CHITRAL: Public protest has made the powerful prime Minister of Bangla Desh to resign and flee the country. Observers and commentators are trying to equate their situation with the prevailing unrest in Pakistan. The difference between the current political strife in Pakistan and the powerful public protest in Bangla Desh is fundamental and glaring: In Pakistan protesters are demanding the head of a political party who has been imprisoned on purported charges and whose party has been denied it’s electoral victory, which is all true, but in Bangladesh the situation is different. The protesters have issues in front of them and there is no political demigod whom they are glued on to. The difference is so screaming clear that it cannot be ignored.
Some observers are of the opinion that if the demands of protesters are accepted in Pakistan and their leader is released and his party is given power again, what after that? Because of not having any solid agenda, the future rule of the said leader and party will prove to be the same as it proved last time. A ten year unchallenged rule of the current protesting party in KP showed zero result towards any substantive change, in fact it failed miserably on it’s promise of a functional local government system and curbing corruption beside other things. What better can be expected when the same people with the same mindset are ‘rulers in waiting’. Presently the party has 2/3 majority government in KP, but doesn’t beam any hope of betterment, rather seems increasingly ‘more of the same’ going round and round in the same ‘circle of no joy’.
On the other hand, the Jamat Islami is also protesting in a restive Pakistan, but it is targeting real issues like bringing austerity to the expenses of government and canceling corrupt deals of the past regimes to bring down electricity and fuel prices. There is no personality cult there- just the problems of the people. Such are the issues that can kindle hope in the politically impartial people and whip up the urge to protest for genuine rights. Merely hero worshiping and clamoring half baked hollow slogans make a good stage show but leave no impact on the ground situation. .. CN report, 06 Aug 2024
9 thoughts on “Difference between Bangladesh and Pakistan situations”
The comparison drawn between the situation of the two countries is realistic and factual. In Bangladesh, the protestors were on the streets for the rights of common people and hence were successful while those demanding the release of their political demigod in Pakistan are not receiving any response from the general public.
Sultan Saab , you seem so naïve about the political situation. PTI wants their legitimate seats back, women seats n form 47 seats. The present thugs in Govt r in collaboration with their like minded corrupt tola of PDM n powers to b r sitting on them forceful. What have PMLN n PPP have given us in the past 40 yrs except of their loot n plunder. PTI is the single largest party, we need to respect their votes/voters.
You nailed it and I pray that jamaat islamic wins this battle, we don’t need slogans and hero worship but a check on the lifestyle of our ruling elite who are eating up Pakistan, their greed insatiable and rapacious. These odious perks and privileges of our rulers need to be finished, radical reforms put into place for our system of justice, police , government cut to size and all appointments on merit with zero tolerance for nepotism and bribery.
This part of the sub continent was used to caravans moving through it heading for Delhi. They lived on left over. Genetics has no revolutionary genes!!
We have no conscience and no sense of direction as a nation.
Irfan sahib, you seem a diehard and blinkered Imran Khan supporter who is not willing to listen to any sort of criticism of him or his past performance. Sultan sahib did not talk about seats or elections or who is wrong and who is right. He talked about issues vs blind personality worship.
Both countries are different – situation wise as well as a nation. Bangladesh 🇧🇩 is one nation and one language while Pakistan has four major nations including many small one.
The protesters were led in BD by a young Dhaka university Sociology student, Nahid Islam, and he has the leadership qualities where after a month of ani- quota and anti government demonstrations that swept across Bangladesh.
In Pakistan, the students are missing, both JI protesters and PTI. Without students, such protests and daharna hardly get any meaning full results though JI has better leadership but past history makes the struggle doubtful.
Bangla Deshis did not do any dharna or large public meeting or long march or anything like that. They directly got on to ‘business’ and achieved their target (like in 71). That is the difference between us and them.
Some analysts are fearing that Bangla Desh will become another Pakistan, after the revolution. That is not likely because BD has been ruled under a steady system for last many decades while Pakistan has danced in and out of shoddy knee jerk systems and never saw stability. The women of BD have been immensely empowered. The Army in BD has been kept in it’s shoes and the clergy in it’s limit. All such reforms/ governance norms cannot be reversed easily; therefore Bangla Desh cannot turn into another Pakistan that conveniently.