, may it be education,moral/fiscal support and particularly in trade and commerce.Extensive interaction will help scavenge the loathe.Recommend
Thats all Indian propogandaRecommend
@Raj:
No Mr Raj, This is not my personnal opinion. Sheikh Mujibur Rahman has been choosed as the best bengali of all time by BBC Bangla in 2006 by the bengalies of all over the world including W.Bengal and others.BBC had urged to its viewers to vote for greatest 20 bengali then bengali of Bangladesh and Westbengal has voted Mujibur Rahman as the greatest of all time but the whole list also include the name of Rabindranath Tagore, Satyajit Roy, Sheikh Hasina, Saurav Ganguli and others. You may find it in Wikipedia.Recommend
@Ashamed
I pity you my brother since you guys are so continuously brainwashed in believing this crap. You have never learned to accept your fault. And always want to drop blame on “aha” India for everything. You don’t even know the right reasons behind India-Pakistan partition. How would you, cause you are reading the history text books first changed after partition and later skewed at its max by Zia. You have internet ofcourse hence you comment here, please go and read independent articles on how Pakistan was formed. You will get your answers why Bangladesh came into being. Still you can brew the hatred as much as you want in you and turn blind eye by the proof itself.
By the way as per your suggestion I did check with Bangladeshi’s boen before 1971 to understand their history. Too bad for you cause they exactly the same noted by this article. But it doesnt matter cause you will strike back saying “oh they must be follower of mukti bahini”. If this is how you pakis will always leave and never open to listen what others say, how would you ever come out of mess. Your dream of great pakistan will die with you as just a dream. I pity you
Peace to South AsiaRecommend
@Mike
haha, first, applause for choosing name “mike” cause you show how bold you are when your people are killed in name of blasphemy. Secondly you have an amazing imaginative power to make an excellent conspiracy theorist. Surely Hamid Zaeed will be happy to know he has a successor who can poison minds of pakistani people and nurture hatred against India. Bravo.Recommend
@Ahmed IIyas
STOP LIVING IN DENIAL :PRecommend
@Zeeshan
To discuss Kashmir, you need an open mind not a prejudiced one. In India we are aware of situation in Kashmir and are more and more people are forcing the government to make a right path to pay attention to the complains. What do you do for Baluchistan? Apart from right away blaming India behind all your trouble what good are you doing for them ? There is always some conspiracy theory of India involved in all Pakistani problem and Hamid Zaid screams from top of his lungs that he has “proof”. What “proof” have the presented until now ? Any evidence apart from just claiming it ? Have they presented any material proof, witness, rationale behind why “they think” India is behind troubles. It is easy to get carried away by such claims. We have voice samples, man in custody, a planner in jail who gives the laundry list of name and location of people in pakistan responsible for mumbai carnage, we gave access to pakistan to do their investigation here for mumbai carnage. Why is pakistan getting chickened out in letting indian investigator come and interogate the suspects? You won’t have any good answers so save your breathe ( or fingers ). This attitude from Pakistani establishment is enough to tell that how many skeletons they have in their closet.Recommend
I am sorry of the role my country played in the division of Pakistan. May there be peace everywhere.Recommend
@Goga:
dream on goga.Recommend
its wrong to say pakistanis did it when only punjabis were responsible for rapes and murders i can tell you this with confidence because only punjabis are murdering and raping balochi girls iindiscriminately balochistan zindabadRecommend
@Zeeshan Pandit: Listen pandit don’t bring kashmir into this you will pay heavy price. Pandit, there were kashmiri christens in the valley. May I ask you what happen to them??? where are they now??? This all started when in 1970 one group of people started this stupidness. They did not allow the others to live. I don’t want to comment on kashmiri pundits as they started leaving the valley and they lost everything aas the entire world knows … Your surname suggest your forfathers were also pundits. Don’t give us your stupid history.. Kashmir is for everyone, pundits, sikhs, christens and muslims.. Sometimes you need to talk about christens also who bought top class educational institutes to the valley.. And never bring kasmir into any dispute you criminals don’thave any rights, oh sorry you are the converted one you even don’t know about your forefathers “Pundits” .. !! I am Proud to be an Indian.. Minority Indian.. Thanks.Recommend
Painful! But what of these heartless comments from those still in denial?Recommend
@ Zeeshan – Go to Wikipedia. Read all the sources listed. Go read the UN Human Rights Commission site. Stop living in denial.
Admit that Pakistan has not lived up to its goal of being a safe place for Muslims.
More importantly, you commit a logical fallacy. You assume that “rape” could only be blamed on uniformed Pakistani Army Members. It’s well known that numerous paramilitary and Islamist groups were supported by East Pakistan in 1970 and 1971 that were responsible for many of the killings and crimes associated with Bangladesh’s struggle for independence.
The Blood Memo written by the US Consul for Dhaka bluntly calls what Pakistan did genocide. Pakistan massacred the Bengalis. 10 – 15 million fled to India. Pakistan as a safe home for Muslims – what a joke. Get over yourself and admit your wrongs.Recommend
@Pakistani: I think it’s more disappointing to see how many Indians troll onto Pakistani sites and pretend to be Pakistani. You gave it away when you mentioned Baluchistan because you would know that most crimes carried out there are due to Indian agents filtering in from Afghanistan. My own family in Quetta says that! As for 1971 , no one disputes that many innocent people were killed, but again there was savagery on both sides and the whole thing was instigated by Indians who didn’t want a fair fight. They wanted to create problems there in Bangladesh as an excuse to creating a war and seizing more Pakistani territory. I agree that Bangladesh should have become it’s own nation but the way it happened with India creating mischief was shameful. As for the Mukhti Bahini, they did little fighting against Pakistani troops but just terrorized civilians. These skulls are probably some of those people they killed.Recommend
And who is going to confirm that these are the skulls of Bengalis and not some Bihari or West Pakistani or some JI activist killed by Mukti Bahni terrorists. Come on like do some one will believe that with all grandiose claims of 3 million “massacre” and 200000 rapes these skulls are the enough proofs to prove “innocent” Bengalis were massacred by “evil” West Pakistanis.
