By IANS,
Dhaka : Many Bangladeshis are unhappy that some of their youths waved Pakistani flags and vocally supported Pakistan in the World Cup match against the West Indies.
Many had also shouted slogans like “Pakistan Zindabad” during the match, which took place ahead of Bangladesh’s 41st independence day when the then East Pakistan broke away to become an independent country.
While acknowledging that the Pakistan-West Indies clash at Mirpur was a sports event, critics are asking whether a match in a Pakistani city would have had Pakistanis hailing the Bangladesh team.
Shaheen Anam, who heads Manusher Jonno, a human rights group, Tuesday complained that Pakistani skipper Shaheed Afridi “neither has the decency nor etiquette to acknowledge this misplaced support” from Bangladeshis.
Agreeing that Pakistan played well, Anam still wanted to know if people should have supported “a country whose army was involved in genocide, rape and murder of unarmed civilians of Bangladesh”?
“We want to be friends with Pakistan. However, this relationship has to be based on mutual respect and understanding. Shouting ‘Pakistan Zindabad’ and waving Pakistani flags will do neither,” Anam said.