Tariq Lodhi

• We all know by now that there has been an uprising in Bangladesh, where public, ostensibly led by students has successfully brought to 20-years consecutive rule of Hasina Wajid to an abrupt end, forcing her to flee to neighbouring India on 05-Aug-2024, the date when India had revoked Article-370 in Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK) on 05-Aug-2019.  The recent upheavals are an outburst of accumulated discriminatory treatment meted out by the puppet government, under Indian influence. There is a sense of euphoria in Bangladesh, as its citizens consider the event as shedding off a yoke of oppression that India had placed around them since inception of Bangladesh in 1971. The suppression of the public protests discriminatory quota for jobs allocated to the Freedom Fighters, or the Mukti Bahini legacy proved to be the last straw that broke the Indian political mules back. This extreme expression of anti-Indian sentiments was just a tip of iceberg. In fact, the Bangladeshi people, since long ago, had discovered the treacherous nature of the Indian state and its grand betrayal and its actual role through using Mukti Bahini in imposing its proxies on the people. The deep rooted anger against the self-proclaimed Indian saviours, the Indian surrogates, who were forced on Bangla people through Cold War conspiracies, the un-necessary blood bath, and holding the whole nation as hostage to its avaricious designs, were the major propellants for this low-intensity revolution, that freed Bangladesh, all over again, perhaps, for the real now.   
• Bengal historically has been more politically active than any other area in the subcontinent. All major political movements arose from here to make definite political impact. On 10^Th May 1857, the British were caught with complete surprise when the Army of Bengal mutinied. The immediate known cause of the mutiny was the issue of cartridges for the new Enfield rifles, which the soldiers were required to bite off with their teeth before inserting them in the rifles. Since the cartridges were greased either with cow fat or pork fat, as such the biting on the fat was considered religiously prohibitive for Hindu and Muslims, respectively. The Babus Agitation or Bhadralok, in 1905 organized protests in wake of Bengal Partition, which finally forced the British to withdraw the division. By 1912, 26-members of Anusilan Samiti were placed on trial in Barisal by the British[1]. In first quarter of 19th century, Brahmo Samaj Movement was formed in Bengal by Raja Ram Mohan Roy. By 1864, it had its branch in Lahore as well[2]. As India continued to insult the sensitivities of a common Bengali, the history was forced to repeat itself.
• Bangladesh has about 91% Muslims, 8% Hindus, 1% others, and is constitutionally a Muslim country. Two-Nation theory has its deep roots in East Pakistan, which later due to political manipulation in peak cold war times, led to the creation of Bangladesh. When it was carved out of Pakistan, after 1971-war, under Indian pressures, its constitution did not formally declare Islam as its state religion. However, it was amended as secularism was removed through Fifth Amendment in 1977, during General Ziaur Rahman’s rule. This amendment also promulgated the Indemnity Law, pardoning the military officers who were accused of killing President Sheikh Mujibur Rahman (SMR) and others in 1977. India is insisting Bangladesh to roll back its eighth amendment and declare itself as a secular state. This effort, unhidden from the public eye, has further accentuated the situation. Hasina Wajid’s frantic bid in March-2016 to appease India, and her intention to declare Bangladesh as a Secular state by rolling back eighth amendment further dismayed the public[3].
• General perception prevails that Hasina Wajid’s Awami League is pro-India and is standing on Indian crutches. This perception prompted opposition’s inclusion of the religious parties in their folds. Various Indian provocative actions against Muslims, such as Babari Mosque incident, instantly ignited bloody protests in Bangladesh, which further angered India.
• Hasina Wajid, had also opened the cases of the already pardoned assassins of SMR, demonstrating her disregard for any democratic practices, and threatening the public of imposition of undemocratic draconian laws. General Ziaur Rahman, was subsequently assassinated in May-1981, ostensibly by Indian cultivated Military officers, who were later intercepted while escaping and shot dead, like hitmen of all political assassinations, so that all and any proof is removed. Subsequently, in 1988, Eighth Amendment was made by General Hussain Muhammad Ershad to declare Islam as state religion. General Ershad had seized power in 1982 after a bloodless coup but was later removed from the Bangladesh presidency after mass protests organised against him on allegations of mass-rigging of 1988 elections, in which his Jatiya Party (JP) had obtained 251 seats out of overall 300. The financing and organising of the movement remain a mystery till date. The declaration of Bangladesh as Muslim state was challenged in 1988 before the SCB, only to be heard after 28-years, when in Mar-2016, the case was dismissed, leaving Bangladesh as a Muslim state.
• Indian covert manipulation was apprehensible in all the upheavals to return Bangladesh to a subservient role, and finally succeeded in installing Hasina Wajid as PM in Jun-1996, who later served an aggregate of 20-years as PM of Bangladesh, until she was ousted in on 15-Aug-2024. She initially fled to India, as the patriotic Bangladeshi crowds stood knocking at her palatial doors, and the Military Command breathed down he neck. Ironically, India has declined giving her any political asylum in contradiction to previous hospitality it had accorded to her at time of assassination of SMR and later several occasions. It is widely perceived in Bangladesh that she was imposed on Bangladesh by India to tow their line, as they had provided her the necessary political crutches through their overt and covert manipulations. Unconfirmed reports suggest that, like Shah of Iran, western countries have also expressed their regrets for hosting her as a political asylum seeker. Probably none wants the Bangladesh’s anger to vitiate peace in their own backyards.    
• India, right from its inception, had been following a sinister diplomatic track, as it harped mantra of NAM, while courted with the secret services of West in conspiracies against China, and in return, continued gobbling neighbouring territories. Even before the partition, the loyal servants of the western powers, had been contemplating in working for depriving the Muslims of their rights. Indian covert efforts to get the Kirtarpur Gurdwara, and other holy Sikh places included in Punjab by the Boundary Commission, is not a secret anymore. Later aggression in Kashmir, gobbling up of Junagadh, Hyderabad Deccan, other enclaves of territories that were not under British control, including Goa, Sikkim, and Bhutan etc., are testimonies of its expansionist nature. The dismemberment of Pakistan was in fact imposed on Bangladesh because of Cold-War-exploits of Soviet Union and India, who had joined hands to achieve common goals against USA and its allies at that time. Pakistan had already paraded itself as a staunch American satellite by allowing use of its Badaber base for U2 operations against Soviet Union since 1958. Ironically, India had also provided facilities for launch of U2 sorties from Indian soil, as USA helped it build special bases, in anticipation of increasing its covert operations against China. After Agartala being used in connection with these massive cold war related operations at that time, it was to be shot in prominence, when Agartala Conspiracy would bring it in global headlines again.