@ Indians
I know guys have little or no shame but it is definitely the case of pot calling kettle black when it comes to human rights and massacre. Punjab, North East, Assam and IOK are the perfect example of India’s “respect” for humanity and human rights.Recommend
Zeeshan Pandit; I dont know where u got the figure of 34000 pakistani soldiers in E Pakistan in 1971. My search yielded 90000 soldiers who have surrendered along with 90000 militants. Your ratio of rapists to the raped goes topsy turvy on these numbers. I am sure there were more pakistani soldiers during the peak of war assuming many have died during the war and many returned/escaped.Wilipedia lists many of the references which give the mass graves.Recommend
@Zeeshan Pandit…..
If I ask u the same question...How did u know that there were only 34K pak soldiers in Bangladesh...then?? And for ur kind info, specially in south asia,rape victims don't expose themselves.It is not possible for gov to count the number of rape victims.
Again who cares for how many people were killed and how many women were raped?? It doesn’t matter.But everybody knows that mass killing and raping happened.Isn’t it sufficient??Again we can’t go to Pak military to know how many women they have raped ??hillarious…Recommend
Politics has destroyed nations, it has never done good, although we all say, we believe in democracy but inside we believe in power to control others around.
Even the Americans do not believe in democracy but only protraits it to the world.
The recent events in the past few years are evident.
War has alway bought pain and bad memories.Recommend
I wonder why it took more than 30 years for the Hamood ur Rehman comission report to become public ? and what portion was withheld ?
Have we not seen enough war in our country, to imagine what can happens when a military force is pitted against popular demand ?
We desparately need to change our mindset otherwise there is always a hard way to learn. I do hope Pakistan never has to.Recommend
The atrocities of East Pakistan is again being repeated in Balochistan by the Pakistani military. The people should have held the military accountable. The end result in Balochistan is starting to look like East Pakistan.Recommend
Kashmir was always a Hindu land and so is every land till Hindu Kush… Islam needs to go to Arabia not this holy Indus valley….
Lost souls must return into the lap of Buddha and find peace… You will never live in peace till you honour the Buddha that prevailed in Swat / Bamiyan and Indus…Recommend
History is written by victors and in 1971, the Bengalis of course won. They are free to write whatever they wish.Recommend
@reasonhasvoice – your voice has no reason whatsoever….!Recommend
OMG! The first 7 comments categorically deny any genocide happening in Bangladesh. They dont even realize that the Hamoodar Rehman Commission report clearly says the Genocide happened but differs on the number of killed and raped.
Pakistanis are brainwashed so much that even in this age of Internet and Communication they believe that 1971 was an Indian propaganda and Mukhti Bahini was a Terrorist Organization.
Go ask any Bengali who lost a Mother or a Father or a Son or a Daughter in 1971 if Mukhti Bahini was a Terrorist Organization and they will give you a tight slap on your face.
Pakistanis are dumber and more insensitive than I thought. There are exceptions ofcourse but they are few and far in between.Recommend
@a.afridi,
“I wonder why it took more than 30 years for the Hamood ur Rehman comission report to become public ? and what portion was withheld ? ”
–> I’ll answer that my friend. The all Powerful Military didn’t want its image tarnished and didnt allow the Commission report to be published. Remember, this commission was set up by a Civilian NOT Military personnel.
The report was made long time ago in the 70′s as far as my recollection goes. But, it was kept secret UNTIL an Indian Media Organization got its hands on it and leaked it in the 1990s.
How awesome is that! Not only did it embarrass Pakistani Military but forced it to release a few more parts of the report. But,there are many sections of the report still hidden.
But, you can find it here:
http://www.bangla2000.com/bangladesh/Independence-War/Report-Hamoodur-Rahman/default.shtm
Have fun in knowing that yours and your Parents tax has helped fund the Genocide of 1971.Recommend
@Zeeshan Pandit:
1 statistic you did not mention is that the atrocities in Bangladesh were spread over more than 250 days. 2 lac rapes do not look like an impossible figure now, doesn’t it.
Now, if you do not believe in figures given by Bangladesh government, whom will you believe. Will you only believe if Allah comes down and tells.Recommend
For all those who think India should be blamed, I’d like to remind them that Indian action started AFTER the Genocide took place and rapes happened. After the Genocide millions of Refugees flowed into India and India was forced to take action.
Then we supported a popular movement(The leader of the movement had secured 100% votes in the previous elections).
In fact if Pakistan hadn’t attacked India in 1965(I know your Text Book says we attacked but the World disagrees), India wouldn’t have taken this extreme step. Payback is sweet.Recommend
@romm,
Again, India is not a Dictatorship like Pakistan was in 1971. It has checks and balances. Before 1989 elections there was peace in J&K until Pakistan started supporting the Terrorists.
Nevermind that Pakistan now is facing the blowback of supporting Terror then, but what matters is things are under control.
Also, do you really think India’s status quo is going to change? 64 years have passed but India has not conceded an inch.
