In a historic first, Quaid-e-Azam’s birthday celebrated in Bangladesh

DHAKA: For the first time, the birthday of Quaid-e-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah has been celebrated in Bangladesh.

According to a Bangla Tribune report, a seminar titled “The 148th Birth Anniversary of Quaid-e-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah” was held at the National Press Club in Dhaka to commemorate the birth anniversary of Muhammad Ali Jinnah.

Speakers at the event expressed that for the past 15 years, mentioning Muhammad Ali Jinnah’s name in Bangladesh had been informally restricted.

The event was organized by the Nawab Salimullah Academy, where various speakers shared their thoughts on Jinnah’s legacy.

Md. Shamsuddin, the convenor of the Citizens’ Council, stated that we became independent as the first Muslim-majority country in 1947, thanks to Quaid-e-Azam and had the events of 1947 not occurred, there would have been no industrial development in this region.

He further added, “Before Operation Searchlight, India launched attacks on the Urdu-speaking community in Bangladesh, aiming to eliminate them and thereby gain control of the country. We are indebted to the forefathers of the Urdu-speaking community who contributed to establishing industries and factories in this land.”

Farooq Hasan, Member Secretary of a faction of the Council for People’s Rights, remarked, “Over the last 15 years, the Awami League has propagated the narrative that without India, Bangladesh could not have achieved independence. This claim is entirely untrue. India’s sole intention was to separate Bangladesh from Pakistan.”

He continued, “For the past 15 years, mentioning Jinnah’s name in Bangladesh has been informally prohibited. Uttering his name could lead to legal repercussions or being labelled as committing a grave offence. This environment was created by the Awami League, who refuse to acknowledge historical figures of significance, fearing it might diminish their so-called ‘Father of the Nation.’”

Afzal Warsi, Secretary General of the Indian-Origin Urdu-speaking Minority Council of Bangladesh, added, “Due to India’s actions, we were divided into two nations. Because of them, two brotherly countries, Bangladesh and Pakistan, engaged in conflict. It was Muslims who lost their lives in the process. Ultimately, we became subordinate to India. What did we gain?”

Notably, on 11 September, the Nawab Salimullah Academy organized a discussion program at the Tofazzal Hossain Manik Mia Hall of the National Press Club to mark the 76th death anniversary of Muhammad Ali Jinnah in a historic first.