Dhaka, Jan 19
Bangladesh needs to understand that Pakistan's overreach is driven by the vested interest in advancing its anti-India agenda through Bangladeshi soil even as Islamabad remains unconcerned about the repercussions of sponsoring terrorists within Bangladesh, a report said on Monday.
It added that although Dhaka may be celebrating in its newfound bonhomie with Islamabad, it must remain vigilant to prevent its soil from being used as a launch pad for terrorist activities against India.
"Almost five-and-a-half decades ago, the Pakistan army unleashed a military campaign codenamed Operation Search Light in what was then East Pakistan. Banglapedia, the National encyclopaedia of Bangladesh that boasts of 'an intellectual output of over 1450 scholars,' describes this military action as a 'ruthless and brutal armed operation undertaken by the Pakistan army on 25 March 1971 in order to curb the movement of the freedom loving Bangalis [sic] against the autocratic rule of the Pakistani rulers'," a report in Eurasia Review detailed.
"The brazen barbarity displayed by the Pakistan army and its newly created East-Pakistan Central Peace Committee that included the Islamist Jamaat-i-Islami [JeI] party against the people during this operation was extremely horrendous. As Rawalpindi banned foreign media in erstwhile East Pakistan, its rank and file had no fears whatsoever while committing untold atrocities against the locals and they took full advantage of this opportunity," it added.
According to the report, although the Pakistani military's use of brute force during the 1971 Bangladesh Liberation War failed to stop secession and the subsequent creation of Bangladesh, Pakistan continued its efforts at "Islamisation of the masses" to "provide a strong religious bond with West Pakistan."
The report stressed that the current situation in Bangladesh has made it easy for the radical Islamist groups to gain a foothold - a vulnerability that Pakistan has exploited fully.
"There are strong indications that Rawalpindi is whipping up anti-Hindu sentiments and organising a conglomerate of terrorist organisations to target India. As such, New Delhi not only needs to be prepared for this eventuality but also adopt a proactive stance to counter this menace," it noted
The next government in Bangladesh, the report said, "must learn from the past and take necessary action to ensure that political patronage which promotes religious radicalism is not allowed to flourish". It warned that religious radicalisation cannot be controlled or stopped, citing Pakistan as a live example.
- IANS
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