Today, I am going to share my honest take on our history of Bangladesh. This is true that history is written by the victors and there is no exception for Bangladesh. Though our country does have a proud and inspiring past, the world only knows the part which was shaped by selective people. There are many stories which has been buried under politics and bias. As a result, people from our own nation does not know the whole truth of how Bangladesh came out of that struggle and whose sacrifices made it possible.
I am not a political person, nor I'm interested in politics and I do not support any league. But I have to share the truth that I found out by the people who went through it. History only can be known by the people who has faced it or were in that era because in text books it will never be mentioned.
There's a misconceptions about that Bangladesh was born out of linguistic nationalism in 1971. It's a true event but that happened in the Language Movement of 1952. This movement was done by the students and it was about justice, and equality, a freedom to choose. Like can you imagine being treated like an inferior in your own homeland?
The people of East Pakistan were many in majority but still they were treated as second-class citizens. Which is known as Bangladesh since 1971, that is our independence day.
About the language movement it happened because West Pakistan with low majority wanted Urdu as the only official language, even though people from east Pakistan spoke Bengali. This decision that West Pakistan took made people starting protest and was led by students. Many were killed and it didn't go in vain it gave birth to a movement that would eventually lead to the creation of Bangladesh.
This language movement was not only about language it was also about saving an identity. It was a matter of dignity and the right to exist as equals.
Another misunderstood concept is that in 1971 Liberation War was between March and December but that's really wrong. The struggle for freedom had been building up for decades.
I believe Bangladesh’s liberation has not been told fairly and feel that no one should downplay the courage and resistance of the Bangladeshi people. The help from India was indeed valuable, and we are always grateful for it. The credit also goes to the ordinary men and women who risked everything for freedom. Not because they are from our country it's because they are human beings. Their stories are not given that much of importance and it remained untold.
The question arises is there a way to correct these historical misconceptions? The answer is no, because the country is run by a powerful person and if that person decided to change it then it can happen and in education we will have the chance to learn about it, otherwise we have to educate ourselves instead of looking for it in the text books. But also history can be learned through the voices of the people who lived it. However, if Schools and media can do it without political or foreign bias then it is quite possible.
If I think of the present time, I have no grudges against any country. It was all in the past and it has nothing to do with today's generation, they must not face anything because of what happened in the past. I have love for all of the people from Pakistan and India. I have seen people arguing about each other's nations, and I have zero interest in demeaning someone because of what country they belong to or any religion. I just believe that we all are brothers.
Lastly, it is true that all of the nation has its untold stories. Maybe one day the world will learn the real history which is not told by victors, but by survivors.
Credits:
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