For several days, the situation in Bangladesh has been a topic of discussion in Pakistan. The student movement toppled Sheikh Hasina’s government, after over 400 deaths, hundreds of injuries, and millions of takas’ property damage. The unrest stemmed from the special quotas and privileges given to those who participated in the 1971 War of Independence, which negatively impacted other students. The government responded with heavy force, labeling the protesters as “Razakars,” a term used in Bangladesh to describe traitors and Pakistan-supported armed groups.
Both Pakistan and Bangladesh remain entangled in the legacy of the 1971 War. The political leadership, bureaucracy, and establishments of both nations have exacerbated this growing animosity. The Razakars, Al-Badr, Al-Shams, and East Pakistan Civil Armed Forces were pro-Pakistan and non-Bengali individuals.
Currently, according to the Bangladeshi government and the International Red Cross, 147,637 people, cleared by the Pakistani government, are stranded in Bangladesh and awaiting repatriation to Pakistan. However, the Pakistani government is not seriously considering their return. Despite orders from the Bangladesh Supreme Court, these individuals refuse to accept Bangladeshi citizenship, hoping Pakistan will repatriate them— a hope that seems unlikely. In 2024, a resolution for their return was presented in the Sindh Assembly, but it was strongly opposed by the Pakistan People’s Party. The Pakistani government does not want to implement the tripartite agreements of 9 April 1974 and 28 August 1978,
According to Google, Wikipedia, and other sources, there are about 2 million Pakistani Bengalis living in Pakistan, with 116 settlements in Karachi alone. Whether in industries, factories, domestic work, fisheries, or other businesses, Pakistani Bengalis play an active role. Pakistan’s economy would be incomplete without them.
Their presence in Pakistan is the greatest testament to their love for the country. Their ancestors’ graves are in Pakistan, and they represent the third generation. In fisheries, Abdul Qadir Bacho Diwan has played a significant role in strengthening Pakistan’s economy and has even received an award from the Prime Minister of Pakistan.
Pakistan’s history, from its creation to its struggle for independence, is incomplete without mentioning Pakistani Bengalis. Whether it’s the 1757 battle with Nawab Siraj-ud-Daulah, the 1857 War of Independence, the 1905 partition of Bengal, the 1906 founding of the All India Muslim League by Nawab Salimullah Khan of Dhaka, or the moving of the 1940 Lahore Resolution by Moulvi A.K. Fazlul Huq, Bengali leaders have played a crucial role.
Even after the formation of Pakistan, several Prime Ministers were of Bengali origin, including the second Prime Minister Khawaja Nazimuddin, the third Mohammad Ali Bogra, the fifth Huseyn Shaheed Suhrawardy, and the eighth Nurul Amin, whose graves are within the precincts of Mazar-e-Quaid. Before 1971, many key positions and ministries were held by Pakistani Bengalis. In modern times, one prominent figure is Dr Kaiser Bengali, who has significantly contributed to Pakistan’s economy.
Pakistani Bengalis have made immense sacrifices for the defense of Pakistan. In the 1965 Indo-Pak war, the East Bengal Regiment defended the BRB canal in Lahore with their blood, and they crushed India’s Poona Horse tank regiment in the Chawinda sector by strapping bombs to their bodies, earning the title of “Tiger Regiment.”In 1971, when the mandate of the Pakistani Bengalis was not accepted, and during the brutal Operation Searchlight, which involved enforced disappearances, rape of women, and mass killings of students and teachers, the love of Pakistani Bengalis for Pakistan remained unshaken.
The Nazrul Islam Academy, a cultural heritage site of Pakistani Bengalis, is on the verge of extinction due to government neglect. Currently, there is a very small number of Pakistani Bengali chairmen and councillors in Karachi.
“Planting love with bullets, Washing the land’s chest with blood, You think the path is being cleared, I am certain the destination is being lost.”
Despite all the state oppression, these patriotic individuals migrated from East to West Pakistan, unable to accept the existence of Bangladesh.