Remember, IWT implies that J&K is our Terrirtory and if Pakistan doesn’t behave we have a stick to beat you with in the form of water. The beautiful thing is we wont be even breaking the IWT.Recommend
All the denial type vanilla Pakistanis can read this Blood Telegram,your own genocide ally in Bangladesh genocide…the Americans..The is also a comprehensive study on Bangladesh genocide by US army staff college.Read it in free time.There are more useful information in the internet than jihadi websites,millat-wikipedia&neo-nazi conspiracy theory websites. LoL
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blood_telegram#The_Blood_telegramRecommend
@ zeeshan pandit ‘ there were 34,000 Pakistani soldiers in East Pakistan during the peak of the war ‘.
How there were 90000 Prisoners of war in the hands of India at the end of war. LOL.
From where you get these figures.Your distorted History books?Recommend
All are blatant lies against the Pakistan Army. The author lacks investigative research and did not bother to read the book “Blood & Tears” by Qutbuddin Aziz which detailed with pictures and police reports how pro-Pakistan Bengalis were intentionally butchered by the Mukti Bahini trained by Indian commandos. Another worthless piece of propaganda against the army.Recommend
http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=story24-11-2003pg3_5Recommend
It is one sided and exagerated version of the events. I say it with consideable authority after having lived in Dhaka for couple of years and having researched this issue. No doubt Military is responsible for the mess, we are in but we should not go on believing everything adverse said or written about it.Recommend
@Don, vasan,
It was not quoted from any distorted history book. The number 90,000 noted by the Hamoodur Commission report was POWs which included troops and civilians. There were 34,000 West Pakistani troops in East Pakistan during the peak of the war. So, given how shallow your understandings about what happened in 1971, do you wonder why Pakistanis questioned your sincerity for discussing 1971?
@Maynomatter,
Perhaps it was you who have prejudice and who are closed minded when discussing Kashmir.There’s another strong option Kashmiris want: Azaadi. I am pretty sure given how triumphant the BJP’s flag-waving-in-Srinagar fiasco had been recently, you would at least understand no Indian flag could be waved in Kashmir. Have some humility and leave Kashmir and return to India.Recommend
Zeeshan Pandit:
Pl learn one thing. Just by repeating the lie, it does not become a truth. The Pakistani bloggers’ denialism amazes the world. Here are the numbers from Wikipedia to support my statements. Pl write about your sources
“The Instrument of Surrender of Pakistani forces stationed in East Pakistan was signed at Ramna Race Course in Dhaka at 16.31 IST on 16 December 1971, by Lieutenant General Jagjit Singh Aurora, General Officer Commanding-in-chief of Eastern Command of the Indian Army and Lieutenant General A. A. K. Niazi, Commander of Pakistani forces in East Pakistan. As Aurora accepted the surrender, the surrounding crowds on the race course began shouting anti-Niazi and anti-Pakistan slogans.[44]
India took approximately 90,000 prisoners of war, including Pakistani soldiers and their East Pakistani civilian supporters. 79,676 prisoners were uniformed personnel, of which 55,692 were Army, 16,354 Paramilitary, 5,296 Police, 1000 Navy and 800 PAF.[45] The remaining prisoners were civilians – either family members of the military personnel or collaborators (razakars). The Hamoodur Rahman Commission report instituted by Pakistan lists the Pakistani POWs as follows:
Branch Number of captured Pakistani POWs
Army 54,154
Navy 1,381
Air Force 833
Paramilitary including police 22,000
Civilian personnel 12,000
Total: 90,368″
Why would this number of approx 78000 official pakistani military men reduced to 34000?? Are the rest impotent? And I havent counted the Biharis, terrorist groups(Al Sham and Al Badr) which murdered Bangladeshi intellectuals 2 days before surrender. They were no holy cows and mute witnesses to the rape,loot and mayhem. And as an Indian I have every right to comment on this topic. My rights are similar to the Indian soldiers who invaded the Bangladesh to drive out the invaders esp because the atrocities caused millions of people migrate from Bangladesh to India.Recommend
Ha ha…denial, more denial by Pakistanis. It is just a matter of time before Pakistan loses half of its land once again with the creation of the Islamic Emirate of Balochistan.Recommend
everyone seems to have missed a gem of a contribution from Dr D Mishraji above- see details above- a sample here-
IF UK doctors in BMJ- BRITISH MEDICAL JOURNAL- THEMSELVES HAVE RECORDED THE PAK ARMY GENOCIDE IN BANGLADESH- then for allah’s sake, my dear Pakistani brothers, accept the truth.
Doing so will help you unravel the fatal flaw within.Recommend
@TLW:
Good comments. But do not forget that Sahibzada Yaqoob was also a foreign Minister of Pakistan after leaving Army not for one Government but all negative/positive governments till he lived that proved he was a stooge of American CIA. East Pakistan election was held by Army when the Iron was hot for Bengali sentiment and Mujeeb won the election just because of that emotional ground East Pakistan could be broken, with out fighting, under AAK Niazi command otherwise Pakistan Army is not so dull. Bengali youth (Ignorant) were emotionally mobilized as in Egypt now and Pakistan Army disallowed to act, rape and killing were dramatized and East Pakistan was broken to Bungladesh. Bengalis were made fool in creation of Bungladesh. Mujeeb was killed to wipe out details of all deals. What a poor group of nations in south Asia!Recommend
@Vasan,
Despite knowing the presence of civilians among the POWs, you still spewed the 90,000 “soldiers” meme? The figure 34,000 was cited from Sarmila Bose’s Anatomy of Violence where she debunked a few myths of 1971.
The violence imposed by Mukthi Bahani on Bihari population on the other hand was missing from your narrative. Was it because rape committed by Mukthi Bahani could be ignored as they belonged on your side?
