Bangladesh needs to prove her worth? (part one)
Musfique Prodhan
Recently I had an opportunity to participate in an online radio debate, which is said to be shared with Indian nationals, writers and sometimes with some Indian authorities as well.
Since the subject included the Transit/Corridor issue with India, I felt to oblige to represent Bangladesh's point of view to the Indian audience. .
http://www.fosaac.
My personal experience in India and with Indians made it clear that the general Indian nationals though very cooperative and friendly towards visiting Bangladeshi nationals (specialy in West Bengal and South India) but they were heavily depended on the euporhea of 1971 era Bangladesh.
Things might have changed as a handsome number of Bangladeshs visit India each year. But the Indian medias rentless pursuit to be the sole representative of their central Govt's foreign policy, I afraid the image of a Bangladeshi citizen might not very pleasant among general Indians.
Specialy when the nepotism of pointing finger at Bangladesh to be behind all the alledged "terrorism". Other propagandas like alledged infiltration, illegal migration, shelterting separatists and minority oppression simply must have widen the gap between two nations.
The activities of Bangladeshi terrorists in West Bengal ( sheltered and sponsored by the State and Central Govt) also might have played a catalyst role to create mistrust among West Bengal citizens about Bangladeshis.
Unfortunately, our own responsibilities has been limited to publishing a protest note in the national newspapers against any such allegations. Such limited and unfruitfull gesture only have contributed to nourish the mistrust between the two nations..
The role of our own media, intellectuals, writers and politicians are not too bright either. Deprived of a sensible and practical patratiotic stand, they are divided into extreme pro and anti Indian groups.
If the non realistic inflametory comments of the anti Indian group is damaging, the pro Indians pursuit to legitimate the Indian propaganda is disasterous. So far this extreme swinging action have seriously failed to portray the attitude of majority of Bangladeshis.
The role of our foreign missions are equaly lathergic. As I recall my letter sent to the Foreign Ministry, the Embassy in Washington DC and Los Angeles Consulate, warning them about concequences of the article published in Los Angeles Times by one Selig Harrison. All the people associated with these organizations were so unmoved that, they didnot care let alone sending a letter of protest against such fabricated article.
http://www.latimes.
That particular article have played the pivotal role for what have followed, (the US admistration is considering to conduct a survey on Bangladesh border) would be an ambitious overstatement.
The continuous accumulation of such small articles are primarily responsible for the current terrorphoebic US admistration to set their focus on Bangladesh. And most of those articles were originated, overtly or covertly in our neighboring country, and the source being the Indian admistration and its notorious espionage wing RAW.
Our own extreme chants or silence, both at internal and international level respectively have been so far contributed to reach the propaganda to a higher magnitude on both sides of the Atlantic. In todays lone superpower based world, any image that is disfavorable to her, could shatter any possibility of economic growth and prosperity of Bangladesh.
END OF PART 1 |
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