• The issues agitated in the East Pakistan theatre at that time, were purely of political nature and could have been resolved, had there been no external interference. With combined propaganda effort of India and Soviet Union, these issues were blown out of proportions. After the 1971 round of the Great Game, its shockwaves could be felt in form of Cold War adventures against Shah of Iran, where Iraq, then a Soviet Satellite was being used as small India to launch covert operations against Iran and Pakistan. The recovery of huge cache of arms from Iragi Mission in Islamabad were the smoking gun. Likewise, Soviet overtures in Afghanistan had already raised red flags across the region. India had developed its covert contacts with Iranian Supreme Leader then residing in France, which it was to cash later, when the pendulum of Cold War was to swing again.
• With access to information easing out globally, Bangladeshis have realized the treacherous Indian intention of annexing East Pakistan at the conclusion of its Military interference in 1971, except that USA’s stance and positioning of 7^Th Fleet at Chittagong Waters, deterred India from doing so, and the fleet lifted anchor only when Indira Gandhi announced the date of returning of Indian Forces from Bangladesh.
• As India, in 1971, had jumped into the war and was carrying out clear attacks against Pakistan, United States considered this as existential threat to Pakistan and was seriously concerned that India, in its quest could also occupy and annex Kashmir in the Western Pakistan.  America was only successful in getting an ambiguous assurance from India that it would not occupy Pakistan’s Kashmir. This ambiguous response heightened the suspicions about India’s intentions about East Pakistan, and compelled America to move its 7^th Fleet comprising of the aircraft carrier Enterprise on the 10^{th of} December from the Pacific and to the Bay of Bengal on pretext of evacuating the foreigners stranded due to war like situation. The 7^th Fleet went through the Malacca Straits on 13^th Dec 1971 and moved on to harbour at Chittagong port. India anticipated that by berthing the fleet at Chittagong, the American Marines would be getting off and could claim protection of vital diplomatic installations and foreigners; in other words, American Marines could land there in support of the Pakistanis and obstruct the Indian designs to proceed further[4].
• Through brisk diplomacy, the Nixon Government was trying hard to defend Pakistan’s integrity exhausting all its diplomatic means and exerting unprecedented pressures upon the Soviet Union urging it to use influence India not to involve its regular forces into Pakistan, and later, once India did engage in war, not to annex or in any way stay back in the East Pakistan territory.  With the presence of the 7^th fleet in Bay of Bengal, the matter reached a serious situation close to flash point. The Soviets were fully aware that the 1954 and 1959 agreements and the membership of SEATO and CENTO by Pakistan, which had the potential to be developed into extending full-fledged American Military support to Pakistan, in case of threat to its territorial integrity. At the same time, the stakes were further raised by America’s threats to freeze the ongoing treaty talks between USA and Soviet Union; a possibility that could create strategic space for Red China to develop much closer ties with USA.  China was already considered a serious threat to the Soviet Union. Soviets were aware that the Chinese and American axis could quickly spring an alliance against Soviet Union should the Indians not contain their offensive. The Soviet Union did not miss this seriousness[5].  Two Soviet Deputy Foreign Ministers flew to New Delhi and held meetings with Indira Gandhi who remained adamant to continue her assault against Pakistan. She was obviously playing to the gallery a premediated script pursuing a successful act of brinksmanship.
• The message to Indira Gandhi was that Soviet would only convince the American to withdraw from Bengal that India completes all its activity and operations by mid-December and make a clear commitment of declaring a ceasefire and accession of all Military operation both East and West Sector. The Soviets also than conveyed to Americans that they are going to move Soviet Fleet from the Western Pacific and would be moved into the Bay of Bengal to counter the presence of Enterprise this indication was supported with the fact that India has agreed to unilateral ceasefire in western sector as well by middle of December[6].
• India had a tacit understanding with the Soviets and were clear that the conflict in East Pakistan shall not cease till the dismemberment of Pakistan and occupation leading to annexation of Bangladesh is achieved. However, under intense pressures and superpower diplomacy, they indicated that the operation would cease in both East and West Pakistan by 15^th or 16^th December 1971. With this explicit clear understanding the 7^th Fleet started to withdraw to the Bay of Bengal. India under the pressure of Soviet Union and America was thus compelled to announce the ceasefire on 16^th December 1971 followed with the surrender ceremony[7].
• In the sixties, India had already lost a war with China, while Soviet-Union was at cudgels with China, with several border conflicts. This had helped India coalesce with Soviet Union, and soon brought out its relations in open through signing “Indo-Soviet Treaty of Peace, Friendship and Cooperation“, with USSR in Aug-1971. KGB and RAW, using Hindu population, and factoring communal card had developed fifth columns within East Pakistan Police, East Pakistan Rifles (EPR), East Bengal Regiment, and the Ansars, who became instrumental pushing these into rebellion on the eve of Pakistan’s military operation on 25-Mar-1971
• The core conspiracy to destabilize Pakistan had already been hatched in India soon after 1965-War. Its first solid indication emerged when the Agartala Conspiracy was unearthed in 1967 and brought before the court. According to the prosecution, Sheikh Mujibur Rahman’s representatives met with the Indian representatives on July 12, 1967, in the city of Agartala (in India), for the purpose of securing arms, ammunition, and funds for a massive conspiracy”  It was in this case that Sheikh Mujib and his men were accused of enlisting Bengali soldiers from the Pakistan Armed Forces, along with ex-servicemen and civilians, into commando style military units, which would eventually be supported with Indian arms and funds.  These charges were pressed against Mr. Mujib and thirty-four others. This conspiracy finally met its destiny outside the courts, but inside presidential palace in Dacca on 15-Aug-1975.
• Bangladeshi people carry the generational memories about imposition of Indian regulars and India trained Hindu and other guerillas, cobbled together by RAW and KGB, and the wreaking of their atrocities, including loot and plunder, which reached a crescendo under the Indian occupying forces.  The loot and exploitation of common men continued by installation of its puppets, with no mitigation of the losses imposed on the common man by India’s occupying forces.  The Bangladeshi Muslims had been rudely awakened to reality, and discontent thrived, that led to Bangladesh’s revolutionary President, Sheikh Mujibur Rahman being assassinated along with his family on 15-Aug-1975. Bangladesh was trying to re-set its destiny, to determent of India.
• Dismemberment of East Pakistan in this backdrop was aimed to undo the Two-Nation theory, which had popular grass-root backing of Bangla people, and to prove that the Indian nationalist approach is much stronger, even though it carries within itself the Hindu dominance. What India did not understand that its attack against Pakistan, was not an attack on Pakistani Armed Forces, but was an attack on peoples who had sought their respective identities based on two-nation theory and had entwined their national existences with Islam. Despite Pakistan’s dismemberment, the Two-Nation theory revives and thrives in face. the continuous Indian hegemonic policies menacing the majority of Muslim in Bangladesh, India was now confronted with two major issues in ironing out its grip over Bangladesh; one was to curb Bangladesh’s Islamic Identity, and second, to erase the two-nation theory.  The events of Aug-2024 prove that India failed in both.
