Latest news with #OperationSearchlight
Economic Times
a day ago
- Politics
- Economic Times
Housekeeping time for Bangladesh
Live Events Even as an illegitimate Yunus is being pressured to announce legitimate elections in Bangladesh it is not clear whether it would be either inclusive or fair. India has, as have the Bangladesh army and sundry political formations in the country, rightfully called for the return of a people's mandate for the country at an early reluctance to hold elections by December 2025 seems to be goaded only by a misplaced appetite to hold on to power. Although the narrative that is being peddled is 'reforms before elections' such an argument does not hold water as the correct manner for reforms to be both introduced and enforced should actually rest on a popularly elected government that has the people's mandate. Yunus has no such mandate. He was foisted on a Bangladesh by a foreign power for extra-regional considerations including the creation of 'corridor' to the Rakhine province of Myanmar to facilitate war equipment for the Arakan Army to shore up its war against the Myanmar Army. The fact that even the Bangladesh armed forces have publicised their opposition to such a move showcases Yunus' partisanship and willingness to allow Bangladesh to be used by external any event, fair play necessitates that an inclusive election (as India has called for) cannot be without the Awami League contesting it. Although the secular party's leaders are in exile, hiding or in a state of disarray, the fact of the matter is that 55% of Bangladesh are Awami Leaguers and passionately loyal to Bangladesh's founding principles when it overthrew a malevolent Pakistan in 1971. Today, if they have been coerced into silence it is because of the muzzle of radical Islamism and street terror led by a few mercenaries cloaked in student's attire. The banning of the Awami League is not must make it clear to the world and, of course, to Bangladesh what it means by inclusive elections. By any stretch of imagination, it cannot be without the inclusion of the Awami League, the political party that gave birth to ban on the radical Jamaat-e-Islami (JeI) has been revoked by Bangladesh's judiciary, paving the way for its participation in elections. It is a recorded fact that Gholam Azam's JeI had collaborated with the rampaging Pakistan army after the onset of Operation Searchlight on 26 March 1971 which resulted in the genocide of the Bengali people in the erstwhile East Pakistan. It is not immediately understood as to how the people who adjudicate in Bangladesh can permit the 'Return of the Razakars' even as it sits mute to the banning of the Awami League, a formation which, as aforesaid, was the prime pronouncement for the formation of a new nation. It has to be admitted that free agency is being feloniously denied in present day manner in which a legitimately elected Sheikh Hasina was ousted, it is now beginning to be understood, had no popular endorsement in Bangladesh. It was nothing but swift overthrow of power, the mechanics of which were engineered by an extraneous power and summarily transported to the streets of other incidental reasons, one of the explanations for Sheikh Hasina's fleeing her homeland was because she resisted pressure from the extra-regional power to use her country as a launching detachment against the Myanmarese junta which the Chinese are was caught in the cross-currents of big power play. The overseas power wants a satellite state in the region and Yunus willingly played into the plot. Even the Chinese who were trying to elbow into the erstwhile East Pakistan were caught off guards. The Chinese do not play chequers in the manner that it has been put out in popular Indian media, but very cautiously and in a calibrated manner even if it means waiting for the turn of a generation. In fact, very little is known about the truth of Lalmonirhat. It is a strong possibility that the plan for a Chinese airbase in Lalmonirhat is yet another propaganda attempt by the West to dupe Op Sindoor brought back some legitimacy to the shores of India it is because of Modi-Shah's high Indian political acumen and ability to rise, rally and redeem for India. Indeed, the only force that stood by the nation and steadfast for God and country was the Indian armed forces. India continues to be fortified because its warriors in land, sea and air came as one to defend and protect. India also succeeded in signalling a measured approach to countering cross-border one aspect that needs to be forcefully flagged in the midst of the 'fog of war' is the fact that the terrorist eco-system has proliferated beyond Pakistan's sponsorship. It has not only reached Bangladesh but into India's vulnerable innards. Recent reports are of the opinion that Islamist tanzeems like Lashkar-e-Toiba and Jaish-e-Mohammad in concert with radical groups in Bangladesh are planning a massive radicalisation exercise of students in Indian universities. If such sinister anti-India moves are not nipped in the bud, then the nation will careen out of control. Gratefully pre-emptive steps that are correctly being taken in Assam by a farsighted Assamese leadership and the Assam Police, are laudable and must be emulated by the rest of might be questioned as to why is India has suddenly become so protective of answers are simple. First, because it had lent valuable Indian blood during its creation in 1971. Secondly, because it wants to safeguard its backyard from the rise of radical Islamism emanating from Bangladesh that may threaten the North East and in times to come the rest of India and finally to protect the sacred eastern shores from extra-regional planning that must occupy the policy makers in Raisina Hill in the coming weeks and months should be not only to 'archive the pain' that has been endured in Dhaka and Pahalgam in the last several months, but go forward in a positive quest for immediate remedial housekeeping in a country whose socio-political character has an important bearing on India's North Gen Arun Kumar Sahni is a Former Army Commander and GOC Dimapur Corps. Jaideep Saikia is a top strategist and bestselling author.
