The Hindu : Protests against Musharraf visit

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Friday, Jul 26, 2002

International

International

Protests against Musharraf visit

By Haroon Habib

DHAKA July 25. The Bangladesh authorities have taken all steps to ensure security for the Pakistan President, Pervez Musharraf, who is due to arrive here on July 29 on an official three-day visit.

The Foreign Minister, Morshed Khan, referring to the impending visit, said Pakistan and Bangladesh had "historical ties" and Gen. Musharraf's visit would help deepen relations between the two countries, mainly in terms of trade and commerce. Gen. Musharraf is expected to lead a large entourage, including Cabinet Ministers and senior officials.

The visiting dignitary will be received by the acting President, Zamiruddin Sircer, and the Prime Minister, Begum Khaleda Zia, at the airport. Incidentally, for the first time since 1971 when Bangladesh was born, the Cabinet has included leaders of the fundamentalist Jamaat-e-Islami which opposed the country's independence from Pakistan.

While the main Opposition, the Awami League, has decided not to meet Gen. Musharraf, the smaller left parties and a combine of several students' organisations have protested against the visit. These organisations termed Gen. Musharraf a "military dictator" and "unconstitutional ruler" and demanded of Government that it should ask Pakistan to tender an apology for its army's genocide in 1971. These organisations and a few freedom fighters' associations have announced plans to stage demonstrations protesting against the visit.

Begum Khaleda Zia and Gen. Musharraf will have official talks on July 30 when the two leaders would discuss bilateral, regional and international issues, a Foreign Office source said. Three agreements on economic and cultural fronts are also likely to be signed.

The visit may also see significant improvement in relations between the two countries. The leaders may also re-open the stalled issue of the repatriation of Urdu-speaking "stranded Pakistanis", who have been waiting for their return to Pakistan ever since Bangladesh's emergence as an independent country. Of the half-a-million such people, who originally hailed from Bihar in India, some 1,50,000 have been repatriated during the last three decades.

However, the new generation "Beharis" whose number has increased significantly are unwilling to return to their parents' homeland, Pakistan.

Bangladesh is also likely to get duty-free access to the Pakistan market for some of its products, including tea and jute goods.

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