Stranded Pakistanis in Bangladesh

There are about 238,000 Pakistanis, who opted for going back to Pakistan after Bangladesh became independent in 1971, are now being sheltered in 66 camps in 13 districts across Bangladesh. Many of them are supported by local NGOs and the Bangladesh Government. As far I know that almost all of them are working in the society as they are free to move and do not need an work permit as such. Many of the top-class Barbers in Dhaka are biharis-people from these camps (including my barber). Yet they want to go back to their opted country when Pakistani government is reluctant to listen to them. Only the MQM Party has an agenda to repatriate them. As MQM are supporting the Musharrof government, things should move a bit in their favor, but nothing is happening and the refugees are carrying on their usual protests in vain. So what the Bangladesh government should do with them? They are free to work and maintain their lives and only short of Bangladesh citizenship. And Pakistanis are turning their back on them as if they are not bothered. So much for being patriotic.

During the liberation war in 1971 some of these Biharis were notoriously famous for their support to Pakistani Army and were involved in many atrocities against the Bengalis. Some of them were opportunist and grabbed properties of Bengalis who have fled from towns to villages as the war progressed. Even people say that they played a role in the murder of the intellectuals in December 1971.

After the war the Bengalis took their revenge. Many took possession of their lost property driving them out. I don’t think the revenge was much lawful. After 1971 many biharis opted for Bangladesh and are now living peacefully. Now why are these camps still remaining? These are the people who boldly opted to go back to Pakistan because how could they live in a place where the people they hated live? They kept hopes for Pakistan alive. But Pakistan did not take them. Because many Pakistanis treat people of East Pakistan as of a no class of their own (even now). Pakistan probably will never recognise them as they are not pure Pakistan blood.

They have a website if you want to know more about them.

Pakistani Army is consisted of mostly Punjabis and Pathans. In 1971 they (Army and Bengalis) killed each other and Army was defeated so they both don’t get along for obvious reasons.

I should add I’m not talking about those who opted for Pakistan in 1971 when asked but I’m concerned about the later generations. BTW my aunt is a Bangla speaking beauty. She lives with my uncle in Karachi and they taught their kids both Urdu and Bangla. We South Asians are nuts we are same people but why we have to fight and divide and sub divide as its useless it creates more empathy than ever.

Not really. What do you mean?

If majority do not treat them as dirt they might want to live there. As about Pakistan we have lot of Bengali speaking in Karachi no one else can tolerate them (you know what I mean).

A while ago Bangladeshi PM asked Pakistan to take Beharis. She talked as if they are PakistanÂ’s responsibility. I never understand their (Bengali majority’s) logic since they were against the division of country they all should go to Pakistan. Well when India was divided lot of people such as in NWFP were against it and there were lot of in India who do not want to be the part of India. But when partition finalized everyone accepted them as their own and their kids always considered as the nationals since they were born there. But in the case of Bangladesh I heard Behari live in camps since 35 years and their kids are not allowed to claim the citizenship of a country where they were born. It gives Bangladesh a bad name on humanitarian basis.

YouÂ’re from Bangladesh, right. IÂ’m dying to ask some neutral person why Bangladeshi Army had killed father of the nation Mujeeb. What reasons do they gave and did people forgave them for killing their savior.

it isn’t a race, it’s a metastability. different aspects are emphasized conditonally depending on the circumstance. before 1947 the bengali speaking muslims middle class (the muslim elite in bengal was traditionally urdu speaking) aligned with the muslim league. after ’47 it shifted toward a bengali identity as the oppressive caste shifted from the hindu babus of calcutta to punjabi military elite and the immigrant bihari mercentile caste. the shift between the BNP and AL since 90 reflects this back and forth tack. bangladesh has many whacked-out muslims. i have relatives who are in the religious profession, and an uncle who is high up in the tableegh jamat. that being said, the national poet is tagore, and a secular middle class which derives its income from the NGO sector is also prominent. there’s no need for a manichaean narrative.

i don’t know. i hear some scary shit about them. a lot of them though want to go to pakistan, and pakistan won’t have them. but many of them must be assimilating, i have cousins whose maternal grandmother is bihari and it is not of great note.

I have also read about multiple incidents of gross human right violations of the minorities. It’s very hard to picture Bangladesh, considering that it stated off as an Islamic country but eventually aligned with a Bengali identity. I think its a race between which of the two forces (progressive/secular or radical) take over the country.