After 50 years of the brutal birth of Bangladesh, Pakistan seems to have not forgotten the humiliating defeat of the “Fall of Dhaka” in December 1971.
On the other hand, the people of Bangladesh has not forgotten the genocidal campaign “Operation Searchlight” to eliminate the Bangalee as a race, the Hindus, and vowed to impregnate ‘saccha (genuine) Pakistani’ blood in the beleaguered eastern province [now Bangladesh].
To counter the humiliation, the Pakistan Defence, an official Facebook page of the military hawks in Rawalpindi GHQ posted a documentary that takes Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman for a ride when the political crisis unfolds in 1971.
The purported 7.55 minutes video in Urdu (with English subtitle) and narration by Maria Jadoon describe that it’s a “fascinating true history of the United East and West Pakistan.”
Maria Jadoon, a 23-year-old popular TV talkshow anchor for ‘Dialogue with Maria Jadoon’ a prime time live show on the Public News channel in Pakistan. The defiant non-Hijabi anchor faces the wrath of the Mullahs, debates with governing party Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) and the dominant ruling elites.
Her convincing narration for the new generation, living in Pakistan or abroad, zooms on Sheikh Mujib and the political crisis during post-elections in 1970, was ostensibly produced by Rawalpindi hawks outfit the Pakistan Defence.
The Page is posting derogatory videos one after another showing a green and red flag with a white crescent to demonstrate solidarity with “Muslims of Bangladesh” challenging the secular fabric of the nation.
The alleged video titled “The United States of Pak-Bangla” was posted on August 6, 2021, and already has a view of 32.1 thousands and is shared by nearly 500 Facebook users.
She startles the viewers when she begins uttering “Joy Bangla – Joy Pakistan” and anybody would sit back and watch Sheikh Mujib’s addresses the historic 7th March at Race Course (now Shurwardy Uddyan) with bold Urdu subtitles blaming the military junta in Rawalpindi for the political crisis.
The apologetic documentary tells the viewers that “Mujibur Rahman was to become the unanimous Prime Minister of East and West Pakistan after the result of the 1970 elections.”
She explains that the result of the 1970 elections was released in December and due to “political confusion in the country, the national assembly session was delayed.”
The delay angered Mujibur Rahman and on March 7 delivered a “powerful speech” to “end “martial law in Pakistan and to convene the session of assembly” the video said.
It’s expected that Rawalpindi GHQ will not share the story that the ruling elites, politicians and military hawks were unwilling to accept the autonomy structure of five provinces of Pakistan, proposed by the Awami League’s Six-Point programme.
The documentary remains silent on genocide and rape as a weapon of war. It did not speak out the plight, agony and miseries of ten million women, children and elderly people who became the world’s largest war refugees after WWII were languishing in nauseating camps in neighbouring India.
Eulogising Sheikh Mujib’s active role in the All India Muslim League in 1940 and the Bengal Muslim League in 1943, this curved out East Bengal to form an eastern province of Pakistan.
The nonchalant presenter ignored Mujib is also revered as an independence hero who formally declared the freedom of Bangladesh on March 26 – which is celebrated as Independence Day.
The video, of course, mentioned Mujib’s arrest on the fateful night of March 26, 1971, and discreetly flown to Pakistan and thrown in prison until Pakistan surrendered in mid-December 1971.
As expected, the anti-Indian rhetoric blames India for disinformation “against Mujibur Rahman and that he wanted separation [from Pakistan]”.
Drawing a conspiracy theory of Mujib’s admiration of Pakistan’s brainchild Mohammad Ali Jinnah, said he had lent his political support for his sister Fatima Jinnah during the Presidential election campaign against her rival General Ayub Khan, the despotic president of Pakistan.
The propaganda documentary envisages winning the hearts of ‘Naya Pakistan’, a political campaign of former cricketer turned politician Imran Khan.
Unfortunately, the Bangladesh Foreign Ministry is playing the role of the ancient Japanese proverb of three monkeys – to see no evil, hear no evil and speak no evil.
The wicked propaganda against Bangabandhu and distortion of Bangladesh independence history was intended to confuse the new generation, must be stumped.
Saleem Samad is an independent journalist, media rights defender, recipient of Ashoka Fellowship and Hellman-Hammett Award. He could be reached at saleemsamad@hotmail.com; Twitter @saleemsamad
