Bangladesh Politicians Slam PM Modi for Not Mentioning Bangladesh on Vijay Diwas
 

On December 16, 2024, India marked Vijay Diwas (Victory Day) to commemorate the decisive defeat of Pakistan in the 1971 war. Prime Minister Narendra Modi took to social media to pay homage to Indian soldiers. But his failure to mention Bangladesh has left Bangladeshi politicians, particularly those in the Muhammad Yunus-led caretaker administration, fuming.

In a Facebook post celebrating the Indian army's win, Modi also missed out Bangladesh, which came out of the war as an independent country. Thus, politicians, such as law adviser Asif Nazrul of Yunus, protested at the statement given by Modi. The victory belonged more to Bangladesh, according to them.

Asif Nazrul said: "India was just an ally. December 16, 1971, was the day of Bangladesh's victory." He mentioned that the statement made by Modi negated the sovereignty of Bangladesh and belittled its struggle for liberation.

Hasnat Abdullah, an advocate for anti-discrimination movements, also condemned Modi’s remarks, noting that the war was fought for Bangladesh's independence from Pakistan. "Modi has claimed that it was solely India's war and achievement, completely ignoring the existence of Bangladesh," he said.

Ishraque Hossain of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party also joined the protest, and he said Modi's words were an insult to Bangladesh's liberation war, its martyrs, and its sovereignty. Hossain's statement reflected the ever-growing frustration in Bangladesh against the way such sensitive matters are handled, especially after the bilateral relations between the two nations have been strained recently.

This is when the critical voices started coming, and this was the time tensions between India and Bangladesh reached a boiling point because of multiple disputes, especially in the controversial treatment of the Hindu minority in Bangladesh. India has raised concern several times about attacks on the minorities in Bangladesh; Bangladesh showed its objection at the residence of former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina in India.

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