• Indian exploitative imposition of its policies on Bangladesh and imposition of a puppet rule had reduced Bangladesh to one of its satellites, to the agony of majority Muslims. If they had any dreams of finding solace in Indian arms, they were shattered treacherously. Initially, upon occupying East Pakistan in 1971, India had imposed a condition that Bangladesh would not form any formal regular armed forces, instead it would create a militia comprising of the freedom fighters Mukti Bahini who would ensure internal security. Should any situation arise, the Indian Armed Forces would command the Mukti-Bahini against its enemy, ostensibly, Pakistan. India also coerced Bangladesh in ceding to unfair condition that future trade transactions between India and Bangladesh would be drawn by India, while foreign relations would also be monitored and controlled by the Indians. Clearly, it was a dictation meant for conquered people, and not a friendly or benevolent gesture for a brotherly state.  Till date, it remains a mystery that what was discussed and agreed between Pakistan’s Zulfikar Ali Bhutto and SMR on 08-9-Jan-1972, when SMR was released from prison and was boarding to his freedom, and what transpired during MSR’s brief sojourn to UK in 09-Jan-1972. It however came as a surprise for Indians, when Shaikh Mujibur Rahman upon his return from UK on 10-Jan-1972, to take charge as Bangladesh’s first President, when he immediately and publicly asked India to withdraw its troops from Bangladesh. Little did he realize at that time, that by making this announcement Shaikh Mujeeb-ur-Rehman had unknowingly signed his death warrants. Hence forth, India will not trust him, while he had already lost trust of his people when Indian tanks had rolled into East Pakistan. A similar replay would be seen by the world, when Soviet Tanks were to roll-into Afghanistan ten years later, this time, led by USSR and latently supported by India. Subsequently, India continued pressurising Bangladesh to sign the highly controversial “Indo-Bangladeshi Treaty of Friendship, Cooperation and Peace” which was signed Mar-1972. This was a clarion awakening call for the euphoric Bangladeshi public, who realized the one-sided and unfair bindings imposed through this one-sided agreement. It was too early for any outburst during those nascent stages.
• Emergence of Mukti Bahini as a centrepiece issue, whose skeleton has fallen out of the cupboard to become a defining controversy, was in the first place created through unholy alliance of KGB and RAW, who had been training Bengali Hindus even before the formal 1971-war, and later-on India RAW in collaboration with KGB claimed to have trained and equipped more than 100,000 guerillas, of whom atleast 51,000 were infiltrated in East Pakistan by Nov-1971.  
• To strike a fear and awe upon occupation of East Pakistan, the Indian forces had unleashed a reign of terror through its surrogates, to silence any possible resistance. It captured all surviving Pakistanis, who totalled to 93,000 in all, a meagre number, which itself belies India-trumpeted accusations of military hegemony over East Pakistan. According to Ms. Sarmila Bose, as mentioned in her book “Dead Reckoning; Memories of the 1971 Bangladesh War”, by March-1970, Pakistan had deployed only 12,000 troops in East Pakistan, but after breakout of sabotage activities and until fall of Dacca, there number had increased to total 45,000 Pakistani troops in East Pakistan.  Of these, 34,000 were army personnel, including 23,000 Infantry personnel, 11,000 persons from CAF, and others being paid from defence estimates. Total of 93,000 persons were captured by Indian forces, which included these 45,000-armed forces establishment personnel, and remaining civilians, including large number of women and children.  Earlier, CIA Director, Richard Helms had reported to his government that Pakistan had 20,000 troops deployed in East Pakistan[8].
• The Bangladesh public was witness to the coercive role of Indian agents, later to be formalized as Mukti Bahini during the 1970 elections, which returned near 100% seats to AL. They did not fail to recognize that the Mukti Bahini and its sidekick the Chhatra League (BCL), had been playing in the subsequent elections providing sweeping victories to Hasina Wajid led AL. This resentment was harboured in majority of Bangladeshi’s chest, irrespective of their age and physical experiences of 1971.
• It was through Indian dictation that Mukti Bahini was accorded Quota, and stipends from Bangladesh Government. Hasina Wajid only resuscitated this decaying strong-arm, at disposal of India and its surrogates in Bangladesh, to use it as a tool of suppression followed by Bangladesh Chhatra League (BCL), the student wing of AL, who were controlling local police force. In practical, Mukti Bahini had developed as secret police at disposal of India through its surrogates in Bangladesh. Bangladesh’s public was feeling the painful suppressive and exploitative role it was faced with due to such fascist policies.
• A wave of extra-judicial killings was unleashed in Bangladesh, in name of fighting drug menace, finding majority of casualties from among political figures opposed to Awami League. The RAW’s naked terror has been unleashed on the Bangladeshis. Bangladesh is being driven towards secularism and bore a deep impression on Bangladesh people.
• The Quota protests first broke outin 2018, as students demanded reforms in the Quota distribution. Hundreds of students were injured, arrested, and expelled from universities, when ultimately, Hasina Wajid government had to make some face-saving amendments. Special Police, and ostensibly, members of the ruling party’s youth wing Bangladesh Chhatra League (BCL) were used to attack unarmed protestors. Numerous BCL’s armed leaders and activists were identified by the victims from amongst the video-clips, but no action was taken against them[9]. Apparently, police were under instructions to register cases against the protestors, on the pointation of BCL activists.  Cases were filed against the protestors under the controversial and customised instrument for repression; the Information Communication Technology (ICT) Act, Section-57[10] was ruthlessly used against students and opposition activists alike. Protestors, that were broadly seen as opposition by the ruling party, comprised of Bangladesh Sadharan Chhatra Adhikar Sangrakkhan Parishad, Dhaka University (DU) Mime Action, Ain o Salish Kendra, Gono Forum, Greater Chittagong Hill Tracts Hill Students’ Council, who had revolted against the allocation of 56% of jobs without merit.
• The incidents had left a deep scar on the memory of Bangladeshi masses who had witnessed the naked brutality of Bangladesh Chhatra League (BCL), and Mukti Bahini members and sympathisers, while AL politicians chided and taunted against the protestors, adding insult to injury by calling them as children of Razakars. Inda was incensed at Hasina Wajid’s succumbing to the students demand against Mukti Bahini, which is among the top items on India’s covert agenda, was seen as a sign of its weakening control over Bangladesh. Rising Chinese influence was already upsetting Indian commercial ambitions, as India embarked on damage control for its challenged hegemony over Bangladesh. At least 100-persons were reported killed while several were abducted, and others injured.