“And as an Indian I have every right to comment on this topic. My rights are similar to the Indian soldiers who invaded the Bangladesh to drive out the invaders esp because the atrocities caused millions of people migrate from Bangladesh to India”.
Touche. But you used military solutions in Northeast and in Kashmir. Where’s your humanity then? And, I believe you are aware of the walls and fence your loving nation has built to surround Bangladesh and I am pretty sure you are aware how Bangladeshi Muslims are treated and are viewed by Indians. They are also used as scapegoats by BJP.Recommend
@Zeeshan Pandit: Hey pandit, you answer my question. you don’t know the history, you got converted doesn’t mean you have to distort the history talk to me about kasimiri christens.. answer the questions which I ask you earlier.. Shame for entire pandit biradari.. Thanks.Recommend
Zeeshan Pandit:
Pl dont go way from the topic. I disputed the 34000 no quoted by you. According to HamoodUr Rehman report itself it was 90000 people who surrendered including 12000 civilians. So your source of 34000 people can be termed as unreliable as the culprit’s own report mentions 90000 people excluding the terrorist mob.(Al SHar and AlBadr)
Nobody wants to ignore any rape committed by anyone. Did I mention Mukthi bahini is a saint.
It is upto Bangladesh to prosecute the culprits.
For your information, Northeastern ULFA has come to negotiating table after Bangladesh and Burma stopped supporting them by providing sanctuaries. etc. That is precisely what we expect our Kashmiri brotheren to do it. They will do it once Pakistan stops the covert/overt support. The base logic is that the violence instigated in India by all these separatists is all sponcered by our friendly neighbour. Once suitable action by India is taken, it fades away. Pakistan tried with Khalistan, That came a cropper, They are trying in Kashmir which will also fail.Recommend
the atrocities of Mukti Bani does not justify the harrowing actions of our army in Bangladesh, RIP all the Pakistanis and Bengalis of those harrowing atrocities caused by political staunchness
.
.
P.S as far as I remember Nawaz Sharif in 90′s on his visit did apologise for these actions didn’t he?Recommend
why should today’s Pakistanis apologize for something that happened before they were born ? Bengalis are after all guilty of treason.Recommend
@Bangash : By your logic forefathers of a section of Pakistani population is also guilty of treason and blackmailing as they divided their country based on the carrot shown by the British.Recommend
Im a Bangladeshi man married to a Pakistani girl from UK and I say that I get along more with a Pakistani then an Indian.
Indians always like butting in everything when this article has nothing to do with India.
Indians should learn that Paks and Bangs dont have a need for them, they always try to infiltrate with their propoganda which is failing.
Bangladesh Pakistan ZindabadRecommend
There were widespread atrocities carried out under “night and fog” conditions created by the military high command. That is, these were not acts of fear crazed isolated groups of soldiers, but were condoned and organized by senior officers to “sort out” the Bengalis for a generation at least as one officer put it in Siddique Salik’s account of the night of March 25, 1971 when Operation Searchlight was put into operation. In short, there was state-terrorism against almost the entire population aimed at cowing them into submission using what the British and other imperial powers used to refer to as “colonial policing”, i.e. leadership roundup, ‘administrative massacres’, death squads, blowing up of houses of suspected ‘miscreants’, use or fear of rape as a military tactic, arrest of family members, etc. To my mind, every time a Pakistani comes across a Bangladeshi for the first time, they should acknowledge these horrors and ask for forgiveness. Finger pointing and evasiveness are the worst way to deal with this sorry past.Recommend
@Zeeshan Pandit : Why have you taken Sharmilla Bose’s account as the ultimate truth on this subject. Is it because it helps you in justifying your reason ? Why can’t you also take into considertaion 10 other accounts of different writers and then talk on this matter?
It’s an established, documented and proven fact that there were 90000 POW during the 1971 war. You can ask your military, to confirm the same. If still you are adamant with the figure 34K, then what was rest (90000 – 340000) = 56000 doing ? I believe they were not tourists or was it they were not busy fighting but raping women and killing old and children while their 34K compatriots were battling the MuktiBahini? Are we playing with words here?
Those who are raising their voices against oppression of Biharis, I will like them to answer a few questions .
Did they know that a part of the Bihari population was very hateful towards the local Bengali population and played active role in their extortion till the Bengali’s retorted back ?
How will each such individual react if another community of different linguistic background comes and settle in your place and express unlimited hate towards you and then gradually try to oppress you leading to genocide of the local population. Do you really believe that each one of you will be a Gandhi towards your oppressor ? Did you ever ask these questions to you?Recommend
I pity all Bangladeshi who have been fooled by a traitor Mujeeb Ur Rehman, till this day.Recommend
The retaliatory killings happened against the Biharis; but these were knives and staves versus the artillery, armour, air power and mechanised infantry our forces deployed against the rebels.
When our forces surrendered in December 1971, they numbered only 50,000 fighting soldiers out of the 90,000, whilst in a population of about 70,000,000.
Now imagine the ferocity with which 50,000 men could keep a population of 70,000,000 subdued.
That is how desperate and dirty the fighting in East Pakistan/Bangladesh was.
Dear TLW, your single reply to multitude of views from Kazmi, Goga, Disappointed, Usman Hassan, Ashamed, Shahid Rizvi indicates you have not reflected at all on subject-matter in emails of these six people. Thats why their divergent replies are looking identical to you.
For my part, my uncle was fed poisonous water in Ghazipur where he worked as a civilian. I have been abroad and have met Bengali people some of whom are my friends but I don’t need their endorsement to believe in the two-sided picture of the story rather than presenting one-sided illusions time and again.
