The Crime Desk: The Indian government has expressed deep concern over the effigy burning of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Bangladesh and the ‘objectionable’ Facebook status of advisor Mahfuz Alam. The Indian High Commission in Dhaka has sent a protest note to the Ministry of External Affairs in this regard.
According to sources in the Ministry of External Affairs, India has taken note of the effigy burning of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Bangladesh on December 18 with deep concern. Along with this, the issue of advisor Mahfuz Alam’s Facebook status has also come to light. Requesting the Ministry of External Affairs and the government to take immediate action to prevent a recurrence of such incidents, the Indian government has said that at a time when the two countries are taking positive steps to normalize relations, the effigy burning of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Bangladesh and the Facebook status expressing the hegemonic attitude of advisor Mahfuz Alam, who is in a responsible position, are worrying.
This time on Victory Day, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi claimed on social media that the victory of December 16, 1971, was a ‘historic victory for India.’. He did not mention Bangladesh in the post. Later, Modi’s post was criticized. Some advisors to the interim government and leaders of the anti-discrimination student movement spoke out on the issue.
The Students’ Rights Council held a torchlight procession at Dhaka University on December 18 in protest of Narendra Modi’s post. At the end of the procession that day, the students burned an effigy of the Indian Prime Minister.
On the other hand, on the night of Victory Day, December 16, advisor Mahfuz Alam published a map in a Facebook post linking Bangladesh with the northeastern states of West Bengal, Assam, Tripura, Manipur, and others. He described the territory that became Bangladesh in the wake of the partition of Bengal in 1947 as “fragmented” and wrote, “New territory and settlement will be required.”
However, the post was deleted within hours, and no further comment was received from Advisor Mahfuz or the interim government on the matter. Advisor Mahfuz Alam did not provide any explanation later.
