Asif Nazrul, Legal Advisor to the Interim Government of Bangladesh, Prime Minister on Victory Day Narendra Modi Has condemned the social media post. He said that India was just an ally in this victory, nothing more. Vijay Diwas is celebrated to commemorate the surrender of Pakistani Army before the Indian Army on 16 December 1971. Bangladesh came into existence due to India’s historic victory.
Prime Minister Modi had shared a post on social media platform X paying tribute to the contribution of Indian soldiers in the historic victory of 1971. Attaching a screenshot of that post, Asif Nazrul wrote on Facebook in Bengali on Monday (December 16, 2024), ‘I strongly oppose this. December 16, 1971 is the victory day of Bangladesh. India was only an ally in this victory, nothing more.
PM Modi had written in his post, ‘Today, on Vijay Diwas, we honor the courage and sacrifice of those brave soldiers who contributed to India’s historic victory in 1971.’ He said that his selfless dedication and unwavering determination saved the country. He said, ‘This day is a tribute to his extraordinary bravery and his steadfast spirit. His sacrifice will always inspire generations and will remain deeply embedded in the history of our country.
Apart from Asif 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’s press secretary Shafiqul Alam shared Asif Nazrul’s post. Meanwhile, convenor of anti-discrimination student movement Hasnat Abdullah also criticized PM Modi’s post.
He wrote on Facebook, ‘This was the liberation war of Bangladesh. It was for the independence of Bangladesh against Pakistan but PM Modi claimed that it was entirely India’s war and their achievement, while his statement ignored the existence of Bangladesh. He said, ‘When India claims this independence as its achievement, I see it as a threat to our independence, sovereignty and unity. It is important for us to fight against this threat created by India. We have to continue this fight.
Bangladesh’s Chief Advisor Mohammad Yunus on Monday, on the occasion of completion of 54 years of the country’s independence in 1971, said that this Victory Day is more important because this year the world’s worst autocratic government was ousted from power. Mohammad Yunus did not mention Bangladesh’s founding leader Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman in his speech on the occasion of Victory Day.