As India and Bangladesh marked 16 December – Vijay Diwas, the day that ended Pakistan’s occupation of East Pakistan and gave birth to Bangladesh, a disturbing shift in rhetoric emerged from Dhaka.
Instead of remembrance and gratitude, political platforms in Bangladesh echoed openly hostile language against India, including statements that attempted to recast the historic day itself as an act of resistance against New Delhi.
Vijay Diwas Rebranded as “Resistance Against India”
In one of the most provocative remarks, a Bangladeshi NCP leader, Nahid Islam, declared in his speech,
“December 16 is not a festival, but a resistance march against Indian aggression.”
The statement, circulated widely on social media, marked a sharp departure from historical truth. December 16 commemorates the surrender of 93,000 Pakistani soldiers to Indian forces and the Mukti Bahini, ending one of South Asia’s worst genocides.
Such rhetoric suggests a deliberate attempt to invert the narrative of 1971, portraying India not as a liberator, but as an aggressor.
Threats Against India’s Northeast Add to Alarm
This narrative hardening coincided with remarks by Hasnat Abdullah of the National Citizen Party (NCP), who warned that Bangladesh could shelter forces hostile to India and help sever the country’s “Seven Sisters” from the mainland.
The comments were made as Bangladesh celebrated its 55th Victory Day. India dismissed the allegations and reiterated that Dhaka must ensure internal stability and peaceful elections. However, the timing raised serious strategic concerns.
From Liberation to Hostility: A Political Realignment
The irony is stark. India intervened in 1971 at enormous human and military cost to stop mass killings, rape, and displacement carried out by Pakistan’s army. Without India, Bangladesh would not exist as a sovereign state.
Yet under Muhammad Yunus’s interim administration, Bangladesh has shown increasing proximity to Pakistan and growing tolerance of Islamist political forces—many of which opposed the Liberation War itself.
Observers note a visible effort to dilute India’s role in 1971, while rehabilitating narratives aligned with Pakistan’s interests.
Pakistan’s Shadow and Islamist Leverage
Hasnat Abdullah’s remarks and the “resistance” framing are not isolated incidents. They mirror long-standing Pakistani and ISI talking points, particularly regarding India’s Northeast. Analysts warn that blaming India has become a convenient tool to mask internal instability and consolidate power with Islamist backing.
Meanwhile, attacks on minorities, including Hindus, Buddhists, and Ahmadiyyas, have reportedly increased, deepening concerns about the ideological direction Bangladesh is taking.
Final Thoughts
December 16 was the day Bangladesh was freed from Pakistan’s brutality, with India’s decisive help. Rebranding that victory as a protest against India is not historical revisionism by accident; it is political engineering by design.
Vijay Diwas should have been a moment of reflection and gratitude. Instead, it exposed how sections of Bangladesh’s leadership are willing to threaten the very nation that secured their freedom, while flirting with forces that once tried to erase Bangladesh itself.
History offers a blunt lesson. When political survival depends on Islamists and Pakistan’s goodwill, sovereignty becomes fragile. Bangladesh may need liberation again from these radicals.
