- Bangladesh minister says India did not intervene, supported Bangladesh against Pakistan
- Claims Pakistan’s intelligence service supported growth of radical forces, terror groups in Bangladesh
- Tells Pakistan to ‘own atrocities’ committed against Bangla-speaking people, tender apology
Bangladesh Information Minister Hasanal Haq Inu came out strongly in support of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and criticised Pakistan Foreign Office statement that India interfered in the affairs of other states during the 1971 political turmoil in East Pakistan.
“The Indian PM said that India supported the 1971 war of liberation. But this is not tantamount to interference in Pakistan, as New Delhi, as a friendly neighbour, stood by Bangladesh whose independence was proclaimed on March 26, 1971. Therefore, it was support from one country to the other against its fight with a third country (Pakistan),” Bangladeshi information minister said in a statement published in an Indian paper.
The Bangladeshi minister claimed that after the March 1971 declaration of independence, Sheikh Mujib’s government was recognised by other countries of South Asia as well. He said the then Indian government had stood by the newly-formed regime of Bangladesh and therefore “the question of intervention does not arise”.
Inu also alleged that Pakistan’s intelligence service had encouraged and supported growth of radical forces and terror groups in Bangladesh, putting security of the region at risk.
“The Hasina government has several and concrete evidences that Pakistan’s spy agency had propped up groups with support of Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) in Bangladesh. Several of these elements participated in the Afghan war and then returned to foment trouble. The groups prospered under the regime of Khaleda Zia between 2001 and 2006 and the erstwhile Khaleda government was waging a proxy war against India on behalf of Pakistan,” he claimed.
The minister pointed out that after Sheikh Hasina returned to power in 2008, she had taken tough steps to eliminate and control radical elements and groups in Bangladesh. “It is no secret that Hasina also fulfilled a long-standing demand by deporting several insurgent leaders from the north east and dismantled their infrastructure, setting a new example in counter-terror cooperation,” he said.
Inu reiterated Bangladesh’s demand that Pakistan should “own up to atrocities committed against the Bangla-speaking people and tender an unconditional apology”.
The comments come a day after Pakistani Foreign Ministry’s statement referring to Modi’s remarks during his Dhaka trip that India had supported Bangladesh’s freedom movement. The Pakistani ministry had criticised Modi’s acknowledgement of Indian involvement in the 1971 war and said his statement confirmed India’s negative role in the affairs of a sovereign neighbouring state.
Pakistan’s foreign office spokesperson Qazi M Khalilullah had said in statement that Indian politicians not only indulge in actions that are in violation of the United Nations (UN) Charter, but also take pride in recalling their interference in the internal affairs of other states.
Though I don't like the minister, he said nothing much wrong. Yes, it's true that India not only supported Bangladesh during latter's independence war against then-West Pakistan, but the atrocities Pakistani army committed should be admitted by current Pakistani leadership.
Pakistan army would have to be bigger then German WW2 to have physical ability to carry out all the alleged atrocities by Bangladesh and India. Convienently they suffer memory loss about Mukhti bahine's atrocities against army families and civilians living in East Pakistan, Be honest India offered same support to Sindh, Sindhi's are loyal to Pakistan and they told India shove their support up where Sun does not shine. Bangalise always were traitors even before Europeans arrived in south Asia.
They acted according to their nature as traitors. Pakistan army was handicapped by two aspects geography and traitors.
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