Bangladesh As Pakistan's Taiwan : A Missed Opportunity

China's Taiwan

In January 2012, USA refused to supply Taiwan (formerly called Formosa) with the latest generation F-16C/D fighter jets. Press articles pointed out that the technical details of modern weapon systems were being leaked to the China [1]. Many high-level officials (even Generals) were found to be spying for China [1]. Apparently China claims the territory of Taiwan and they are not on good terms but some analysts have pointed out that it might not be what it seems.


After long years of warfare with the Communists, General Chiang Kia-shek took refuge in the island of Taiwan off the coast of the Mainland China with his left-over forces in 1949. Mainland China was taken over by the Communist People's Liberation Army (PLA) led by Mao Tse Tung. Mao Tse Tung was an aggressive Chinese leader, an expert in warfare. He fought with and defeated Nationalists led by General Chiang Kia Shek (till 1949), fought with Japanese occupation forces in China (1937-1945), invaded and captured Tibet (1950), sent troops to Korea to fight against US/Allied forces (1950-1952), fought a war with India (1962), acquired nuclear weapons, was ready to go to war with USSR (Russia) on one occasion and more. One thing he did not do was to recapture Taiwan. On occasions, military exercises were held near Taiwan and tensions rose high but a full-scale invasion did not happen.


In a bid to protect Taiwan from Communist China, West (USA and Europe) opened their arms to Taiwan. Latest military and industrial technology was provided to Taiwan in addition to its human resource development. The AIM-9B Sidewinder missile-equipped F-104 Starfighters of the Taiwanese Air Force symbolised the military aid of USA in early 1960s (just like Pakistan Air Force). Allegedly, these technical advances got transferred to the mainland China.  As the world knows it, China has become both the nuclear and space power, equalling the technical advacements of the west spanning over centuries. In short, what the analysts hinted to was that China profited from a "hostile Taiwan".

Pakistan's Taiwan

Some analysts (including Zaid Hamid) have expressed their concern that Sheikh Mujib ur Rahman was implicated in several serious affairs of treason like the Agarthla Conspiracy case but strangely was never seriously targeted. When the counter-insurgency operation of the Pakistan Army started in March 1971, Sheikh Mujib was flown to the safety of the West Pakistan. This way he got protected from over-zealous and patriotic soldiers.

It was possible for Pakistan to exploit the situation and get signed some agreements of proxy rule or at least future cooperation with the leader of Awami League party Sheikh Mujib ur Rahman, while he was emprisoned there. This would have turned a military defeat into a grand political victory. India would have repented its military victory over Pakistan.

In return for such a proxy rule agreement, Awami League would surely have secured full backing of the Pakistan's establishment. It would have been a win-win situation. Even so, today, Bangladesh Awami League (BAL) continues to be the strongest party of the country and the military officers who participated in the insurgency have been given powerful posts in the civilian government.

The agreements with Pakistan would have been useful in countless ways for both countries.  Bangladesh has a more generous quota of exports to Europe and USA. Pakistan could have channeled its exports of textile and other food items to Europe via Bangladesh in case of sanctions. Already there have been reports in the press about Pakistan's textile mills transferring to Bangladesh.

Bangladesh being a more liberal country than Pakistan (with even legal prostitution) and devoided of any nuclear weapons program, is less susceptible to western sanctions of any kind. When Pakistan announced to have detonated nuclear devices in 1998, sanctions were imposed on her and the only outlet still open would have been Bangladesh.

Bangladesh is still awarding death sentences to Jamaat-i-Islami activists of 1971 (who cooperated with Pakistan Army), this means that no one could have guessed that a cooperation or a proxy rule agreement exists between Pakistan's military establishment and Awami League of Bangladesh. It was a golden opportunity for an unprecedented political victory.  The only obstacle in this grand scheme would have been the statements of the last commander of Pakistan's forces in the East Pakistan, Lieutenant General Amir Abdullah Khan Niazi. He believed that he was deliberately let down by his own High Command according to a pre-meditated plan.

A excerpt from his interview [2] :

"After my return to Pakistan from Indian captivity in 1974, while preparing my report on the East Pakistan debacle, I heard persistent hints from GHQ sources that the Eastern Command had been sacrificed according to a detailed plan, and that its senior commanders were made the scapegoats for the loss of East Pakistan. My initial doubts turned into conviction when, over the years, I pondered over this episode and discussed it with people who knew that the GHQ Eastern Command had been deliberately cheated, tricked and misled as part of a grave conspiracy by the high command. In fact it was so obvious that even the Indian Major General Shah Beg Singh told me, "Your goose is cooked, sir. They have decided to put the whole blame on you and your command for this episode." I am therefore convinced that the fall of East Pakistan was deliberately engineered".

[1] Why USA refuses to equip Taiwan with latest generation fighter jets, Vivien Fortat, Défence et Sécurité Internationale, Numéro 77, Janvier 2012.

[2] Lt General (R) A.A.K. Niazi: The Rediff  Interview, http://www.rediff.com/news/2004/feb/02inter1.htm