Dhaka, December 17, 2024 (Navroze Bureau) – Bangladesh’s interim government’s legal adviser Asif Nazrul has condemned Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s social media post on the occasion of Vijay Diwas, saying that India was “only an ally in this victory, nothing more than that.” Vijay Diwas is celebrated to commemorate the surrender of the Pakistani army to the Indian Army on 16 December 1971. Bangladesh came into existence due to India’s historic victory.
Modi had shared a post on the social media platform paying tribute to the contribution of Indian soldiers in the historic 1971 victory. Attaching a screenshot of that post, Najrul wrote on Facebook in Bengali on Monday, “I strongly oppose this. December 16, 1971 is the victory day of Bangladesh. India was only a partner in this victory, nothing more.” Modi had written on Facebook on Monday, “Today, on Vijay Diwas, we honour the courage and sacrifice of the brave soldiers who contributed to India’s historic victory in 1971.” He said their selfless dedication and unwavering resolve protected the country. He said, “This day is a tribute to their extraordinary valour and their unflinching spirit. Their sacrifice will always inspire generations and remain deeply embedded in the history of our country.”
Apart from Nazrul, many other officials of the interim government also expressed the same sentiment. The Daily Star newspaper reported on Tuesday that Chief Advisor Mohammad Yunus’ press secretary Shafiqul Alam shared Nazrul’s post. Meanwhile, Hasnat Abdullah, convener of the Anti-Discrimination Students Movement, also criticized Modi’s post. He wrote on Facebook, “This was Bangladesh’s liberation war. It was for Bangladesh’s independence against Pakistan but Modi claimed that it was completely India’s war and his achievement, while his statement ignored the existence of Bangladesh.”
He said, “When India calls this independence its achievement, I see it as a threat to our independence, sovereignty and unity. It is necessary for us to fight against this threat created by India. We have to continue this fight.” Bangladesh’s Chief Advisor Mohammad Yunus said on Monday, on the occasion of the country’s 54th anniversary of independence in 1971, that this victory day is more important because this year the “worst autocratic government in the world” was thrown out of power. Yunus did not mention Bangladesh’s founding leader Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman in his speech on the occasion of Victory Day.