Yesterday, January 17, 2026, I witnessed something truly unprecedented in the 54-year history of Bangladesh.
I was traveling on the country’s only metro line. The compartment was completely packed, apparently 95% of the passengers were standing shoulder to shoulder. Amid the usual noise and movement, a sudden moment of tension drew everyone’s attention.
From a small commotion nearby, a calm yet firm voice rose above the crowd. What the man said was so unexpected that it seemed to freeze the entire compartment:
“I did not witness 1971, but I witnessed 2024. My own son was an active participant in that movement. And today, speaking as a committed and active worker of the BNP, I say this openly: it was not right for us to separate from Pakistan in 1971.”
What followed was even more startling.
No one protested. No one argued. No one reacted loudly. The entire metro compartment remained silent.
Only the man standing next to me, most likely a quiet Awami League supporter, and someone who also expressed admiration for Imran Khan and PTI (he mentioned visiting Islamabad twice) murmured softly:
“That man has no love for his country. Those who did not witness 1971 will never truly understand why the War of Liberation happened.”
And that was it. The conversation ended there.
This scene would have been unimaginable at any point in the last five decades of Bangladesh’s history.
To me, it suggests something profound: the July Revolution of 2024 has planted an era-defining realization in the minds of many. Ideas once considered unthinkable or even dangerous to voice, are now being expressed openly in public spaces.
People like me, who once believed or still believe that Bangladesh and Pakistan should reunite, are now hearing such opinions spoken aloud without fear. Whether this is a genuine shift in mindset or a calculated political posture ahead of elections remains to be seen.
But the moment itself was real. And extraordinary.
Alhamdulillah.
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