SEPTEMBER 11, 2024 was the 76th Death Anniversary of the founder of Pakistan, Quaid-e-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah. Honouring the legacy of its founding father, whose leadership played a pivotal role in the creation of Pakistan, the day was commemorated through recitation of verses of the Holy Quran and offering Fateha at the Quaid’s Mausoleum in Karachi, where some government representatives laid floral wreaths. There was no public holiday but a few programmes had been organized across the country by educational institutions, social and cultural organizations to pay tributes to the father of the nation.
Surprisingly, Muhammad Ali Jinnah’s death anniversary was observed in Dhaka for the first time since the creation of Bangladesh. According to the “Dhaka Tribune”, this event—organized by the Nawab Salimullah Academy at the Tofazzal Hossain Manik Miah Hall at the National Press Club in Dhaka—included the recitation of Urdu poetry and songs, with erudite speakers, and musical performances.
An irate Indian media reacted to the development of observing Muhammad Ali Jinnah’s death anniversary in Bangladesh and described it as an unusual move given the historical context of Bangladesh’s independence from Pakistan. Renowned daily, “India Today” highlighted the irony of the situation, noting that Bangladesh, which fought for its independence partly due to the imposition of Urdu by Pakistan, was now commemorating Jinnah with Urdu poetry.
The event was perceived by some as an attempt to rewrite history, especially in the post-Hasina era. The majority of the Indian media appeared to be in shock and awe while reporting on the unusual ceremony, attempting to rake up old wounds that led to the breakup of Pakistan. The causes were numerous and stemmed from the callous attitude of West Pakistan towards its eastern wing, but seditious manipulation by India provoked the Bengalis to revolt. In its coverage of the event, the Indian media brought to the fore the oft-repeated but now debunked propaganda of the genocide of three million Bengalis and the rape of two million Bengali women by Pakistani soldiers in 1971.
Sheikh Hasina, the long-serving but now deposed Prime Minister, had Bangladeshi school textbooks demonizing Muhammad Ali Jinnah for imposing Urdu as the national language of united-Pakistan and blackballed the Pakistan Army’s alleged brutalization of Bengalis in 1971. She cracked down on pro-Pakistani and Islamist elements during her 15-year rule, during which these elements were incarcerated en masse and later hanged after sham trials. With prescience, Jinnah had taken the decision of declaring Urdu as the lingua franca of Pakistan because it was not the language of any of the provinces: Balochistan, Bengal, North West Frontier Province (now Khyber Pakhtunkhwa), Punjab or Sindh. The critics fail to mention that the movement for recognizing Bengali as the co-lingua franca was maliciously initiated by a Bengali Hindu lawyer, Dhirendranath Datta—a conscientious objector—who had campaigned against the partition of Bengal in 1905 and later opposed the creation of Pakistan. Importantly, Jinnah died in 1948 but his successors were Bengalis.
Bhasha Andolan, the Bengali Language Movement was reignited in 1952, under the rule of a Bengali Prime Minister Khawaja Nazimuddin, who staunchly defended the “Urdu-only” policy in a speech on 27 January 1952. On February 21, 1952, students and activists in Dhaka protested against the imposition of Urdu. The Bengali police responded with violence resulting in the deaths of several protesters. This day is now commemorated as International Mother Language Day. At Jinnah’s day of remembrance in Dhaka, the keynote speaker Prof Dr Mostafizur Rahman, outlined various events from Jinnah’s life. Jafarul Haq Jafar recited an Urdu poem about Jinnah, while two Pakistani students studying in Bangladesh, Mohammad Tahir and Kamran Abbas, rendered Urdu songs dedicated to Jinnah.
The event, presided over by the Academy’s President, Muhammad Abdul Jabbar, was also attended by the convener of Nagorik Parishad Muhammad Samsuddin and journalist Mostafa Kamal Mojumder, among others. Samsuddin declared: “If Bangladesh had not been part of Pakistan in 1947, we would have been in the same position as Kashmir today, with the Indian junta holding weapons to our necks. Bangladesh gained independence because of Pakistan, which Jinnah helped create.” He stressed, “Why should we change the name of Allama Iqbal Hall or Jinnah Avenue? These changes were made because Delhi wanted them, but we did not. Bangladesh must foster strong relations with China and Pakistan.”
Another speaker, Nazrul Islam, reiterated: “Regardless of how it happened, we have gained independence. We must maintain our relationship with Pakistan. If Jinnah had not been there, Pakistan would not have existed, and without Pakistan, Bangladesh would not exist. Jinnah is the father of our nation, but we do not acknowledge it. We must preserve our brotherhood, and I hope that both Jinnah’s birth and death anniversaries will continue to be observed here every year.”
Muhammad Shakhawat, another participant, stressed that after 1757, the political incompetence and strife in the Indian subcontinent were ended by Jinnah. “Had Jinnah not taken responsibility for Bangladesh in 1947, we would have been in the same situation as West Bengal, remaining a part of India. It was because of his leadership that East Pakistan remained united with West Pakistan. Now we must assess our friendship.”
The resurrection of Muhammad Ali Jinnah’s image could have several implications, which could prompt a reassessment of historical narratives within Bangladesh, leading to a more nuanced understanding of the subcontinent’s shared history, but also rekindle the painful memories of the 1971 War. Politically, this could signal a shift in Bangladesh’s internal and external policies, reflecting a desire to balance relations with both India and Pakistan, potentially altering regional dynamics. Some Bangladeshi citizens might view it as a step towards reconciliation and regional harmony, while others could see it as a negation of the sacrifices made during the independence struggle. India might see the event with suspicion, potentially affecting Indo-Bangladesh relations but overall, this development could be perceived as an opportunity for dialogue and reconciliation, potentially paving the way for better understanding and cooperation between Pakistan and Bangladesh.
—The writer, Retired Group Captain of PAF, is author of several books on China.
