Bangladesh

The conspiracy about the geographical boundary and the identity of the people of this part of the Sub Continent started since the British had colonized the Sub Continent to perpetuate their colonial interestand domination. After the British left after giving birth of two countries called Pakistan and Indian Union the same conspiracy was revived in 1971 by the Chanakkys(ruling elites) of India. At the dictation of India the provisional govt of would be Bangladesh had adopted a national fag which did not depict the real historical geographic boundary of real Bangladesh but scinistically only depicted the geographical boundary of the than East Pakistan. But the freedom fighters and conscious people foiled the nefarious design and forced the provisional govt to accept the present national flag which is a rising sun from the green back ground depicting historically green deltaic reagion of firtile Bangladesh. Though defeated, the Chanakkys did not give up their resolve as the geographical boundary and the self identity of the people of Bangladesh is a very important and pertinent factor on the long drawn Indian design in the subcontinent. Therefore, soon after independence when Indian stooge Awami Leauge was saddled at the helm of sate power they started a vigorous crafty campaign to confuse the people on the issue and their allies Moni-Muzaffar gong joined in corus. But these doves had never uttered a word about the natural boundary of ancient Bangladesh nor they said anything about the root of distinct separate selfidentity of the people just to hide the truth from the people. I take the liberty here with my limited knowledge to pen down some facts taken from history to varify the truth about our historical geographical boundary and national identity. This deltaic region of the subcontinent evolved from the silt carried my mighty rivers like Brahmaputra, Padma, Jamuna, Meghna and their handreds and thousands of tributaries brfore melting away into Bay of Bengal.

This firtile and prosperous land was known since ancient time as ‘Bango’. As per dictionary meaning of the word is ‘A land capable to join the pices of metal for usage’. This proves that Bango was one of the country coparable with any other contemporary civilization in the world. Because, the knowhow of usage of metals such as iron, copper, tin, silver, gold, bell metal, bronz etc still is considered at any time as index to judge the standard of civilization of any nation.  

This deltaic region had a historical boundary.

At the North Himalayan foot hill states Nepal, Bhutan, Sikkim. At the North East Asam, Monipur, Mizoram, Nagaland, Tripura, Arunachal, Meghalya. At the North West the whole basin of river Vagirothi upto Darvanga, Rajmahal, Saontal Porgana, Choto Nagpur, Murshidabad, Maldaha, whole of West Bengal, dense forestry on the platue of Birbhum, Manbhum, Keyonjor, Mayurvanjo of Bihar. Ango, Mithila and Kolingo being part of Urisshya had been partf ancient Bango or Bongodesh. At the East Miyanmar and bordaring Sayam upto Bay of Bengal. At the South the Bay of Bengal. Within this vast territorial boundary of ancient Bango great habitats like Goura, Pundro, Borendra, Rahr, Shumvro, Tamrolipto, shomototh, ongo, Bangal, Harikal were established by the Bongobashis or Bangladeshis. Abroginial ethnic people like Kol, Vil, Shabor, Pulind, Hari, Dom, Chondal, Saontal, Munda, Orao, Vumij, Bagdi, Bauri, Podh, Malpahari etc and mixture of foreign blood created a nationhood called Bangobashi or Bangladeshi. In the course of time although, this homeland of the Bangobashis or Bangladeshis were dissected but destined to be united again this being a natural phenomenon. The boundary shall surely change as before in future course of time. Our ancesters had created famous habitats in the past. They have enriched and advanced our astounding cultural and industrial heritage as well as civilization to a glorious hight. We are legitimate claimant of that heritage.

At present a lot of disinformation is being propagated on this issue by the vested interested quarters within and outside the country. I am sure, all these mistchivious propaganda would not be able to hide the truth for ever and the future generation shall be able to regain their historic boundary again. As the great visionary and leader Chairman Mao had said, ‘All nations which had been divided by outsiders through mechanaization or by force shall again reunite and regain their lost territory’.

In view of this, the writer has a conviction that our future generations shall endeavor to regain their lost territory and shall stand head high with due respect in the commity of nations. The red rising sun shall turn into full bright sunshine clearing away the mist and thus the real Bangladesh shall reemerge with its own glorious heritage. This is not a pious dream but a destined reality.

