Mukto Mona - Re: An Urgent Appeal to Everyone!

Response to Story


I guess its high time that we have start calling oranges oranges and apples apples. Before anybody in NFB goes about signing this 'historic appeal' which seems nothing more than an Awami e-campaign to make a great issue out of Pervez Mushharrafs visit to Bangladesh, I hope this point by point rebuttal may be taken into consideration :

1. The Pakistani occupation army committed a mass genocide in the erstwhile East Pakistan (now Bangladesh) and killed 3 million Bengalis in 1971. In the same instance, they raped and molested nearly 450,000 Bengali women...Pakistan has never apologized to us, the Bangladeshis, for the atrocity committed in 1971.

Without undermining the atrocities of 1971, I beg to differ that these figures have since gone obsolete. In a discussion at the Mukti Juddho? Jadughar for instance last year, it was agreed by discussants that less than 100,00 people were killed. The number of women raped (and rape was the order of the day) remains till date unaccounted for or in the least unverifiable.

2. General Musharraf, as a member of the occupying Pakistani army in 1971,cannot avoid the responsibility of the massacre of the Bengalis of Bangladesh.

He was a soldier of the 'glorious' Pakistani Army and had no choice but to go as per diktats of his bosses. Failing to do that would have led to him being court martial-ed and shot for treason. Do not forget that he also swore by the Koran to obey orders of his superiors.

Like wise the USA also has to own up to its responsibility of supporting and arming the Pakistani forces of which Mushrarraf was an officer and that openly supported and perpetrated the genocide in Bangladesh in 1971. Why has this ?historic? (or shall we call it hysteric!) petition absolved US responsibility for 1971? Is any among the petitioner worried about being booted out of the US?

If the BNP Government is licking up to Pakistani boots only to appease the

USA, I guess so are these so called petitioners!

3. To accord the military dictator a state visit to a democratic country is a slap on the face of all freedom-loving people of Bangladesh and a great, dishonor to the people of the host country who lost millions of their countrymen in 1971 for democracy and civil governance.

Which by implications means the Awami League Government of 1996-2001 was not a 'democratic Government' - how interesting!? Hall marks of big time Awami-ized liars and sycophants - only this time as in all time, they have fallen into their own trap.

Consder this :

How come the Peruvian military dictatar Alberto Fujimori was accorded a 'red carpet reception' in Dhaka by the erstwhile Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina in 1997 only hours after he had cold bloodedly executed Tupac Amaru guerillas at the Japanese Embassy in Lima? When on earth shall we recognise the diffence between our elbows and our orifices?

4. Pakistan has denied the responsibility of tens and thousands of Biharis who show allegiance to Pakistan and are stranded in Bangladesh living in U.N. run camps and elsewhere. Pakistan should help them to return back to Pakistan.

I guess that is Pakistan's prerogative and they will do so as and when they desire - we cannot push them. Collaborators of Pakistan i.e. the Biharis are a bunch of people that we have no reason to worry about as they are certainly not looked after at Bangladeshi taxpayers money - but as the petitoners mention the U.N.

In the Bihari camps that they live today - we see the sale of Bihari kebabs that droves of us patriotic Bengalees come over to savour and devour in plate fulls. The pro-Awami 'national' Daily Star, also also makes a Weekend cover story - of this delictatble shenainigan. Who are we fooling here?

Also it is heartening to note that almost 40% of the stranded lot do not want to return to Pakistan but instead want Bangladesh nationality!

We strongly believe that a Pakistani Head of the State can officially be invited to visit Bangladesh only after:

1. Pakistani Head of the State formally apologizes, on behalf of the? Pakistani people, for the crimes committed by Pakistani army against the Bengalis in the liberation struggle of Bangladesh in 1971.

He has already done that in writing at the Savar Memorial and verbally in the State banquets hosted by the Prime Minister yesterday. If we expect him to bend his knees, touch our feet and beg apology - we are fooling ourselves again.

2. Pakistani Head of the State agrees, on principle, to compensate (as? Japan did to Korea) for the massacre in 1971 and the damage done to the already fragile economic infrastructure of Bangladesh.

That is pretty much on the top of the agenda and has received the action that it so much deserves - and only time and perseverance will ensure that we do get our rightful share.

This kind of negative petition will only ensure that this matter will forever keep the issue in the back burner (or heart burner) !

We urge our conscientious people to rise and demand an unconditional apology from the Pakistani junta for the genocide in 1971.

We also strongly demand to our Government to resolve all outstanding issues with Pakistan regarding our liberation war before normalizing the relationship with them.

'Conscientious people' of Bangladesh - thankfully the BNP has ensured that the people have got what they wanted for years. The Awami league should busy itself to looking after the mental sanity and sagacity in the conduct of its leadership - specifically that of Sheikh Hasina.

Regards

Mac

MUKTO MONA