Balochistan to Chittagong… Pakistan and Bangladesh on verge of breaking up again, if…

If recent reports are to be believed, there has been an uproar within the Pakistan Army along with continuous rising voices from many provinces in Pakistan which have become louder during the India-Pakistan conflict. Now ceasefire has been declared between the two countries and the tension on the border has ended. But, the voice of the ‘free thinking’ people inside Pakistan has become louder and louder.

On the other hand, the voice emerging in the Chittagong Hill Tracts, the south-eastern region of Bangladesh, is now becoming a challenge for the power in Dhaka. Just like the rising voice of Balochistan in Pakistan, the noise of struggle against Bangladesh is also increasing in Chittagong. That is, Chittagong is becoming the Balochistan of Bangladesh. Although the demand for autonomy for Chittagong Hill Tracts has been raised in Bangladesh for decades, but the governments never took it seriously. This neglect is now making Chittagong a rebellious area just like Balochistan has become for Pakistan.

It is important to understand that like Balochistan, Chittagong is also an area rich in minerals, forests and biological resources. In both the places, the local tribal population was suppressed by outsiders. Attempts were made to eliminate their culture, language and identity. Like the Baloch, the identity of the Chakma, Marma and Jumma communities is in crisis. In both the areas, attempts were made to suppress the demand for autonomy by calling it treason. After which the wounds of the people here came to the fore.

However, the situation is even worse for Pakistan. The voices raised in Pakistan are not just for a piece of land. The situation of instability and discontent is at its peak in the four major provinces of Pakistan, Balochistan, Sindh, Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

The situation in these provinces can become the basis for the possible partition of Pakistan. Balochistan, which is the largest province of Pakistan in terms of area, has declared itself a separate country and is also pleading for its recognition.

If Pakistan is divided into so many pieces, Balochistan will become rich in natural resources. Sindhistan will emerge with an economic center like Karachi. Punjabistan will emerge as the most powerful unit. At the same time, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and some northern areas will remain in the original Pakistan, which will be unstable and weak.

In such a situation, it seems that history is repeating itself as it was in 1971. Something similar was done by the Mukti Bahini army at the time of Bangladesh’s independence and India had supported it and divided Pakistan into two parts. This means that India can once again support the Balochs and break Pakistan like in 1971 and create another independent country, Balochistan. But it is still in the womb of the future what decision the Indian government takes.

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