Winds of Change

By Nazarul Islam | September 2020

There are conflicts, followed by resolutions. Nations cherish friendship, then choose to become die-hard, enemies. Winds of change strike all shores, guided by the national interests of countries we live in. Nearly five decades ago, Bangladesh had bitter hostility against Pakistan. Just a few years later, these feelings of mistrust had transformed into a warm and cordial relationship, again to be shattered, thirty years later.

Fast forward 2020 — a different generation of enemies have looked at the promises and prospects of renewing bilateral ties.

A recent phone call between the prime ministers of Pakistan and Bangladesh stirred unease in New Delhi, which suspected China’s hidden hand behind the rare outreach between two Muslim countries of the subcontinent.

It was Pakistan’s Prime Minister Imran Khan who broke the ice. He called up his Bangladeshi counterpart, Sheikh Hasina on July 22. A Bangladesh government spokesperson in Dhaka confirmed that Hasina had briefed Khan about the coronavirus pandemic and the ongoing flood situation in her country, in response to queries from Imran Khan.

On the other end, Islamabad sang a different tune, with Khan’s office stating that he also briefed Hasina about Pakistan’s view about the “grave situation” in Jammu and Kashmir. Khan purportedly “stressed the importance of peaceful resolution of the Jammu and Kashmir dispute for a safe and prosperous region”.

Much to the amazement of the neighbourhood bully, India—the announcement made by the Bangladesh Prime Minister after the phone call did not carry any reference to Jammu and Kashmir. For New Delhi, this was of some comfort, even though the significance of the fact that Hasina did agree to take the call was not lost on New Delhi.

The next day, the Minister of External Affairs in New Delhi appreciated Bangladesh’s “consistent stand” — that the issue of Jammu and Kashmir was an internal matter of India. He also noted that India’s relations with Bangladesh were “time-tested and historic”.

Obviously, New Delhi had reasons to suspect that Beijing was trying to play the role of a mediator to bring its “all-weather ally” Islamabad and Dhaka closer, leaving behind the five-decade long bitterness, which had its origin in Pakistan Army’s alleged atrocities, in erstwhile East Pakistan during the 1971 war that gave birth to Bangladesh.

There are indications from India that the phone call was a well-thought move by Pakistan to reach out to Dhaka, particularly Hasina, daughter of Mujibur Rahman, who is said to have been instrumental in the separation struggle of East Pakistan.

“Dhaka possibly would not have agreed to it unless the push came from Beijing,” said Rajesh from Kolkata.

Normalization is the course towards peace and harmony of relations — which could come, based on the principles of non-interference, non-aggression, mutual respect, beneficial relations and peaceful coexistence. In the end it is the will of the people that finally mends broken hearts. Time only numbs hatred and hostilities.

Dhaka

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