Like Shahid Rizvi, I too did not deny the crimes committed by Pakistan army but you have presumed that.
Sahibzada Yaqub’s conscience did not awake 3 years later when similar action was taken by Baloch rebels and he continued to enjoy foreign ministry because he was in safe lands then.
In the last, acknowledging that troops were not more than 50,000 in any case, goes against your point instead of endorsing it. And I am not a JI supporter.Recommend
@Adnan : was Jinnah traitor as well? do you think he fooled your forefathers? If not then why Mujibur is targetted alone ?
I believe you know that Pakistan was created on the propaganda of creating opportunites for Muslims which a huge chunk of them believed was not possible in India. What was wrong if Bengalis within Pakistan started thinking in the same manner given the fact that clearly they were the deprived lot in Pakistan.Recommend
Dear Raj, for your kind information, the operation was initiated on March 25, 1971 while the atrocities of Mukti Bahini (attacking installations etc.) came before that. Pakistani army’s cruelty would also not justify “freedom fighting heroes” of Mukti Bahini for killing the Biharis and dragging the corpses in the streets of Dhaka.
Rest of commentators fed-by-media frogs: Many of those posting comments asking to present a two-sided pictures have studied this fiasco beyond Pak-studies courses. (This humble-self has read Hamood-ur-Rehman Commission Report, “The Lightening Campaign” by Indians, “Second Thoughts on Bangladesh” by a respected Bangladeshi and much more.) Just as Pak-studies courses poison the minds of innocent students with one-sided and exaggerated anecdotes of heroics of children of establishment, recent media-fed fever of half-baked democracy induces one-sided version of cruelties of security institutions.Recommend
@Simon Khan:
At first you are not a Bangladeshi, you were borned in britain.You are devoid from the emotion of our Bangladeshies. Looklike you have no knowledge about the peoples of Bangladesh and about their agony.You are siding with Pakistanies who massacared our people then without making any apology they are denying and talking about the indian conspiracy! Everytime any post about Bangladesh and Pakistan you side with Pakistanies without giving any logical statement and you pose as a Bangladeshi? You liars.Recommend
@Simon Khan:
oh!! that is why so many bangladeshis are living in India and they love everything about India. Stop using fake identity for fake stories.. the India -bangladesh bonding is too strong for you guys. stop fake stories…Recommend
One of the biggest reasons why Pakistan is in such a mess is because it has tried to rewrite the history books. The readers of this paper are all educated and have access to internet. Please go on to internet and do some research. Seek the truth from reliable sources such as Wikipedia, BBC, etc.. Just keep in mind – Indians (or Americans) don’t have enough clout to taint those sites. What you read will be the real truth. Learn from the Germans. No one can beat what Hitler did, but the Germans owned their evil deeds and moved on. What Pakistani army did in Bangladesh – if true – Pakistan should own it, let its citizens know, and apologize. Blaming everything on India makes it a laughing stock in the world as the world knows the real thing.Recommend
@maynotmatter
whats wrong with my indian friends , they are used to blame every thing on pakistan with out any investigation , they think that india is now a super power ?? although 30% of indian population is living below poverty line , but india is going to be the largest buyer of weapons in the world , is this an intention of a peaceful country ?Recommend
@SIMON KHAN, from one brit to another, it is imp that here in UK, all south Asians bond together in harmony, and they.
But sorry, I would have to burst yr bubble- most so called Indian restaurants in UK are run by Bangladeshis. Mention that you are Indian, and you get a royal welcome and a discount. Mention that you are Pakistani, and you may get sullen behaviour and the proverbial spit in yr soup.
SorryRecommend
@Usman Hassan : For your information the killing of the local Bengali population started in 25th March. But the oppression against them started shortly after independence. And the Biharis played an active role in implementing the same. It’s no surprise that there was a strong reaction from the Bengali population once the threshold was crossed.
Tell me your opinion. Say you are a Bengali staying in Bengal for hundreds of years. Then suddenly because of political reasons another community migrated to your place. Now how will you react if that community started spreading hate against you and aspire to control you and your language because you were gentle to him and he perceived you as weak and can be easily bogged down. And then not only he stopped there but continue to deprive you of your basic rights and malign your language. And when you protest, you get sentenced to jail and mauling at the hand of the security forces. What will be your reaction to all these? What will be you do if your language suffers humiliation?Recommend
From August 1947 and until 1964, former East Pakistan did not have any problem with the West Pakistan.
There were number of Bengalis who were living in West Pakistan (now Pakistan). They were not only performing their duties in the armed forces but were also doing lot of business between the former East and West Pakistan.
After independence in 1947, India fought the first war with Pakistan in 1948 and then India fought the second war in 1965. In both the war India could not defeat Pakistan (which was a combined country of East and West Pakistan).
After 1965 war, India planned to fight the third war with Pakistan in 1971. This time US supported India and with the help of Indian armed forces and Mukthi Baheni’s of former East Pakistan, India armed forces created Bangladesh on the world map.
West Pakistan’s armed forces were in East Pakistan (now Bangladesh) to defeat the subversive activities of Mukhti Baheni’s and not to torture and rape Bengalis in former East Pakistan.
In 1947 Quaid-e-Azam Mohammad Ali Jinnah created Pakistan with the help of Bangalis who were also the members of Pakistan Muslim League and Bengalis were given equal rights in West Pakistan.
India never accepted right from the very beginning creation of Pakistan and after 24 years of creation, broke one of our arm with the help of Indian armed forces. US is equally responsible for hatching the conspiracy against Pakistan in 1971.