Time of India
a day ago
- Politics
- Time of India
Housekeeping time for Bangladesh
Even as an illegitimate Yunus is being pressured to announce legitimate elections in Bangladesh it is not clear whether it would be either inclusive or fair. India has, as have the Bangladesh army and sundry political formations in the country, rightfully called for the return of a people's mandate for the country at an early date. Yunus' reluctance to hold elections by December 2025 seems to be goaded only by a misplaced appetite to hold on to power. Although the narrative that is being peddled is 'reforms before elections' such an argument does not hold water as the correct manner for reforms to be both introduced and enforced should actually rest on a popularly elected government that has the people's mandate. Yunus has no such mandate. He was foisted on a Bangladesh by a foreign power for extra-regional considerations including the creation of 'corridor' to the Rakhine province of Myanmar to facilitate war equipment for the Arakan Army to shore up its war against the Myanmar Army. The fact that even the Bangladesh armed forces have publicised their opposition to such a move showcases Yunus' partisanship and willingness to allow Bangladesh to be used by external machinations. In any event, fair play necessitates that an inclusive election (as India has called for) cannot be without the Awami League contesting it. Although the secular party's leaders are in exile, hiding or in a state of disarray, the fact of the matter is that 55% of Bangladesh are Awami Leaguers and passionately loyal to Bangladesh's founding principles when it overthrew a malevolent Pakistan in 1971. Today, if they have been coerced into silence it is because of the muzzle of radical Islamism and street terror led by a few mercenaries cloaked in student's attire. The banning of the Awami League is not acceptable. India must make it clear to the world and, of course, to Bangladesh what it means by inclusive elections. By any stretch of imagination, it cannot be without the inclusion of the Awami League, the political party that gave birth to Bangladesh. The ban on the radical Jamaat-e-Islami (JeI) has been revoked by Bangladesh's judiciary, paving the way for its participation in elections. It is a recorded fact that Gholam Azam's JeI had collaborated with the rampaging Pakistan army after the onset of Operation Searchlight on 26 March 1971 which resulted in the genocide of the Bengali people in the erstwhile East Pakistan. It is not immediately understood as to how the people who adjudicate in Bangladesh can permit the 'Return of the Razakars' even as it sits mute to the banning of the Awami League, a formation which, as aforesaid, was the prime pronouncement for the formation of a new nation. It has to be admitted that free agency is being feloniously denied in present day Bangladesh. Live Events The manner in which a legitimately elected Sheikh Hasina was ousted, it is now beginning to be understood, had no popular endorsement in Bangladesh. It was nothing but swift overthrow of power, the mechanics of which were engineered by an extraneous power and summarily transported to the streets of Dhaka. Among other incidental reasons, one of the explanations for Sheikh Hasina's fleeing her homeland was because she resisted pressure from the extra-regional power to use her country as a launching detachment against the Myanmarese junta which the Chinese are supporting. Bangladesh was caught in the cross-currents of big power play. The overseas power wants a satellite state in the region and Yunus willingly played into the plot. Even the Chinese who were trying to elbow into the erstwhile East Pakistan were caught off guards. The Chinese do not play chequers in the manner that it has been put out in popular Indian media, but very cautiously and in a calibrated manner even if it means waiting for the turn of a generation. In fact, very little is known about the truth of Lalmonirhat. It is a strong possibility that the plan for a Chinese airbase in Lalmonirhat is yet another propaganda attempt by the West to dupe India. If Op Sindoor brought back some legitimacy to the shores of India it is because of Modi-Shah's high Indian political acumen and ability to rise, rally and redeem for India. Indeed, the only force that stood by the nation and steadfast for God and country was the Indian armed forces. India continues to be fortified because its warriors in land, sea and air came as one to defend and protect. India also succeeded in