• Bangladesh public, that considers Modi as Butcher of Gujrat, and a person, who at one time, was not welcome to USA due to his role in Gujrat, believed that Hasina Wajid was in cohorts with India at expense of Bangladesh’s national interests. Bangladesh’s public is weary of Indian treatment of minorities, and scorns Hasina Wajid for patronising Indian interests in Bangladesh. In March-2021, Later, due to continued Indian interference in Bangladesh politics, and its suppressive role, anger piled up amongst conscientious Bangla youth, as violent anti-Modi protests erupted when Modi was scheduled to visit Bangladesh, and sign several agreements, that the protestors considered one sided. Nearly all opposition parties had coalesced in protesting against Modi, indicating a clear rejection of Indian coercive influence on Bangladesh in connivance of Hasina Wajid.  These protests that quickly turned into anti-India protests, had raised anti-Indian sentiments further one-notch up. These protests were met with heavy-handed approach, on advice of Indian Security Advisors.
• Though the anti-Modi protests were brutally suppressed with use of force through Bangladesh Chhatra League (BCL), Mukti Bahini cadres, and security forces at their disposal, Quote Reforms protests again kicked up as Bangladesh’sHigh Court on 01-Jul-2024, revived the earlier controversial Quota policy. Unprecedented agitation ensued, as once again Bangladesh Chhatra League (BCL), and members of the Mukti Bahini from fattened payroll of members, dressed in police and security forces uniforms, ostensibly commandeered the local security forces in violence against protestors and opposition activists[11]. Hasina Wajid repeated the same mistake of calling the protestors, as Razakars, thus infuriating the protestors, who began chanting that they were Razakars. Hasina Wajid was desperately trying to draw political mileage by linking opposition parties, Khalida Zia and her other opponents as surrogates of Pakistan. who were hand in hand with Razakars.
• Bangladesh had expanded the roll of Mukti Bahini, to 186,404 by 2018, as it continued to expand, suggesting that these freedom fighters are aged atleast 75 years at an average, which is quite unlikely and alludes towards massive covert recruitments, as secret police forces, and corrupt practices at expense of Bangladeshi Muslims.  The renewed recruitment and quota system and enhancing age limits of such recruits to 35-years and retirement age to 65-years, was designed to allow unfettered electoral manipulation by adding atleast 200,000 AL loyalists to influence elections, and provision of secret police (SS Style) services for Indian cronies in Bangladesh.
• Already, Bangladesh public was unable to digest thew results of the 2024 general elections, in which Hasina Wajid’s Awami League (AL) had secured 225 out of total 300-seats, and of the remaining, atleast 20% had gone to Al supported Independents. This victory in face of the 42% turnout, versus 80% turn-out during 2018 elections was just not matching up. Hasina Wajid had been successful in1996, 2009, 2018 and now, 2024 elections. The recent victory eroded all sense of transparency, and tainted Bangladesh’s electoral process with massive Indian supported rigging.
• The agitation imploded into a full-fledged anti-government movement, as the Supreme Court on 21-Jul-2024, hastily overturned the earlier High Court decision, but to no avail. By the time Hasina Wajid resigned, more than 250 persons, including women and children were reported dead by official sources, while un-official sources claim about 1,000 deaths, besides thousands injured and thousands arrested.
• In wake of Hasina Wajid’s unceremonious exit to India, reports of violent attacks upon AL members and their families have been reported across Bangladesh, as Bangladesh president pardons and releases Begum Khalida Zia, who had been convicted for a term of 17-years, through controversial trails, which are believed to have been politically motivated to keep her away from contesting against Hasina Wajid’s AL.  Bangladesh public had no doubts that the Judiciary is being manipulated by India, as it was earlier alleged by British MP Lord Alexander Carlile, defence lawyer for Begum Khalida Zia, during his brief stop-over at India[12].
• Anger had been building up amongst Bangladesh due to signing of a territory to swap of more than 150-enclaves along Indo-Bangla borders, during Mr. Narendra Modi’s visit to Bangladesh in Jun-2015, which affected the rights of more than 50,000 inhabitants. The controversial swap, that was initially agreed between SMR and Indira Gandhi in 1974, had been shelved in face of increased sensitivities of Bangla people, but was finally signed during the visit of Mr Modi to Bangladesh. Critics consider it to be a sellout by Hasina Wajid, who had done so to appease her Indian mentors at the cost of Bangladesh’s national interests.
• India’s mistrust of Bangladesh Muslims, which is a mutual feeling, runs so deep that on every occasion, India does not forget to rub-in that India had liberated Bangladesh. This only reminds Bangladeshis about the yoke India had placed around their necks in name of liberation. In the same sweep, Narendra Modi, jibed that if India had wanted, it would have done worst more to the 90,000 Pakistani POWs in 1971-War. This fact was also reflected in the joint statement issued upon the conclusion of the state visit of India by PM Hasina Wajid in April 2017, in these words: “The two leaders agreed to foster mutually beneficial and deeper defence cooperation, taking into account the illustrious history of cooperation which began with both forces’ joint operation during Bangladesh’s Great Liberation War in December 1971”[13]  In eyes of the nationalist Bangladeshis, this was a coercive encroachment on Bangladesh’s national security interests.
• Right from its creation, Bangladesh had been coerced into playing underdog to India and had been ruthlessly used for crushing fleeing separatists from its Northeastern states, who had longstanding cultural and ethnic links with Bangladesh. Indian security forces, directing RAB in name of Counter Terrorism, had unleashed a reign of terror amongst public, using counter-terrorism collaboration as a justifiable excuse. India on one side had been extending calibrated support to the extremist and terrorists’ outfits, such as Shanti Bahini in Bangladesh to use as a pressure tool against Bangladesh, while at the same time coercing its Intelligence Agencies and Police Force in serving Indian interests, by alleging them to be working hand in glove with Pakistan, and supporting and harbouring terrorist groups active in India, like ULFA etc.   In some cases, Indian Security Forces had covertly conducted raids and captures some wanted terrorists. India with an aim to further capture political space vice Muslim parties, had been supporting and promoting its own Hindu organizations to function in Bangladesh. Though, there are barely 7% Hindus in Bangladesh, one of significant group is Ananda-Marga, backed by Indian agencies, that came in lime-light in 1995 during the abortive Purulia arms drop case, and also came in headlines, when 17members were immolated by unknown in Bijon Setu, west Bengal, India on 30-Apr-1982. 
• India was quick to bind Bangladesh in plethora of agreements, capped by security intelligence, and counter terrorism related, so that it can use Bangladesh as killing fields for the numerous militant outfits struggling against India in the Northeastern States. In this process, it had coerced Bangladesh in allowing Indian security agents to hunt and capture several ULFA members, which India declared as wanted. India believes that United Liberation Front of Asom (ULFA) and United National Liberation Front of Manipur (UNLF), and some other separatist organisations have their refuges in Bangladesh. In 2009, Hasina Wajid had handed over the entire leaderships of these groups to India. With recent upsurge in militancy in Manipur and adjoining states in Northeast, India has become more jittery, as flames of terrorism from its own devices are set to engulf it from all sides. On the other hand, India itself continues to support several militants’ outfits operating in Bangladesh. This approach was being seen as a miserable abuse of Bangladesh’s relationship with India and its hypocritic treatment, thus adding to institutional mistrust between both countries.
