A Nation's Silence and Submission: The Struggle for True Sovereignty

 No protest from Bangladesh against the persecution of Indian Muslims at the hands of Indian Hindus, while India continues to pressure and question Bangladesh with baseless claims of minority persecution within our borders.

Today’s meeting between the foreign secretaries of Bangladesh and India was yet another missed opportunity to deliver a firm and balanced message from the Bangladesh side. Instead, there was a clear eagerness to appease India, with one-sided commitments to expanding trade and business ties—essentially deepening our dependency on them.

As a nation, Bangladesh continues to demonstrate a concerning lack of assertiveness and remains far from achieving true sovereignty. This approach is both disappointing and alarming.

Bangladeshi Media and Government: A Crisis of Self-Respect

 

The media landscape in Bangladesh appears to have faltered significantly in addressing critical regional issues, particularly concerning the ongoing oppression and violence faced by Indian Muslims at the hands of Hindu extremist groups in India. Despite the severity of these incidents, Bangladeshi journalists and media outlets have largely failed to raise their voices or challenge these injustices effectively. This failure has allowed Indian media to propagate baseless allegations that Hindus in Bangladesh are being persecuted by Muslims—a narrative that is far removed from the truth.

Moreover, Indian TV news media has engaged in a tactic known as "gish-galloping," overwhelming their audience, Bangladeshi officials with a rapid series of misleading arguments and claims. This strategy has been used in interviews with Bangladeshi government representatives and political leaders, leaving them unable to counter the flood of disinformation adequately. At the same time, acts of hostility, such as attacks on Bangladeshi consulate offices and the burning of Bangladeshi flags by Hindu extremists in India, have further strained relations between the two nations.

This situation raises important questions about Bangladesh's response and its sense of national self-esteem. Instead of addressing these provocations assertively, Bangladesh has remained largely passive, missing opportunities to interrogate Indian officials and media for their role in spreading false narratives. This inaction suggests a deeper issue: a loss of confidence and self-respect among Bangladeshis, despite the country’s 90% Muslim majority and its historical struggle for independence.

India often underscores its role in Bangladesh’s Liberation War of 1971, framing itself as a benefactor that Bangladesh should remain perpetually grateful to. However, many argue that India’s involvement was driven by its strategic interest in weakening its rival, Pakistan, rather than solely by altruistic motives. Despite this, the Bangladeshi government has shown reluctance to critically examine or publicly acknowledge the complex dynamics of India’s involvement in its liberation.

To address these challenges, Bangladesh needs to engage in serious introspection. It must reclaim its sense of sovereignty and self-respect, ensuring that its media and leadership stand firm in representing the country’s interests on the global stage. Without this, the nation risks remaining vulnerable to external narratives and losing sight of its own identity and values. Needless to say, our enemy has been largely successful in achieving this objective.

Friday afternoon on Facebook: Bridging Brotherhood

In a recent interaction on a YouTube video commemorating Pakistan's National Day parade, I extended warm regards and admiration from my home country, Bangladesh. Expressing appreciation for Pakistan's military strength, discipline, patriotism, and commitment to Islam, I aimed to foster goodwill between our nations. However, what ensued was a familiar scenario, one that has become all too common in online spaces. Certain Indian commentators seized the opportunity to critique my gesture, questioning my loyalty as a Bangladeshi for acknowledging our departed brother’s military prowess.

This incident highlights a recurring phenomenon on the internet: the unwelcome intrusion of Indian commentators on Pakistani or Bangladeshi content. Their comments often carry a tone of intimidation and hostility, seemingly threatened by any display of camaraderie between our two brotherly nations. It appears that the prospect of Bangladesh and Pakistan rekindling their fraternal bond, despite historical complexities exacerbated by Indian intervention, unsettles these commentators.

Furthermore, these Indians frequently resurrect the painful history of Bangladesh's liberation war of 1971, repeatedly highlighting the disturbing history of massacres of innocent Bangladeshi people at the hands of the Pakistan Army. Such reminders serve to exacerbate tensions and hinder efforts towards reconciliation and mutual understanding.

In response to this recurring behavior, I propose a term to encapsulate this phenomenon: Ever (so) Intimidated Indians (EII). This term reflects the apparent unease and apprehension felt by certain Indian individuals when witnessing gestures of solidarity between Bangladesh and Pakistan. As citizens of our respective nations, it is imperative that we refrain from being provoked or swayed by the comments of the EIIs. Instead, let us continue to nurture and strengthen the bonds of brotherhood that connect our people, undeterred by external interference.