Why didn’t the writer ask the question to the tour operator who took her to the museum that the skulls and bones found from the mass grave could have been the skulls and bones of the patriot Pakistani soldiers and not of the Bengalis?
If Sheikh Mujeeb-ur-Rehman won the elections in majority, it was between the former East and West Pakistan to decide how to share the power in the country.
The question arises: why did the Indian armed forces sided with the Mukhti Baheni’s and created Bangladesh?
Today the situation in occupied Kashmir is not different. Kashmir’s want self determination and want to make a separate state. Kashmir’s are in majority then why Indian government is hesitating in giving the legal rights to create an independent Kashmir state and form their own government?
Here it shows the double standard of the Indian government. God willing, a day will come when Kashmiri’s will get their separate home land. Just wait and see how things are boiling in Kashmir.Recommend
@Simon Khan : Are you a Bengali? Do you speak Bengali? Have you read the history of your nation? Nothing wrong in marrying a Pakistani girl and living in harmony with the Pakistani community. That’s how you can create a better society. But your comments does not sound that you are too aware of your nation and language(assuming you are a Bengali otherwise your blunt comments are pretty understandable).Recommend
@khan
blaming pakistan without investigation??????? this shows the level of ignorance and knowledge you have. We provide every proof and this time thankfully even your best ally the USA provided the proof of the plan and execution of mumbai massacre from Pakistan. You conveniently ignored my question, if you are not a culprit why not allow Indian investigation agency come and interrogate the accused in pakistan ? What are you scared of ? That those terrorist will spill beans on your blindly praised ISI, army and ellite politicians ? So please don’t speak about fairness. We gave voice samples, recorded statement, registration of purchase of boat using which they traveled , Headley the accused in USA prison named each and every conspirator. What more “proof” you want you shameless piece of work. Pardon my anger. This anger is natural if you live in a city which is attacked by terrorist and when you worry about the welfare of your family then you will really have this attitude and anger what I am projecting here. About India claiming to be super power, please get your self educated and not from madrasa but some decent school. Aiming to be super power and claiming to be a super power is “literally” different. 30% of people are below poverty , yes , but it improved from 65 % of poverty in 70s. And have some shame before you speak about our poverty lines, we have shown exponential growth in science, technology and manufacturing skills, our middle class income rocks and thats why the world is looking to enter Indian market. If today west favors India its purely because of market potential. Everybody loves “business”. The reason why they not come to Pakistan with similar zeal speaks about your “economic” capability. So my friend do us all a favor, do not speak about economy in this blog, we are deviating from the topic. About India buying weapons, do you have faintest of idea how much weapon your buddy China has. Why did not you bring this point when they were stockpiling their arms uptil very recently. Now they have “copied” and “reverse engineered” enough weapon to produce themselves and hence they have “declined” not “stop” buying weapons. Hence they are not number one. India has to worry more about China and counter balance them like the way you worry about India and try to counter balance us. It’s an unfortunate vicious cycle started by Chinese. What reason they have to amass such a huge amount of weapon ?
Pakistan and India has much in common then you think, we can live peacefully if we fairly take action against extremist. And just so that you don’t start about Hindu terrorism, terrorist has no religion, hence I never used even once “muslim terrorist” or “islam terrorist”. Using such a word has direct consequences of instigating the common innocent mass. And results in immediate hatred towards other religion. A dangerous pattern exploited by west against us since Britisher’s time.
Peace to India and PakistanRecommend
Raj, Vasan,
Both of you are having trouble comprehending my repartee to your “90,000 soldiers” meme. The 90,000 POWs include BOTH soldiers and civilians trapped in a very hostile environment. Imagine the case of 90,000 Indians trapped in Manipur while China was marching to liberate it. I quoted Sarmila Bose for her audacity to question unverified narratives and unchecked figures provided by Bangladesh and spewed by Indians. And, I am not playing with words, you were the one who was doing that. Listen to your cliches: rape, murder, kids, old people, rape, murder, evil Pakistanis, good Indians.
The quest to justify brutality (no genocide this time?) imposed by Bengalis on Biharis sounds very strange. If Bengali nationalism could be forgiven for “retaliating” against a hostile enemy, why couldn’t Pakistani nationalism given the same privilege?Recommend
Balwinder Sandhu,
Are you sure about it? Maybe a little bit of reality check of Bangladeshis’ hatred for Indians?: http://www.outlookindia.com/article.aspx?235365
Next time India plays cricket with Pakistan, watch carefully which team Bangladeshis support. They say Green is the color of Islam.Recommend
@Mohammad Ali Siddiqui: “The question arises: why did the Indian armed forces sided with the Mukhti Baheni’s and created Bangladesh?
Because the Pakistani Army was massacring Bengali speaking Hindus. In my opinion, that is justification enough. Hindu jahan bhi hon, hamare aziz hein. ( Sorry my URDU has become a bit rusty )
“Today the situation in occupied Kashmir is not different. Kashmir’s want self determination and want to make a separate state. Kashmir’s are in majority then why Indian government is hesitating in giving the legal rights to create an independent Kashmir state and form their own government?”