• SMR’s son, Sheikh Kamal, was also trained as Mukti Bahini, at one of its clandestine camps in India, and later was assigned as ADC to Lt. Col. Muhammad Ataul Gani Osmani, a former officer from British India Army, later absorbed in East Bengal Regiment. He had earlier formally emerged as Chief of Mukti Bahini on 17-Apr-1971 under over-arching Indian security and intelligence establishment. This leaves no doubt as late MSR being jockeyed by Indian RAW, as it held his son hostage under thin guise of his induction in Mukti Bahini at that time. That Lt. Col. Muhammad Ataul Gani Osmani, was just an ordinary minion of the Indian Security and Intelligence establishment, is demonstrated by the fact that he was not invited at the arms laying ceremony at Dacca. Though, it is claimed that he was subsequently, designated as the first C-in-C of Bangladesh Army, wherefrom he retired as a full General in 1972. His name, nevertheless, is linked to the Agartala Conspiracy Case, and had joined Bangladesh Provisional Government that was formed in Calcutta. This Government in Exile, also known as Provisional Government of Bangladesh, was formed in India on 17-Apr-1971, by conglomerate of defecting East Pakistani diplomats and deserters, who had been on Indian payroll, and had headquartered in Calcutta. Ironically, this Provisional Government was recognized only by India.
• India had raised the Mukti-Bahini, from the East Pakistani rebels, deserters, and innocent citizens, whom it dubbed as freedom fighters, with India’s own sinister designs. Initially, some 20,000 or so East Pakistanis were recruited by the RAW-KGB axis, which was to be used as the veneer of this freedom-fighting Trojan horse[14].  General M. A. G. Usmani was its figure-head leader. Practically, India had deployed some 100,000 of its regular and irregular troops under this figurehead command into the Mukti-Bahini. Indians had been using General Usmani’s loyalists, ruthlessly as cannon fodder against Pakistani troops, and had been all along harping that Mukti-Bahini would be a signatory of the surrender document, when the day arrives. The drop scene for Mukti-Bahini arrived on the eve of the signing of the surrender instrument at Dhaka, where cunningly, the Indians made sure that General Usmani was not present. They were apprehensive that if he is also included as a signatory in the signing ceremony, India will be relegated to an observers’ role and significantly baring it as an occupational force.
• India had surreptitiously penetrated its paramilitary and regular forces in East Pakistan much before the formal conflict broke out between the Indian and Pakistan Army. These people were masquerading as members of Mukti-Bahini and according to some authors, there were some hundred and ten thousand Bengalis of East Pakistan who had registered as formal members of Mukti-Bahini. There is no doubt that being an irregular force, ungoverned by any conventions, numerous atrocities were conducted by Mukti-Bahini, and a large segment of Bangladesh society as well as informed public holds India responsible for these war crimes against non-consenting Bangladesh people. It was evident that during the 1971 conflict, India had pumped in 90,000 regular and irregular Indians on the payroll of RAW which was spear heading the covert activity. These were the India’s guerillas that were penetrated East Pakistan to fight the Pakistani Armed Forces. As India has several times confessed that it had created and launched Mukti Bahini in 197, it is a matter for the international bodies, and Bangladeshi peoples, to open investigations against Indian occupying forces, and its surrogates, for their war crimes committed on the people of Bangladesh in garb of liberating them in 1971 and imposing upon them a covert-warfare. 
• Soon after invasion of East Pakistan, the Indians tried to put their plans to install Mukti Bahini as special forces over-arching Bangladeshinto play. By an unexpected stroke of events, recruits for the new force which were to be assimilated into a local SS type Bangladeshi paramilitary force; when called for recruitment, only twenty thousand or so persons turned[15]. It is believed that the remaining ninety thousand persons did not have their bona-fides as Bangladeshi or former East Pakistani citizens, therefore, it was not practical to recruit them into this force while ignoring millions of other unemployed Bangladeshi citizens. The Indian conspiracy to place its loyalist in this premier security force was fully exposed and it was clear that the main terror engine within the Mukti-Bahini was no other than the KGB-RAW duo.  The acts of terror by the Mukti-Bahini were replicas of the Viet-Cong terror tactics so widely seen in Vietnam. India had rebranded and introduced Soviet brand of terrorism in the region, and it was there to stay and incubate.
• India was continuously foregoing Bangladesh’s own strategic interests and was forcing into developing a clear transit route of its former NEFA states, to the Bay of Bengal through Bangladesh which would have provided India a strategic dominance upon Myanmar and countered Chinese influence. Although in the later years, India’s Look East Policy was developing inroads and extending the Indian influence up till Thailand through Myanmar, and perhaps up to Vietnam and Cambodia, in pursuit of carving counter-BRI with latent support of USA and its allies. With Indian continued pressures and manipulations to use Rohingyas as cannon fodder in its Hybrid-Warfare against China in Myanmar, it was using Bangladesh as a strategic-mule to carry its burden. With growing Rohingya burden in Bangladesh, India was effectively coercing Bangladesh on one hand, and on the other brokering this vast human tragedy for securing its own strategic interests. India wants to use Bangladesh to accommodate and continue giving a free hand to RAW to manipulate the Rohingyas against Myanmar Military, in pursuit of its own strategic interests.
• India was keen to obliterate Bangladeshis Islamic identity and to impose the Indian or Hindu Nationalism in the region. India had been compelling Bangladesh into taking drastic actions against those who had been supporting two nation ideology during the Indo-Pak war in 1971 that had resulted in subordinating Bangladesh to Indian hegemony. On being brought to power with support of India, Hasina Wajid, in 2009 immediately formed International Crimes Tribunal, to prosecute those suspected of collaborating with Pakistani forces during 1971. The tribunal, while targeting former Al-Badr and Al-Shams, designated more than 1,600 persons as suspects. During 2016, under tremendous pressures, from India through its protégé Sheikh Hasina Wajid who had, with Indian support, managed to obtain the controversial court decisions to execute a number of former Jamat-e-Islami leaderships, who were accused of war crimes during 1971 mayhem, but were covered under general amnesty. It is interesting to note that it was during Haseena Wajid’s watch, being highly pro-India, and under guidance of RAW, that in an avenging environment that she got the cases of the already pardoned assassins of the late Mujeeb-ur-Rehman re-tried in Bangladesh Courts[16]. A large segment of Bangladesh society has eroded faith in Judiciary and think that India had tacitly manipulated the Judiciary and Hasina Wajid’s deep seated grudge towards Pakistan to sentence and execute the Jamaat e Islami leadership on crimes, which had been previously pardoned by the state.
• India had its own designs to demolish the two-nation theory and to impose its own Hindu Nationalism and ideologies of the Indians it immediately set on to demolish all heritage of the Bengali Muslims upon the Bengali nation. With support from all India Radio and other media outlets under the control of India, it began introducing various Hindu practices and trying to project them as part of the Bengali culture. The Idea was to draw away the Bengali Muslims from their clear pure Islamic beliefs.