In conclusion, while online platforms offer avenues for cross-cultural exchange and understanding, they also expose us to divisive rhetoric and unwarranted scrutiny. By remaining steadfast in our commitment to fostering amicable relations between Bangladesh and Pakistan, we can overcome such challenges and pave the way for a future built on mutual respect and cooperation. #bangladeshpakistanbrotherhood

মনে পরে বাবার কথা

 বাবার মুখের একটা কথা মনে পড়লে হাসি ধরে রাখতে পারি না. এইতো কিছুদিন আগের কথা. কাকে যেনো বৈবাহিক জীবনে জটিলতার বিষয়ে কিছু উপদেশ দিচ্ছিলাম বা, কোনো এক আত্মীয়ের বৈবাহিক জীবনের জটিলতা ব্যাখ্যা করছিলাম. কথা শেষ হতেই অনেক্ষন মুখে মুচকি হাসি নিয়ে চুপকরে আমার লেকচার শুনতে থাকা আমার অসুস্থ বাবা যোগ করে দিলেন, " আমি আমার দীর্ঘ অভিজ্ঞতা থেকে বলছি". গণিত আর শিক্ষক-প্রশিক্ষণের প্রফেসর আমার বাবা, এক সময় গ্রাম্য মঞ্চে পারফর্ম ও করতেন. ডায়লগ এর টাইমিং উনার একটু আধটু জানা ছিল বৈকি. কারণ, এই নিখুঁত টাইমিং এর সফিস্টিকেটেড সিঙ্গেল ডায়ালগ জায়গা মতো ছাড়ারপর অডিয়েন্স এর অট্টহাসি থামতে সবারই অনেক কষ্ট হচ্ছিলো. হে আল্লাহ, আপনি আমার বাবার বিদেহী আত্মার মাগফিরাত দান করুন , তাঁকে জান্নাতুল ফেরদাউস নসীব করুন, আমিন.

Well, no harm in having a dream !!

 You know what, I feel that my romantic time with my wife (Yes, I still wish In shaa Allah) that will resonate in my heart would be taking the lady on the back carrier of a village bicycle riding along a rural clay road of Pakistani Punjab with blooming mustard fields on each side. Now if there's any inspiration drawn from any Bollywood content behind this plan, am not really sure). And I think a beautiful sunny winter morning would be the perfect time for that blissful ride. Well, occasionally there could be shades of roadside trees. Need I say we both should be wearing traditional (suitable and appropriate) rural Punjabi attire? Gotta learn some Punjabi dialogues to reach out to the lady's heart in those moments. You know, with a non-Punjabi husband, an amateur cyclist carrying a living backload, it's worth checking if she's getting her fair share of this joy. These linguistic skills can come in handy in case the lady in the back offers services (voluntarily) like GPS, rearview camera, proximity sensors, speedometer and more in Punjabi. Now, having said all that, I also need to find out the clay road as plane as possible to make the ride less bumpy. Oh !! Some more works pop up: Wonder what would be an ideal addition to the bike to make it serve the purpose efficiently:  heavy bumpers/ liquid suspension on both wheels/ helmets for both/ or a weighing scale at the back !!? This will however remain an open question until that time, In shaa Allah. 

Remembering my father, Late Principal (retd) Muhammad Ramizuddin Ahmed

 Date: December 13, 1982. "There you are....!!! That's the way, my son...!! Look at that ..!! That's a good camera...,isn't it !!?!!" I wonder what he was saying at that moment cuddling super cranky me, his just a year old first born. But, that summarizes his dealings with me, ie the tone or the order of our relationship. A perfect mentor, a perfect teacher, an influencer, a strict commander, an expert personality analyzer, designer & builder, a great mathematician, a sports enthusiast, a patient instructor, a fearlessly and fiercely stubborn uncompromising bloke against any sort of oppression, bullying or injustice, a superb warden of men's hostel, excellent manager, skilled organizer, unparalleled conflict resolver, a go-to person at his workplace to carry out high-intensity responsibilities, a research loving mathematics and primary & secondary education specialist with research experience at home and abroad.........and the list goes on Ma shaa Allah , Al hhamdulillah. Actually , I just can't count all the ways how his footprints along with his instructions still are guiding me. It's now been exactly a year since he left us all. But still, not a single day passes that I don't feel his presence in my heart directing me in the way to think, decide, act and judge when needed. It's amazing how a father with his greatest instrument of parenthood made a lifelong instruction manual for all his children, SubHhaan Allah !! People celebrate Father's Day sharing pics with their fathers online. I chose this old one that best describes my Dad's parenthood. Everybody, please keep him, Marhoom (Late) Principal (retd) Muhammad Ramizuddin Ahmed in your prayers. May Allah bless his soul Magfirah, place him in Zannatul Firdaus and enable his children, students, and disciples to follow his instructions properly in their search for true success in life, Ameen.

A Pic of Golden Era Dhaka Mohammedan Football Club

 

স্বর্ণযুগের মোহামেডান টিম, ১৯৮৭। Mohammedan Sporting Club Football Team in the final days (1987) of Dhaka's Premier Division Football League's golden era. Suddenly, I get 34 years back to those club football-crazy days when I, as just a 5/6-year-old kid used to be a staunch Mohammedan supporter !! especially while playing against "Abahoni Krira Chakra". To most of Dhaka's club football fans in those days, the main attraction of the premier league every year was all the matches between these two archrivals. I still remember the days while we, kids of Barisal Polytechnic Institute's staff quarter used to chant slogans against Abahoni waving homemade/readymade flags, banners and posters of Mohammedan Sporting Club. This would start right from the first day of "players draft" in clubs through team switching/ contract renewal/new hire/kidnapping by the club fans(Yes !! it's a fact)....One of the popular slogans was " ইলিশ মাছের তিরিশ(ত্রিশ) কাঁটা , বোয়াল মাছের দাড়ি।..

আবাহনী ভিক্ষা করে মোহামেডানের বাড়ি "
Now waiting for the reply from the Abahoni fans....