Pakistan & Bangladesh Relations
Publisher and Managing Editor IKRAM SEHGAL delivered a lecture to the students of the Department of History, Karachi University, on Thursday 3 April 2003. This is the transcript of the lecture.
Thank you for inviting me to address the students of the Department of History. I feel that I am not so qualified educationally or intellectually as the gentlemen today who preceded me but I think that perhaps emotionally I am the most qualified person to talk to this audience because my father came from Sialkot and my mother came from Bogra, in 1971 West and East Pakistan. So whatever Pakistan was, the finest experiment of nationhood of its kind, was lost to us in 1971.
The reasons for being together in one way or the other are (1) geopolitical reasons (2) economic reasons and (3) emotional reasons. I will talk about emotional reasons at the last, even though I personally consider that as being the most important.
Mr. Muktadir said some very nice things about humanity. But we live in a bad world, where unfortunately people do not consider themselves as equals, some people think they are more superior than others and we are unfortunately at the bottom of the rung mainly because we are South Asians and then we are Muslims. So we have to come together like living together in a Housing Society, even a Katchi Abadi. When there are two families who are living in a mass of unknown beings and desire to have security, a sense of belonging where they can converse with each other, work with each other and can interact with each other, that glue binds them together in association. And that was the primary reason for 1971 and 1947, because what was envisioned in 1947 was not put into practice and we had to face 1971. Learned speakers before me have already gone into the causes and consequences, there is no need for me to repeat them.
The geo-political reasons are many. In South Asia there are three major Muslim communities, largest being in India, the second biggest in Bangladesh and the third biggest in Pakistan. A strong Pakistan and a strong Bangladesh is the security for the largest community of Muslims who live in India. It is unfortunate but that sense of security comes from the fact that we are there together and the people will understand that as long as the two strong nations are there that they will be secure. The day India finds us weak they will deal with us like they have dealt with Bhutan, Maldives and to an extent, Sri Lanka and of course, Nepal. In the geo-political context again, we have much to offer to Asia. If India understands this basic fact, South Asia can be an economical and political Superpower.
But let me go on the economic reasons. I was helped by many people in writing my Concept Paper, you copy from one person its called plagiarism or cheating but if you copy from many, its called research. During my research I found out some very important things. The two big deltas throughout history i.e. the Brahmaputra which flows down and went into Bangladesh, and then far apart, the Indus. A Jesuit priest 500 years ago said, “If you think that Egypt was rich, come to Bengal and see the richness of Bengal. They have enough rice to feed the entire sub-continent and they have enough sugar to feed half of the known world; their textile is of such quality that the Portuguese, the Spanish and other people fight each other to get them. They also have “saltpetre” unquote.
Today, thank God Pakistan can feed and clothe itself and thank God also that today Bangladesh has come up very nicely economically. But look at the complementary economies of our two countries. We do not make jute but Bangladesh makes jute, so their jute goods can come to Pakistan; we don’t have tea but they have it, so tea could come here; they do not have cotton but we have it and cotton could go there and our textiles could go there if we take the basic quantities of commodities, the pressure of export diminishes. There are many other items that could be exchanged but I am just saying that these are the major items. If you have the complementary economy there are a lot of items to export all the time.
Look at what Mr. Muktadir (from Bangladesh) brought out today. He brought out the fact that what are our exports today and what are our imports today from Bangladesh? Less than 1%. We are capable of taking this upto 40%. 40%! The opportunities were there as were the reasons but the reasons perished at the feet of bureaucracy. Bureaucracy obviously did not want it, they wanted to look towards Europe and to deve-
lop markets there but they did not realize the market that we had, the whole market that we lost.
And last of all, the emotional reasons. My parents, of course are buried here in Karachi but a lot of people do not know that Gen Zia Ur Rehman’s parents are also buried in Sakhi Hassan Graveyard in Karachi. In 1949 my father was posted to East Pakistan because his wife was Bengali. He was sent to raise a 2nd Battalion of the East Bengal Regiment, I was three years old at that time and grew up with the East Bengal Regiment. Zia ur Rehman was a junior officer working with my father.
I got into a lot of trouble in 1971. Unfortunately, I was the first one to escape from India as a POW from 32 officers and a thousand other ranks. This was before the war and India had not come into the war. When I escaped and came back to then East Pakistan in August 1971 I was a hero of sorts for some time until I said “Sir, what you are doing here is wrong” and because I said that I went from hero to zero. My career (and nearly my life) went down the drain. My father was asked by Yahya Khan to talk to me about my utterances. When my father came to talk I said to him “This is beyond you and me. Your mother was a Punjabi and my mother is a Bengali, and that I am afraid epitomizes the differences of 1971.” But that is not to say that solutions were not there because they were very much there. And I want to tell you about that solution, the solution is not to think about one Pakistan. The solution is to think about two countries, two very strong countries. Why have Visas between the two countries? What is the need to have Visas between the two countries? Of course, there are no reasons. Secondly, why have tariffs between the two countries? If a packet of tea costs Taka 10 in Bangladesh it should cost Rupees 10 in Pakistan also. If there is no tariff Bangladeshi goods will sell like hot cakes in Pakistan and our goods will sell like hot cakes there. Just two simple things, no Visas and no tariffs. There is no need to have such things in our two countries. So there should not be any Visas or tariffs between the two countries. The heavens will not fall on us if this is done. On the one hand you have these people claiming “Hum Pakistan Bana Kay Rahaingay” and yet we are not ready to give Visas! Forget the visas and forget the tariffs.
Let me also tell you that once that India actually protested to Bangladesh when Pakistan and India were playing a hockey match in Dhaka Stadium and almost all people were supporting Pakistan. India protested officially to the Government of Bangladesh. All this comes from the heart, it is not organized and it is not orchestrated. I know that the same kind of love and affection you will give Mr. Muktadir was the same given to Dr. Moonis Ahmer in Bangladesh. I tell you that you have to take away the barrier, the artificial barrier because many people say that this thing cannot be done or that thing cannot be done, but I say sorry, there is nothing that cannot be done.
There are two nations, there is no doubt about it, Pakistan and Bangladesh but we are one people. Importantly in South Asia we are one people. Where is the future? The future is that what you carry in your hearts, take that love to the people of Bangladesh and see what they carry for us. There should be more exchanges between us, more cultural exchanges, more student exchanges, more exchanges at all the levels and in all the fields because that is what will get us together. Official delegations will not get us together, they just go down to Sonargaon (in Dhaka) or the Sheraton (in Karachi) and have lunch or dinner. Lunches and dinners are a good thing but that is not enough by far. The fact of the matter is that what is your heart that can carry you along, carry you together beyond friendship.
I will be 57 years old in July God willing and I know that in my lifetime I may continue to see two countries but they will come together as one nation.
Thank you.