The name of our country is Bangodesh or Bangladesh. Question arises, how the words ‘Bangla’, ‘Bangala’ and ‘Bangali’ were invented? In the historical perspective Mr. Abul fazal in his book ‘Ayin-e-Akbar’ has explained

Sultan Yilias Shah coined the word ‘Bangla’ by adding word ‘al’ with the ancient name of this detaic pice of land ‘Bango’. ‘al’ means small and big barriers to stop the flow of running water. On the other hand Mr. Shukumar Sen opined that word ‘Banglah’ which is a Parsian word was invented by the Muslim rulers from the word ‘Bango’. The Portugees pirates invented the word ‘Bengal’ from the Parsian word ‘Banglah’ and the people were named as ‘Bengali’. The British Raj maintained the same at the request of their lacky the Chanakkays(Hindu upper cast Brahmins the ruling elites).

In todays Bangladesh it seems still there is some ambiguity about our self identity. The powerful coteries of the society and the deceptive politicians are trying to add fuel to fire to create more confusion on this issue. The so called pseudo intellectuals are for some reason best known to them are keeping lips tight without playing their due role. It is imperative to know our identity clearly to establish a rock like solid national unity. For this we must be clear what is our national identity? Are we Bengali or Bangladeshi? Ancient Bango since ages had been well known in the world as a prosperous and civilized land with rich cultural heritage. The ancient history of this region bears testimony of that fact. Between 1400-1000BC in ‘Oitiriyo Oronyok’ Bango has been mentioned. In ‘Maha Bharat’ and ‘Hari bangsha’ much has been written about Bango as well. Therefore, there is no scope to take Bangladeshis as fools or void of their glorious heritage. Even in ‘Ramayana’ Bango has been mentioned many a times. Koutilyo the famous thinker has mentioned about the envious knowhow of the people of Bango in textile products. Boraho Mihir(500-543) in his book ‘Brihoth Shonghita’ has mentioned the eastern part of the sub continent as Bango. Shatish Chandra Mitra tried to name     Jessore, Khulna and some part of the coastal area as ‘Upo Bango’.

Since ice age, Bangladesh never remained with out human habitats. Like many other peole across the world the habitants of this area also had gone through evolutionary process like other civilizations. As armaments and coins made of rocks and metals had also been found here. Simetry in language and size of people suggest the habitants of this land belongs to some particular ethnisity. The anthropologists have found similarities in size, shape, color and language between the people living her with the abroginial people of Australia. That’s why they are called Austro-Asiatic or Austric.

At the door doorstep we have ‘Rajmohol Hills’. The hilly peole living there are short stechared, dark in color, flat nosed. As described in ‘Veda and Nishad’ Bangobashis have similarity with the Sinhalese Veddid people so, they also had been named as Veddid. These two people are also termed there as ‘Nishad Jati’. Later, streem of foreign blood mixed with the locals carried by the travelers and traders. Due to this at places, some difference in looks, character traits, language and mindset can be found on which civilization evolves. Mixture of different blood streem got engrained deeply in the soil of this land and thus we have emerged as a homogenious nation.     

The peole of this deltaic region had no linkage with the outsider Ariyans that has been determined by the scholars after through research on the language. Anyway, Ariyans or Dravidians does not depict any nation but the people who speaks the same language. In a nation one can find people speaking different language. Therefore, language alone can not depict any nation. Language is just one of the many salient factors on which a nation evolves. The basic factors on which a nation and nationalism grows are-

Territorial boundary, language, ethnical identity, cultural heritage and significantly religious belief and values. Within a specific geographical boundary people regardless of color, cast, creed and religious belief gets imbued with same thoughts, ideas and aspiration, nationalism gets life. Nationalism is a kind of immotional feeling, spirit of togetherness. In the course of national struggle which factor would play major role that depends on the nature of the struggle, ground realities, aim, people’s aspiration and decision of the leadership.

Pride about the past heritage, happiness or pain of deprivation and aspiration of a better future streanthen nationalism and unite the people. Such a unified resolve becomes irresistible and the nation with that strength gets prepared to win over any challenge that they confront with.

In our nationalist struggle at a particular juncture language played

pivotal role but even then historically it would be wrong to say as a nation we are Bengalis, that would mean trusting hegemony of a particular linguist group of people over the rest of the nation speaking different languages. No section of the total populous speaking any particular language be it Bangla can’t represent the nation as a whole. They can at the most can be called Bangla speaking people or Bangali.