I’ve lived in Bangladesh for quite a while, and I’m always surprised to see such articles. You don’t see Pakistan publishing them.
I do not understand what this “denial” means either, when I was BD as a child and studied there for a while, in 4th grade books they would teach the children how Pakistan was vile and evil and whatnot. While here in Pakistan in my 10th grade book, I remember how we were taught that our ignorance and mistreatment of east Pakistan caused the partition, this is the difference between a Pakistani and a Bangladeshi. After 50 years, a Pakistani has moved on, he thinks of a Bangladeshi as a fellow Muslim, after 50 years the Bangladeshi has not moved one because as a child he was taught how evil Pakistan is while their entire country embodies the culture of India, where the actual massacre of Muslims is going on. They talk about genocide with proof from sources no one believes but themselves and the Indians, numbers so inflated even the Nazis would question them. Because they need a reason to play victim, they cry about how Pakistan set them off to a bad start, then what was 1947 for Pakistan? Were we not treated the same when we got our independence By the Sikhs and the Hindus? And what of when Jinnah asked East Pakistan to be its own state but then they insisted to join Pakistan. You shoot yourself in the foot then you cry about it to us.
I personally agree that Innocent people were killed in BD, as they are in any war, it certainly doesn’t make it right, I agree that East Pakistan was treated unfairly before 71’. There’s no denying that. But you talk about a massive genocide that would have wiped half your countries population and then you cry when no one believes you. And you don’t even want to move on, because why? And what of the literal terrorism committed on your side? I’ve never seen that Mentioned in Pakistani school books, only that BD is a friendly country, not the case on the other side.
You can tout Your little economic achievements however much you want. The reality on the ground is that BD is not that important to much of the world. Not to mention the copious amounts of overpopulation in BD is a bomb waiting to explode. When there is no place to live in the country, how do you expect to prosper? In my over a year of living there I could not see a single house because everyone was crammed into high rises. That is not a good indicator of prosperity.
I have always had respect for Bangladeshis because despite what they were taught, I was able to convince them that Pakistanis weren’t some ruthless monsters when I was there, but that doesn’t mean they’re being brainwashed. The same corrupt people have been in power there for who knows how long, the people of BD are better than that, they need to learn the truth for themselves. Instead of comparing themselves to Pakistan they need to compare themselves to themselves and move on. Having lived in both countries; its Pakistan that’s going forward faster, because last I recalled BD didn’t have to fight 20 years of terrorism it didn’t cause and lose hundreds of billions of dollars and hundreds of thousands of people to it. Instead of being thankful for what you have why compare the difference of a dollar like misers. I want better from the
People of BD. They can do better, I’ve seen it myself. The average Pakistani is not brainwashed. That’s where I see the difference.