Bangladeshi scholar for improved ties between Pakistan and Bangladesh
Staff Report
KARACHI: Bangladeshi scholar, solidarity activist and founder member of the South Asia Alliance for Poverty Eradication Mohiuddin Ahmad has demanded settlement of at least a few cases of war crimes as symbols of justice and appeasement between Pakistan and Bangladesh.
Addressing the gathering at a lecture, The current socio-political situation in Bangladesh and its implications for South Asian region that was jointly organised by the Pakistan Institute of Labour Education and Research and the Pakistan Institute of International Affairs (PIIA) and was held at the PIIA Library on Sunday, Ahmad said that most of the political parties in Bangladesh, including the ruling Awami League, had pledged to form war tribunals in their election manifestos.
The people living in Bangladesh who were involved in heinous war crimes should not be spared, he said, adding that genocide against humanity was a serious crime and whoever perpetrated and supported those crimes should be brought to justice.
Ahmad disclosed that most of the Bangladeshi youth have never discussed these issues. We, the older generation, are still obsessed with the issues of the past, he said, adding that the Bangladeshi region was ruled for 500 years by Delhi, 200 by London and 25 by Pindi, but the recent memory was still quite bitter.
Bangladeshi Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina Wajed had proposed the formation of South Asian Anti-terrorism Taskforce, but India does not agree with the proposal, Ahmad said, adding that the South Asian Transport Grid was a fine option whereby a train service from Chittagong to Karachi could be started.
Ahmad also said that former Indian prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee had proposed a common South Asian currency, but that proposal was not discussed further.
Instead of trying to assimilate or resolve problems at the summit level, we can start at the level of the common people, he added.
Ahmad further said that after the independence, the living standard of the common people in Bangladesh had improved, but there is still the issue of poverty and many other social indicators that are a cause of concern, adding that the economic conditions of Bangladesh were much better and the recent recession all over the world had not impacted it much.
Ahmad explained that the most important thing was the increase in visibility of the women in every sphere of the society, since most of the workers in the formal sector were women.
In our cabinet, besides the prime minister, most of the important ministries, like foreign, labour and agriculture, are held by women, he added.
Talking about the differences between Pakistan and Bangladesh, Ahmad said that there was no elitism in the Bangladeshi society and that the common people also have a shot at ruling the country, which is not yet possible in Pakistan.
He also said that a middle class emerged in Bangladesh in the 1960s, which now has considerable strength in politics.
Ahmad said that although Bangladesh was also trying to deal with religious extremism, but the situation was still not as bad as in Pakistan, adding that the government had officially provided funds to madressahs in the 1990s, provided government jobs to religious leaders and some youth from Bangladeshi madressahs had gone to fight the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR) in Afghanistan, but the government had now introduced reforms in the religious education of madressahs.
Ahmad further said that under the First Education Policy being prepared by the present Bangladeshi government, six subjects had been made compulsory that would be also be taught by religious schools so their students could also get jobs besides Pesh-Imam of mosques.
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