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Aziz Sirazi
Gloves have finally come off. For the past few weeks, especially after humiliation of the Indian forces at the hands of the Chinese in the Ladakh region and Nepal’s public stand against India on disputed border areas, the Indian media has been publishing one story after another speculating that Bangladesh is getting out of India’s orbit and falling into the hands of China. Some of these stories attacked senior army officials for alleged actions to topple Bangladesh army chief General Aziz who was described as India-friendly. Other stories aggressively criticized so-called pro-Pakistan advisers of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina for steering Bangladesh foreign policy away from India. China’s granting of duty-free treatment of Bangladesh exports attracted immediate criticism in the Indian media and Bangladesh was belittled as a recipient of Chinese “charity” (“khoirati”). However, none of these reports explicitly challenged or criticized Sheikh Hasina.
All this changed after Sheikh Hasina had had a telephone conversation with the Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan on July 22, 2020. Two days later, on 24 July Shyamal Dutta published a piece in a Dhaka daily Bhorer Kagoz criticizing the Hasina government for delaying implementation of Indian projects in the country while accelerating that of Chinese projects and chiding Sheikh Hasina for marginalizing pro-Indian advisers and refusing to meet Indian High Commissioner. Immediately, the Indian media started purveying stories based on this piece, making it clear that this media offensive was carefully pre-planned. Most explicitly, on 25 July Indian newspaper the Hindu headlined an article “Sheikh Hasina failed to meet Indian envoy despite requests: Dhaka daily.” This is the first time Sheikh Hasina has been targeted personally in the Indian media in this manner.
The Indian propaganda against Hasina has since been further intensified. On July 26, 2020 the NDTV carried an article in which reporter Subir Bhaumik directly alleged that "Sheikh Hasina has crossed a Laxman Rekha in quite a decisive way." Myth has it that when Sita crossed the Laxman Rekha and was abducted by Lankan King Ravana, Rama organized a military offensive against Lanka with the help of Hanuman. After her rescue, Sita undewent Agni Pariksha (an ordeal of fire) by which she proved her chastity before she was accepted by Rama. Bhaumik and his masters have thus issued an explicit warning against Hasina and Bangladesh by making reference to Ramayana.
There is no question that Shyamal Dutta’s piece was inspired by certain shadowy characters in India. It is apparent from the very first paragraph that began with the terrible atrocities committed by the Pakistani forces in Bangladesh under General AAK Niazi. Then it proceeded to mention the name of Pakistani PM as “Imran Khan Niazi”, thereby implicating Imran Khan with the atrocities. This is a purported disinformation to claim that Imran Khan shares a family lineage with Niazi. Interestingly, Indian delegation to the UN used the suffix Niazi to Imran Khan’s name in a statement at the General Assembly in September 2019. Two month’s later, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi also used the same suffix as a jibe against the Pakistani PM. It does not require much imagination to understand where Shyamal Dutta got the idea of conflating Imran Khan with 1971 atrocities.
General Niazi was certainly a criminal of the first order for his abominable role in 1971, but what was Imran Khan’s view of the Pakistani actions? According to a piece by renowned journalist Hamid Mir published in Dhaka’s Daily Star on December 16, 2014, Imran Khan “has always criticized the military operation of 1971 and even pressed Pakistan to apologize to Bangladesh for the excesses committed by its armed forces in the 1971 operation.”
In every sense, it is extremely audacious for Dutta to chide Sheikh Hasina for not meeting Indian High Commissioner in Dhaka! Is the High Commissioner an imperial viceroy whom the PM must meet even when she is not meeting her own cabinet colleagues due to Covid-19? Perhaps Shyamal Dutttas of the world think that the PM and the entire Bangladesh must be at the beck and call of Indian envoy at any hour of the day.
Dutta alleges that pro-Pakistani advisers of the PM have sidelined pro-Indian advisers or that under the PM Bangladesh has deliberately slowed down Indian projects and accelerated implementation of Chinese projects. Would Dutta do us the favor of identifying the pro-Indian advisors? What proof does he have that the slowdown in Indian project implementation is due to Hasina government? The whole world now knows why Iran kicked India out of the strategic Chabahar project – it was primarily because of inordinate implementational delays on the part of India. Even some Indian policymakers acknowledged chronic delays in implementation of India’s foreign projects. We also know that when China offers Bangladesh $24 billion assistance, it means $24 billion. But when India offers $1 billion, it takes years after years to release even $100 million. To blame the PM for something for which Indians are responsible not only demonstrates Dutta’s utter disrespect for the PM, but also exposes his real allegiance to Indian interests at the expense of Bangladesh.
We are no buddies of Sheikh Hasina; instead we are among the most vocal critics of many of her policies and actions. However, we most definitely do not want any bodily harm to come upon her. Despite her many drawbacks, if she reorients Bangladesh’s foreign policy in a direction that will truly strengthen our independence and sovereignty, accelerate our economic progress and improve the lots of our common women and men, all patriotic people will enthusiastically support it.
The biggest crime that Shyamal Dutta has committed is that he allowed himself to be used for adverse personal propaganda against Sheikh Hasina. We know what happened to her father Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman who got the Indian troops leave Bangladesh soil, went to Lahore to join OIC summit over Indian protests and invited Bhutto to visit Bangladesh. We also know what happened to President Ziaur Rahman when he tried to run an independent foreign policy to the chagrin of India. We do not want a repeat of these tragic events of our history.
Shyamal Dutta has committed plain treason by providing the opening salvo in the same direction by invoking veiled physical and psychological threats against Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina. Years ago, Hasina told New York Times that a bullet is constantly chasing her. Dutta has actively conspired to help target that assassin’s bullet at her. He and his brethren in conspiracy must be nipped in the bud.
Aziz Sirazi writes on international political affairs.