“When the earth’s body became barren, This land was bequeathed to us.”
In 1978, dictator Gen Zia-ul-Haq issued a presidential ordinance requiring every Pakistani Bengali to apply for citizenship through the federal government. The doors of the Ministry of Interior in Islamabad have always been closed to the common poor, and thus, this black law was imposed on Pakistani Bengalis.
Zulfikar Ali Bhutto enacted the National Registration Act and issued manual identity cards. In 2000, General Pervez Musharraf founded NADRA, making the situation for Pakistani Bengalis worse. NADRA made it nearly impossible for Bengalis in Pakistan, whether in Chakwal, Narowal, Karachi, or Kashmir, to obtain identity cards. As a result, Pakistani Bengalis were treated similarly to how India treats Kashmiris.
A National Aliens Registration Authority (NARA) was established, staffed by racist and prejudiced officials. This authority, with the help of the police, raided factories, fisheries, and Bengali settlements, detaining Bengalis and issuing them NARA cards despite their Pakistani documents, labelling them as foreigners.
During the PML(N) government ,then Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali further complicated these issues by establishing District Level Committees (DLC) consisting of ISI, IB, police, special branch, and NADRA members. Due to a lack of interest from committee members, hundreds of cases are pending, and the DLC has revoked the citizenship of thousands of individuals, now ordering them to reapply for Pakistani citizenship.
The third generation of Pakistani Bengalis, born and raised in Pakistan, is still not recognized by the government.
“Born, raised, and matured, They were shocked to hear that this land is not ours.”
Many individuals have been detained due to their NARA cards. In 2017, this racist authority was merged with NADRA, ending its oppressive practices. However, the NARA records made many Pakistani Bengalis stateless. Obtaining a passport after an identity card remains extremely difficult for Pakistani Bengalis. Despite having ID cards, the Passport Office, solely due to their Bengali ethnicity, sends their citizenship verification to the Special Branch, which remains pending for years.
Pakistani Bengali children and youth are deprived of education due to the lack of B-forms. Many talented athletes and gymnasts cannot represent Pakistan due to the absence of identity documents. Union councils refuse to register the birth of Bengali children. Their job and employment opportunities are limited, and without identity cards, they are employed at minimum wages.
Currently, around 160 Pakistani Bengali fishermen entered Indian territorial waters while fishing and are now imprisoned in Indian jails. Human rights activist Advocate Ali Changezi Sindhu is striving for their release in the Lahore High Court. However, due to the blocking of their Pakistani identity cards, the government is not confirming their citizenship, and the Special Branch refuses to work on their documents without bribes. The families of these fishermen are now facing starvation.
The author of this article wrote to the Chairman of the Senate regarding these severe human rights violations, leading to the Senate taking suo motu notice in 2017. However, NADRA Chairman Usman Mubeen dismissed the issue by suggesting amendments to the Pakistan Citizenship Act of 1951. The government made no amendments to the laws, but NADRA made its SOPs even more racist and discriminatory. In 2019, during Imran Khan’s government, the Senate Chairman took another suo motu notice, but no progress was made.
Organizations representing Pakistani Bengalis, such as PMA Diwan and Muslim League Sher Bengal, have made significant efforts, but the government and opposition showed little interest. In 2023, the PDM government formed a subcommittee for Bengali and Bihari affairs under the Ministry of Interior, but due to a prejudiced NADRA operations director, the committee’s recommendations were not implemented.
In Karachi, the Nazrul Islam Academy, a cultural heritage site of Pakistani Bengalis, is on the verge of extinction due to government neglect. Currently, there is a very small number of Pakistani Bengali chairmen and councillors in Karachi.
According to the latest NADRA report of 2024, NADRA has blocked the identity cards of 192,230 Pakistani Bengalis, halted the issuance of 21,651 cards, referred 5,071 cases to the DLC due to NARA cards, and kept hundreds of cases out of the authorities’ sight.