• India had made out a plan to completely subvert the new generation in Bengal by controlling and modifying their curriculums and reshaping their educational ideals through cultivating the teaching cadres, as well as infiltrating in the educational centers, using Quota system to deny access to genuine sons of the soil. It is widely believed that among the first instruments that were signed between India and new Bangladesh was to give tremendous concessions to the pro-Indian elements, and to forgo various basic rights of new nation, similar to the foregoing of various rights and abrogation of various privileges by defeated Germany, when the allies had taken over.  According to these agreements, all employees of the former East Pakistan government would be vetted in which only those would be retained who have actively participated in the creation of Bangladesh or in other words fully cooperated with the Mukti-Bahini and the Indians to uproot Pakistanis. This meant that large portion of the trained and administratively capable personnel would be shunted out to fill this vacuum by pro-Indians.  India had promised that they will send in their personnel so that Bangladesh does not suffer any hiccups in its initial stages, which was in fact a ploy through which it wanted to capture the complete administration of Bangladesh. India being aware that it had betrayed Bangladeshi people, by posing as its genuine friend, only to swallow it with help of its partners in the Cold War, was also apprehensive of a push-back or counter guerilla warfare against India in due course of time.  It, therefore, also demanded that its military presence should continue indefinitely in Bangladesh and had also imposed a condition that Bangladesh would not form any formal regular armed forces; instead, it would create a Militia comprising of the Mukti Bahini, who would ensure internal security. Furthermore, should any situation arise, the Indian armed forces will command the Mukti-Bahini against the adversaries including Pakistan. India also coerced Bangladesh that trade transactions between India and Bangladesh would be made out by India, while Foreign Relations would also be monitored and controlled by the Indians. It however came as a rude surprise for Indians when Shaikh Mujeeb-ur-Rehman returned on Jan-10 from the United Kingdom and immediately, and publicly asked India to withdraw its troops from Bangladesh. It was by making this announcement, that Shaikh Mujeeb-ur-Rehman had unknowingly signed his death warrants. India bound Bangladesh by imposing a Twenty-Five Year Peace and Friendship Treaty on 19-Mar-1972, with India.
• This effort did not cease here; in fact, these anti-Islam and pro-India narratives were being pushed into the Bangladeshi curriculums and education centers India was subtly trying to substitute Bengal-ism for Bangladesh Nationalism to suppress the Islamic identity of the nation.
• To root out any anti-India elements, and to impose its surrogates, Inda coerced Bangladesh in making several agreements, despite general amnesty, that all those former government employees who had not actively participated in collaboration with the Indian controlled freedom fighters or operated against Pakistan’s military, should be purged from their positions.  The Bangladesh Military survived this onslaught only by not openly standing up against the Indian supported elements, though, there were occasional outbursts of anti-India sentiments. People of Bangladesh clearly saw through the sheep skin, the Indian wolf’s body, that it was trying to hide.
• Under the deluge of baseless anti-Pakistan propaganda, Indians have effectively obliterated the massive loot and plunder that its Armed Forces carried out in Bangladesh after its occupation.  It has permanently instilled deep mistrust for the Indian motives in minds of common Bangladeshis. Already, they had in their generation’s memory the atrocities carried out by their Hindu neighbours at the time of partition across both wings of Pakistan. 
• India’s intention of imposing the pseudo-nationalist approach over and above the religious side went nowhere. India with its hundred and seventy-one (171) languages 39-provinces, 544-sub-languages has no other means to wield a unifying narrative, other than trumpeting its Indian nationalism, which is dictated by the majority Hindu extremist doctrines. Like all Muslims of the sub-continent, Bangladeshis fully understood that this national-ism mantra by Indian politicians is a sweet-pill for Bangladesh. Exertion of the Bengali identity was expected to bring the NEFA States and the East and West Bengal on the same page and strengthen the Indian unity, but this was not to be. Iin India’s perception, it had successfully bisected the Two-Nation Theory, but in reality, the two-nation theory could not be split, because of the growing Hindu fanaticism and extremism in the main India and the patronage that it enjoyed from the ruling class in the classic manner described in the Arthashastra.
•   India had been exploiting Bangladesh’s resources, imposing it contracts, using its credit-lines as economic strings, and further capturing it like a strategic parasite. Its pressures on Bangladesh through Hasina Wajid, to accommodate and accept Indian sub-standard military hardware in Armed Forces has further angered Bangladesh Army, who considers this Indian move as undermining fighting capacity of Bangladesh Army, and erosion of its potential to defend itself against any future Indian aggression.
• To obliterate the Islamic identity, India went to the extent of promoting various controversial intellectual figures, writers and publishers in Bangladesh who were trying to promote a greater liberal and secular approach, which in fact complimented the Hindu views. Like a parasite, India has tried to take control of the Bangladeshi trade, and it has tried to exhaust away its natural resources. Bangladesh has a number of Gas fields and natural gas reserves, which India has been eyeing to fulfil its own increasing energy needs. During president Irshad’s rule, Bangladesh gave the oil exploration rights to a Bangladeshi company in Sylhet, in conflict with Indian interests, prompting RAW to mobilise public protests and opposition, until it had to be cancelled. India has also been continuously poaching on the water resources of Bangladesh from around 50-large and small rivers and tributaries, flowing from the Indian side by systematically pilfering the waters. Except for controversial resolution of Farakka Barrage issue related to Ganges River waters, India has not mitigated any of the complaints. The poaching of Teesta River remains a sore point that is hurting a large number of Bangladeshi cultivators but is being deliberately ignored by India. India is gradually pushing Bangladesh towards an arid land; this economic exploitation would not have been achievable without its military might which it had imposed upon East Pakistan to maintain a carrot and stick treatment. Bangladesh public has become weary of Indian gimmickry about resolving the water distribution issue, and its continuous use water related issues and Teesta River issue as tools of coercion through its protégé Hasina Wajid. The agricultural sector has been effectively alienated on this count from Hasina Wajid, and India by large.
• India wants to force its way to Bay of Bengal and use Bangla ports for ease of trade by its landlocked seven North Eastern States. India is also pushing through connectivity projects to provide ease of trade and commerce for its Northeastern states, without any practical investments in Bangladesh. This imbalance has perturbed the business and commerce communities. With over $6-billion deficit in favour of India, and imposition of duties on Bangladesh’s major exports of Jute, and electricity from Nepal and Bhutan, Bangladesh is deprived of a level playing field.