Gloves have finally come off. For the past few weeks, especially after humiliation of the Indian forces at the hands of the Chinese in the Ladakh region and Nepal’s public stand against India on disputed border areas, the Indian media has been publishing one story after another speculating that Bangladesh is getting out of India’s orbit and falling into the hands of China. Some of these stories attacked senior army officials for alleged actions to topple Bangladesh army chief General Aziz who was described as India-friendly. Other stories aggressively criticized so-called pro-Pakistan advisers of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina for steering Bangladesh foreign policy away from India. China’s granting of duty-free treatment of Bangladesh exports attracted immediate criticism in the Indian media and Bangladesh was belittled as a recipient of Chinese “charity” (“khoirati”). However, none of these reports explicitly challenged or criticized Sheikh Hasina.
All this changed after Sheikh Hasina had had a telephone conversation with the Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan on July 22, 2020. Two days later, on 24 July Shyamal Dutta published a piece in a Dhaka daily Bhorer Kagoz criticizing the Hasina government for delaying implementation of Indian projects in the country while accelerating that of Chinese projects and chiding Sheikh Hasina for marginalizing pro-Indian advisers and refusing to meet Indian High Commissioner. Immediately, the Indian media started purveying stories based on this piece, making it clear that this media offensive was carefully pre-planned. Most explicitly, on 25 July Indian newspaper the Hindu headlined an article “Sheikh Hasina failed to meet Indian envoy despite requests: Dhaka daily.” This is the first time Sheikh Hasina has been targeted personally in the Indian media in this manner.
The Indian propaganda against Hasina has since been further intensified. On July 26, 2020 the NDTV carried an article in which reporter Subir Bhaumik directly alleged that "Sheikh Hasina has crossed a Laxman Rekha in quite a decisive way." Myth has it that when Sita crossed the Laxman Rekha and was abducted by Lankan King Ravana, Rama organized a military offensive against Lanka with the help of Hanuman. After her rescue, Sita undewent Agni Pariksha (an ordeal of fire) by which she proved her chastity before she was accepted by Rama. Bhaumik and his masters have thus issued an explicit warning against Hasina and Bangladesh by making reference to Ramayana.
There is no question that Shyamal Dutta’s piece was inspired by certain shadowy characters in India. It is apparent from the very first paragraph that began with the terrible atrocities committed by the Pakistani forces in Bangladesh under General AAK Niazi. Then it proceeded to mention the name of Pakistani PM as “Imran Khan Niazi”, thereby implicating Imran Khan with the atrocities. This is a purported disinformation to claim that Imran Khan shares a family lineage with Niazi. Interestingly, Indian delegation to the UN used the suffix Niazi to Imran Khan’s name in a statement at the General Assembly in September 2019. Two month’s later, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi also used the same suffix as a jibe against the Pakistani PM. It does not require much imagination to understand where Shyamal Dutta got the idea of conflating Imran Khan with 1971 atrocities.
General Niazi was certainly a criminal of the first order for his abominable role in 1971, but what was Imran Khan’s view of the Pakistani actions? According to a piece by renowned journalist Hamid Mir published in Dhaka’s Daily Star on December 16, 2014, Imran Khan “has always criticized the military operation of 1971 and even pressed Pakistan to apologize to Bangladesh for the excesses committed by its armed forces in the 1971 operation.”
In every sense, it is extremely audacious for Dutta to chide Sheikh Hasina for not meeting Indian High Commissioner in Dhaka! Is the High Commissioner an imperial viceroy whom the PM must meet even when she is not meeting her own cabinet colleagues due to Covid-19? Perhaps Shyamal Dutttas of the world think that the PM and the entire Bangladesh must be at the beck and call of Indian envoy at any hour of the day.
Dutta alleges that pro-Pakistani advisers of the PM have sidelined pro-Indian advisers or that under the PM Bangladesh has deliberately slowed down Indian projects and accelerated implementation of Chinese projects. Would Dutta do us the favor of identifying the pro-Indian advisors? What proof does he have that the slowdown in Indian project implementation is due to Hasina government? The whole world now knows why Iran kicked India out of the strategic Chabahar project – it was primarily because of inordinate implementational delays on the part of India. Even some Indian policymakers acknowledged chronic delays in implementation of India’s foreign projects. We also know that when China offers Bangladesh $24 billion assistance, it means $24 billion. But when India offers $1 billion, it takes years after years to release even $100 million. To blame the PM for something for which Indians are responsible not only demonstrates Dutta’s utter disrespect for the PM, but also exposes his real allegiance to Indian interests at the expense of Bangladesh.
We are no buddies of Sheikh Hasina; instead we are among the most vocal critics of many of her policies and actions. However, we most definitely do not want any bodily harm to come upon her. Despite her many drawbacks, if she reorients Bangladesh’s foreign policy in a direction that will truly strengthen our independence and sovereignty, accelerate our economic progress and improve the lots of our common women and men, all patriotic people will enthusiastically support it.
The biggest crime that Shyamal Dutta has committed is that he allowed himself to be used for adverse personal propaganda against Sheikh Hasina. We know what happened to her father Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman who got the Indian troops leave Bangladesh soil, went to Lahore to join OIC summit over Indian protests and invited Bhutto to visit Bangladesh. We also know what happened to President Ziaur Rahman when he tried to run an independent foreign policy to the chagrin of India. We do not want a repeat of these tragic events of our history.
Shyamal Dutta has committed plain treason by providing the opening salvo in the same direction by invoking veiled physical and psychological threats against Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina. Years ago, Hasina told New York Times that a bullet is constantly chasing her. Dutta has actively conspired to help target that assassin’s bullet at her. He and his brethren in conspiracy must be nipped in the bud.
Aziz Sirazi writes on international political affairs.