Kashmir is Hindu Dharti – currently being occupied by descendants of Central Asians. They have no claim to Kashmir. PERIOD.Recommend
@Mohammad Ali Siddiqui
Are you even educated my friend? And by education I not only mean learning how to read but also to use the god gifted “brain”. Apparently you like many other so called “patriotic” pakistani are so blinded by your mis-guided “belief” that India waged war against Pakistan ???? How preposterous you could be ? But I don’t blame you. When you are fed those lies since birth and your “history” text book is skewed by Zia, you would remain moronic to the core. You have all the right to hate India but ateast find right reasons. You apparently know english and have access to internet to blog here, so please do some history search on “who” always perpetuated war. Pakistan started war with India since partition and not the other way around as fed to you by your sham history books. Go to your public library and read history books by non government publications and you will get disgusted by your history. Yes we of course didn’t accepted the creation of Pakistan, why would we ? why would we draw a line on our own land just because few greedy people want their own land to rule. Jinnah is as respected as Gandhi in my nation so I would not dis-respect him. But go and google up “Direct Action” called by Jinnah. And read the consequence of it. This was the way Pakistan was created. And you want us to forgive and forget that ? Still my dear friend, you can do math and by simple calculation you can tell that if India ever had intention to attack and occupy Pakistan it would easily had. For your reading and references see how pakistan tried many times to win kashmir by greed, funny part is that during Operation Gibraltar it were kashmiris who exposed pakistani army infiltrators :P. Read those articles ( and links within ) and apply salt to your wounds.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Indo-PakistaniWarof1971
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Indo-PakistaniWarof1965
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Indo-PakistaniWarof1947
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/DirectAction_Day ( must read )
I bet they don’t teach you this in historyRecommend
@Mohammad Ali Siddiqui
From August 1947 and until 1964, former East Pakistan did not have any problem with the West Pakistan.
Ohh Yeah. You should go and read the socio political history of Pakistani Bengalis post 1947 . You are judging the state of East Bengal based on some thousand Bengalis stationed in Pakistan for official duties.
After independence in 1947, India fought the first war with Pakistan in 1948 and then India fought the second war in 1965. In both the war India could not defeat Pakistan (which was a combined country of East and West Pakistan).
Have you ever dared to read accounts on these subjects other than what is printed only in Pakistan. The truth may be bitter and hard to digest.
India never accepted right from the very beginning creation of Pakistan and after 24 years of creation, broke one of our arm with the help of Indian armed forces.
I agree with this. The first generation Indian post independence was shocked at the partition. But let me assure you the current Indian generation has moved on. They treat Pakistan as a separate country and want to be in peace with them with minimal contact. We want all existing disputes to be resolved and move forward. We don’t want any war between the two, we don’t want any love between the two.
US is equally responsible for hatching the conspiracy against Pakistan in 1971.
US and west are responsible for all mayhem in Pakistan. Most Pakistanis believe this and may be it’s true what they believe. But what perplexes me is that the same country does not mind in asking for aid from US for every petty manner. The politicians say that we need it for civil development. The civilians say that we don’t need it but they don’t protest enough to restrict their leadership. The same civilians then don’t hesitate much to travel abroad if he gets job opportunity in West.
Why didn’t the writer ask the question to the tour operator who took her to the museum that the skulls and bones found from the mass grave could have been the skulls and bones of the patriot Pakistani soldiers and not of the Bengalis?
Are you nuts?
The question arises: why did the Indian armed forces sided with the Mukhti Baheni’s and created Bangladesh?
The question arises why did Pakistani soldiers conducted genocide of the civilians whom they call their own ???? Why ? Why? They could have restricted their operation against members and families of Mukti Bhaini with discrete incidents against civilians which I agree is unavoidable under such circumstances. But why mass murder of civilians who were not actively participating in violent protest?
Today the situation in occupied Kashmir is not different. Kashmir’s want self determination and want to make a separate state. Kashmir’s are in majority then why Indian government is hesitating in giving the legal rights to create an independent Kashmir state and form their own government?
Again I agree that there are problems in Kashmir and many of them are because of the mismanagement of our political leadership. But do you know that most of them are because of contribution from your state and army? Do you know the level of extortion carried out by Pakistani security in Baluchistan, because the Baloch people want their land back? Assuming that yours is a rational voice, are you critical in the same way of Pakistani government for their colonisation of Baluchistan?Recommend
@Mohammad Ali Siddiqui:
Either you are misinformed or are part of spreading misinformation. Either way you will do tremendous damage to Pakistan.
As they say:
“People who don’t learnt from history are doomed to repeat it !”
I hope you are an isolated case in Pakistan. If not, then I am afraid, there may be one or more Bangladesh in making.Recommend
Zeeshan Pandit: All my posts were only to question your “34000 soldiers” taken from Sarmila Bose theory. You have moved away and dragged me to other topics. Dont blame me. I have quoted sources which mentioned 90000 soldiers including 12000 civilians. If you include the terrorist mob and the Biharis supporting Pak army, we will get a figure close to 90000. Byt it does not matter . 78000, I am sure is much closer to 90000 than 34000 to 90000. There rests my caseRecommend
@Vicram Singh:
“Hindu/Sikh” ha ha… Dude, U forgot 1984 Delhi? EdiotRecommend
@Zeeshan Pandit : No I am not playing with words. I am calling a spade a spade. What is stopping you to accept it ? Now you want to include civilians within the 90K prisoners of war?
Were they behaving like civilians till Mukti Bahini retorted back?
If you want to remain ignorant and arrogant, it’s your choice.Recommend
@Zeeshan Pandit:
Pandit???????????Recommend
Bangladesh people are very much respect and affectionate towards Indians because, they can
Come to the street and throw a paper written ‘Mohammed’ on it.
Peacefully offer prayer to the God without the fear of suicide bombers.
Their living conditions are miles superior than the country from which they departed.
Proudly living as a democratic country on the world stage.
They wont be part of a country called ‘epicentre of terrorism’.
Woman can study and even became Prime Minister.
