Dhaka: Congress leader Shashi Tharoor on Monday shared a picture of the ‘Shaheed Memorial Complex’ in Mujibnagar Bangladesh which was vandalised amidst the ongoing unrest in the country. This statue meant to commemorate the liberation of Bangladesh from Pakistan has been vandalised. The Congress leader in a post on ‘X’ blamed anti-India vandals for the act.
Attacks on Hindus in Bangladesh
Tharoor said that he was sad to see such images, like the statue which depicted the moment Pakistan surrendered after the 1971 war, being destroyed. The act follows the attacks on Indians and some Hindu places of worship in the country, as it battles a wave of unrest.
In his note on ‘X’, Tharoor said, “Sad to see images like this of statues at the 1971 Shaheed Memorial Complex, Mujibnagar, destroyed by anti-India vandals. This follows disgraceful attacks on the Indian cultural centre, temples and Hindu homes in several places, even as reports came in of Muslim civilians protecting other minority homes and places of worship.”
Sad to see images like this of statues at the 1971 Shaheed Memorial Complex, Mujibnagar, destroyed by anti-India vandals. This follows disgraceful attacks on the Indian cultural centre, temples and Hindu homes in several places, even as reports came in of Muslim civilians… pic.twitter.com/FFrftoA81T
— Shashi Tharoor (@ShashiTharoor) August 12, 2024
He appealed to the current head of the interim government in Bangladesh, Nobel Prize winner, Mohammad Yunus to take urgent steps to restore law & order in the interests of all Bangladeshis, of every faith. He said that even though India was providing all possible help to its neighbour in these trying times, such an anarchic excess can never be condoned.
Tharoor shared pictures of the original statue and how it looked now, on his accout. The statue depicted the signing of the ‘Instrument Of Surrender’ by Pakistan Army Major-General Amir Abdullah Khan Niazi to the Indian Army and Bangladesh’s Mukti Bahini. This was the largest military surrender since World War 2.
Unrest in Bangladesh
Bangladesh has been in turmoil ever since the fall of the Sheikh Hasina government. The PM of the country had been facing continuous protests by students over a proposed quota system. She was finally forced to flee the country. She is currently in India.
Soon after Hasina’s ouster, an interim government with Mohammad Yunus as its head took over. This government is backed by the Army of the country. But reports of loot, vandalisation and chaos continue to pour in from Bangladesh, even as the new government tries to take charge.