• Indians, being the occupying forces, in 1971, had tried to capitulate the newly formed Bangladesh Army, and wanted to use it against the political bodies of Bangladesh if they defied Indian dictation. India however, faced a perpetual resistance in imposing this policy, since a large number of these Armed Forces personnel were recruited and trained as Pakistan’s Army and had a deep sense of their discipline and affinity with their other Pakistani brethren and had a deeply inculcated, informed anti-India sentiments. These Military Personnel, when had to join the Military of newly formed Bangladesh army, which was clearly dominated by Indian military, did so with a heavy heart. No amount of propaganda by Indian lobbies could make them believe that their brethren in Pakistan army were in fact demonic as India wanted them to believe. Subsequent Indian exploitation of the nascent Bangladesh further compounded their hatred for India.
• Later incidents proved that India was unable to completely penetrate the Bangladesh military failed to uproot the deep sense anti-India sentiments which were initially cultivated, and later reaffirmed by Indian conduct.
• By retaining Hasina Wajid in power, through a covert lethal stronghold upon Judicial and parliamentarian levers of power, while extensively interfering in Bangladesh’s military affairs, brewed extreme discontent against India and ruling AL, among in all these pillars. The Current Chief of Army Staff in Bangladesh is believed to be closely related to Hasina Wajid but was of little or no help in preventing Hasina’s ouster on 05-Aug-2024 in front of the rising discontent in the army.
• The fact that Bangladesh military strongly believes that today’s friend India as a potential enemy of tomorrow, is evident from the fact that in all the military exercises, Bangladesh envisages India as an aggressor. India has pointed out this to Bangladesh PM Hasina Wajid and demanded that Bangladesh Military stop using this model of exercises where India is depicted as an enemy. Bangladesh Armed Forces were weary of Hasina Wajid signing one sided defence agreements in favour of India.
• To wean away Bangladesh from China, and to discourage it from buying Chinese defence equipment, India has opened a credit-line of $500 million. India considers Bangladesh arming as a threat against India, and thus leaves no stone unturned to discourage Bangladesh from building its defence inventory. India at the same time, is deeply concerned on the Bangladeshi dependence on Chinese equipment, as Bangladesh was importer of 17% of Chinese Arms. There is increasing concern amongst Bangladesh armed forces for Indian efforts to force Bangladesh away from China.
• India had been pressurising Bangladesh in collaboration with Hasina Wajid, for signing deal of developing nuclear plants with Russian, instead of Chinese. Bangladesh is being further pushed into dependency by signing three MoUs in the nuclear sector. Russia is building the first civilian nuclear reactor in Bangladesh, whose engineers are being trained in India. This thrust is to prevent any Chinese infiltration in the nuclear cooperation in Bangladesh[17].
• India has effectively snuffed Bangladesh’s sovereignty in its power sector, by exporting its electricity to Bangladesh. The turning off the fuel lines by Turkey, and choking of gas supplies by Russia, as well as blocking of Iran-Pakistan-India (IPI) pipeline under pressures of sanctions, substantiate the fragility of this strategic commodity[18].  India in connivance with Hasina Wajid, has been imposing policies in Bangladesh, which prevent it from developing its own energy. India instead has made Bangladesh dependent on it for supply of energy. Indi provides 600-MW from the Indian grid, another 500-MW through Bheramara-Bahrampur interconnection, 1000-MW from proposed Assam and Bihar tapping points at Partbatipur, and another 340-MW from NTPC station. By supplying this electricity, India had made Bangladesh dependent on its power supplies, while it continues to prevent Bangladesh from entering in agreement with China for installation of nuclear plants. India on the other hand has forced Bangladesh into procuring a nuclear power plant from Russia, for which India is training the scientists and technicians from Bangladesh, thus gaining firm access into Bangladesh’s nuclear programs. To add insult to injury, India has constructed Indo-Bangla Friendship Pipeline, from Siliguri to Parbatipur, for supply of High-Speed Diesel. Bangladesh public sees this grant-in-aid pipeline with suspicion and as a ploy by India to prevent development of local refineries in Bangladesh.
• Hasina Wajid’s government had been humiliating imprisoned opposition leadership and had been using the BCL as strong arm of AL, which was also controlling local Police units. Bangladesh public considers Begum Khalida Zia, along with other opposition parties, as parties defiant to Indian hegemony, and parties, who are more nationalistic, who place Bangladesh’s national interests above appeasing or submitting to India.
• India stabbed Bengalis in the back, when it pushed forward its plans for NRC in its West Bengal state in 2018. The passage of the controversial NRC in 2019, further infuriated Bangladesh, and Hasina Wajid was compelled to cancel several official visits of her ministers to India to show he deep concern, an obvious playing to the gallery. The NRC directly hits onto Bangladeshi immigrants. The persistent mantra of Indian ministers about rising illegal immigrations from Bangladesh, further irked Bangladesh public. Calling Bangladeshi immigrants as termites by Indian Home Minister further poured fuel on the fire. With the indiscriminate killing of hundreds of unarmed civilian Bangladesh at Indo-Bangla borders by BSF, and complete failure of Hasina Wajid’s government to control it or take it up forcefully with India, has also humiliated Bangla people. Indian BSF had been indiscriminately killing Bengalis, accusing them of crossing Indo-Bangla boundaries. Hundreds of innocent civilians have fallen prey to the indiscriminate high-handedness of the BSF, despite repeated Bangladesh’s protests. The public views it as an illicit collaboration between Hasina Wajid’s government with Indian security establishment. Mr. Modi, spearheading the BJP, who had been participating in Mukti Bahini operations, finds this migration of Hindus to India quite challenging. The Indian Intelligence Agencies are 24/7 on work to manage the situation using covert means, all over the region, beyond its backyard in Bangladesh.
• What we witness today is Bangladesh re-setting its destiny, and correcting the falsification of history, that India has been trying to overwrite. 786,267,525 or 0,7863 billionMuslims reside in Indo-Pak Sub-Continent and the connected countries[19]. United or coordinated, they can pose a serious challenge to Indian hegemonic and Islamophobic designs, thus India is keen to force Bangladesh in making constitutional amendments to convert Bangladesh in a secular state, so that its anti-India Muslim community does not coalesce with larger Muslim bodies or blocks. Extensive use of social media was observed during the protests, while Bangladesh government had to shut down Internet on several occasions. Gory pictures, brutalities, fake news, doctored videos, by both competing sides flooded the social media. Earlier, role of social media was significant during the elections campaign of Hasina Wajid. We find plenty of similarities in the use of social media during Bangladesh and Pakistan’s February-2024 elections, besides, it also reinforces the earlier mark Zuckerberg’s appearance before the EU Parliament and making his statements. The public of subcontinent has now been completely capitulated by the social media which has penetrated each house through the cell phones, and platforms governed by IT giants across-borders.  The widespread discontent gripping the region stretching from Iran to Myanmar, is just the beginning of the destabilization of the region, which is caught in deep quagmire of Hybrid Warfare, where both China and Indian, as well as Israeli, American, Russian, and Iranian interests are colliding.
• The author is former Director General Intelligence Bureau