We understand the feelings our Balochi brothers, wait….Recommend
@Irfan Baloch
Lol. Some socialists are now talking about creating a Islamic state of Baluchistan. Keep living dreams dear. What a joke. :)Recommend
By the way crocodile tears of some Bharatis are epic. The country who pays it’s soldiers with money on every kill of a “terrorist” in occupied Kashmir is now talking about so called human rights violations by Pakistan. Is this a joke??? The fact is according to these human rights are only for Bengalis and not for Biharis and other west Pakistanis who were ruthlessly killed by terrorists of Mukti Bahni funded and sponsored by Bharat. I know you guys never know how cheap and pathetic you and your nation is.Recommend
in the words of Indira Gandhi after the fall of Dhaka,” two nation theory has drowned in the Bay of Bengal”
I am in total agreement with the lady. although being a Pakistani by default.Recommend
I support that the Government of pakistan must apologize for the events of 1971 irrespective of the fact that wheather claims in the article are true or exagerated. However, the world and Bangladesh must understand that it was not only East Pakistan that was brutally victimized; the majority of West Pakistan also lost and were badly hurt by the insensitive and barbaric “establishment” of that time. I personaly am of the veiw that in 1971 Bangladesh may have emerged on the world map but in reality it was the West Pakistan which was carved out due to irresponsible governments prior to the 1971.Recommend
The figure of 3 million dead and 200,000 raped is fiction. Pakistani force in E Pakistan was a mere 100K.Recommend
those who will keep looking back will never learn to move forward. every nation has a history of war, hate, loss, etc but we should all unite and pave way for the future.Recommend
Indian commentators are operating on premise that all South Asia belonged to Hindus/Buddhists. That is baloney.
Its funny how some Indian commentators change Wikipedia then promote it as an “authentic source”. 1971 and Tamil Tigers is proof of how India supported terrorism and rebellion and is guilty of what it charges Pakistan with.Recommend
@Bangash:
South Asia does belong to Hindu Aryans and has for 5500 years (since 3500 BC). There is nothing baloney about that. Clearly, your knowledge of history is weak.Recommend
@jun:
its called
Liberation war museum 9 muktijuddho Jadughar)
5.Segunbagicha
Dhaka.
close to press club. visit it.Recommend
When a group of people is with a country what do they expect others to do for them till then they will remain with that country otherwise they will split?? Only Sheikh Mujeeb ur Rahman was denied his right to rule by politicians of Pakistan the rest was all RAW and Indian cooking!!
I lost a near one in 1971 but I never made a historical reminder out of that! But Alhamdolillah, I still have many brother like freinds in Bangladesh and they come to Pakistan as people of Bangladesh.Recommend
Realistically was it possible for west and East Pakistan to remain under one establishment considering the geographical distance between two identities?Recommend
@oppurbaBD:
Go resolve your Holocaust of 1984 of Sikhs and Invasion of Golden Temple with tanks. Do not forget the Gurat Muslim genocide and Christians Holocaust by the hands of Hundus in 2006 . Needless to say that 90,000 kashmiris are dead or disappeared since 1989 and still going on these atrocities there. Sould I remind you the atrocities by the Indian army in Nagaland, tripura and Mizoram. ? With such dirty hands, do not come to lecture on something your own hands are dirty with.Recommend
One thing which seems missing here and I would like to mention is; Bengalis started protest in march 1971 and they killed Biharis at large; then Pakistani army started the operation.
Behari families victims now commonly known as stranded pakistanis are still living in dhaka; one can check the facts.Recommend
Am from dhaka, Bangladesh.
I believe hate brings hate only. But in any sense any crime should not go unpunished.
I can give you thousands things to prove about 1971 what west pakistanis did on bangladesh.
But I believe on the new generation of Pakistan who will use their power of technology and knowledge to judge regarding it. Try to know then(1971) the ambassador of USA who were at DHAKA, what he said. Try to see those picture of 1971 liberation war are preserved in internet. Talk to any bangladeshi who lost his father, brother and his sister or mother was raped by pakistany army. Try to know about the biggest causality of history within the shortest time. You may shame upon yourself for your past generation but still I believe there is no shame to realize the self fault rather it make smooth to go for future.
The new generation of pakistan should use their own brain only to know the right history and should ask their past generation why they did all those brute.Recommend
@Vicram Singh: HOW AND WHY DID THE MUSLIM PAKISTANI ARMY MURDER AND RAPE FELLOW MUSLIMS ?
The majority of the people killed in East Pakistan were Hindus. The Hamoodur Rehman report alludes to specific orders given to Pakistani soldiers from their high command to kill all the Hindus. India should have held Nuremberg-styled trials with the captured Pakistani army and hanged the officers who committed genocide, instead of foolishly being magnanimous and releasing the POWs based on ZA Bhutto’s duplicitous assurances.Recommend
@Salman, Biharis remain in Dhaka because Pakistan refused to accept them, plain and simple. They collaborated with the Pakistani army and helped murder, torture and rape Bengalis and then were abandoned by the country that they so fervently wished to be a part of. In return the liberated people of Bangladesh most certainly retaliated to some extent against these hated collaborators. However, the fact that there are still sizable numbers of these Biharis in Bangladesh today, despite the great provocation, indicates how much moe civilized the Bengalis are in comparison to their counterparts in Pakistan who have ethnically cleaned almost all the Hindus and Sikhs from their midst and are now turning on Ahmediyyas and Shia and other Muslim sects.Recommend
Pakistan should rename their “history” books and call it “fiction” – at least their would be some truth to thatRecommend
all i can say is sorry.Recommend