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[5] “India-Pakistan in War Peace & Peace” by J. N. Dixit, published by Books Today, New Delhi in 2002.

[6] “India-Pakistan in War Peace & Peace” by J. N. Dixit, published by Books Today, New Delhi in 2002.

[7] “India-Pakistan in War Peace & Peace” by J. N. Dixit, published by Books Today, New Delhi in 2002.

[8] “Dead Reckoning, Memories of the 1971 Bangladesh War” by Sarmila Bose, 2011, C. Hurst & Co (Publishers) Ltd., 41 Great Russell Street, London, WC1B 3PL, United Kingdom. P-179

[9] “Job Quota in Govt Jobs: ‘BCL’ assaults continue” Star Report, The Daily Star, 02-Jul-2018,  https://www.thedailystar.net/frontpage/job-quota-govt-jobs-bcl-assaults-continue-1598389

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[11] “Miscreants attacked students wearing police uniform: State minister Khalid”, The Daily Star, 25-Jul-2024, < https://www.thedailystar.net/news/bangladesh/news/miscreants-attacked-students-wearing-police-uniform-state-minister-khalid-3662116>

[12] “Khaleda Zia’s aide sent back as his motive was suspect, says India” TNN, Times of India, 13-Jul-2018, https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/khaleda-zias-aide-sent-back-as-his-motive-was-suspect-says-india/articleshow/64968530.cms

[13] “India and Bangladesh Sign 22 Agreements, Discuss Water Sharing”, The Wire, 09-Apr-2017, https://thewire.in/diplomacy/india-bangladesh-relations-talks

[14] “RAW and Bangladesh” by Zainal Abedin, published by Fatema Shahab, 7-Fakirapool, Inner Circular Road, Motijheel, Dhaka from Bangladesh in 1995.

[15] “RAW and Bangladesh” by Zainal Abedin, published by Fatema Shahab, 7-Fakirapool, Inner Circular Road, Motijheel, Dhaka from Bangladesh in 1995.

[16] “RAW and Bangladesh” by Zainal Abedin, published by Fatema Shahab, 7-Fakirapool, Inner Circular Road, Motijheel, Dhaka from Bangladesh in 1995.

[17] “India and Bangladesh Sign 22 Agreements, Discuss Water Sharing”, The Wire, 09-Apr-2017, https://thewire.in/diplomacy/india-bangladesh-relations-talks

[18] “India and Bangladesh Sign 22 Agreements, Discuss Water Sharing”, The Wire, 09-Apr-2017, https://thewire.in/diplomacy/india-bangladesh-relations-talks

[19] https://worldpopulationreview.com/country-rankings/muslim-population-by-country