signalling a measured approach to countering cross-border terror. However, one aspect that needs to be forcefully flagged in the midst of the 'fog of war' is the fact that the terrorist eco-system has proliferated beyond Pakistan's sponsorship. It has not only reached Bangladesh but into India's vulnerable innards. Recent reports are of the opinion that Islamist tanzeems like Lashkar-e-Toiba and Jaish-e-Mohammad in concert with radical groups in Bangladesh are planning a massive radicalisation exercise of students in Indian universities. If such sinister anti-India moves are not nipped in the bud, then the nation will careen out of control. Gratefully pre-emptive steps that are correctly being taken in Assam by a farsighted Assamese leadership and the Assam Police, are laudable and must be emulated by the rest of India. It might be questioned as to why is India has suddenly become so protective of Bangladesh. The answers are simple. First, because it had lent valuable Indian blood during its creation in 1971. Secondly, because it wants to safeguard its backyard from the rise of radical Islamism emanating from Bangladesh that may threaten the North East and in times to come the rest of India and finally to protect the sacred eastern shores from extra-regional piracy. The planning that must occupy the policy makers in Raisina Hill in the coming weeks and months should be not only to 'archive the pain' that has been endured in Dhaka and Pahalgam in the last several months, but go forward in a positive quest for immediate remedial housekeeping in a country whose socio-political character has an important bearing on India's North East. Lt Gen Arun Kumar Sahni is a Former Army Commander and GOC Dimapur Corps. Jaideep Saikia is a top strategist and bestselling author.
India.com
20-05-2025
- Politics
- India.com
Who is Tikka Khan, was also known as the butcher of Bangladesh... he massacred 7000 people in...
Who is Tikka Khan, was also known as the butcher of Bangladesh... he massacred 7000 people in... History has many rulers whose name only sends chills down anyone's spine. This includes many names like Genghis Khan, Halaku, Taimurlang, Hitler. But today we will talk about a man who killed seven thousand people in a single night. Due to his act, he was called the 'Butcher of Bangladesh'. The name of this person is 'Tikka Khan', who has also been the General of the Pakistani Army and the first Army Chief. Tikka Khan was born on February 10, 1915 in Rawalpindi. Tikka Khan joined the British Indian Army in 1935. After partition, Tikka Khan went to Pakistan and became a Major in the Army there. After Yahya Khan became the President of Pakistan in 1969, Tikka Khan was sent to East Pakistan (Bangladesh). Tikka Khan's responsibility in East Pakistan was to suppress the demand for a separate country and the rebellion that was rising here. As soon as he arrived here, Tikka Khan started military action, which was named 'Operation Searchlight'. According to the report, Tikka Khan, while taking action to suppress the rebellion, killed 7000 people in Dhaka in one night. This included children, old people and women. After this incident, Time magazine called Tikka Khan the 'Butcher of Bangladesh'. Robert Paine has also written a book on the genocide in Bangladesh. In this book, it is told that in 1971, the state of barbarism was at its peak in Bangladesh. Here, two lakh women and girls were raped in just 9 months. Despite all the allegations and the world's condemnation of this incident, Tikka Khan's status in the Pakistani army continued to rise. He received several promotions and on March 3, 1972, Tikka Khan was made the first Army Chief of Pakistan. Tikka Khan died on March 20, 2002.
NDTV
11-05-2025
- Politics
- NDTV
Explained: The Rise And Fall Of Sheikh Hasina's Bangladesh Awami League
New Delhi: The party that once led Bangladesh to liberation now finds itself outlawed on the very soil it helped set free. The Awami League, once the torchbearer of Bangladesh's independence, has been banned under the Anti-Terrorism Act by the country's interim government led by Muhammad Yunus. Citing threats to national security and an ongoing war crimes investigation, the administration has outlawed all party activities. Former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina's party, which ruled the country for over a decade until her ouster in a mass uprising last year, has been accused of orchestrating violent crackdowns during the July-August 2024 student-led protests that killed close to 1,500 protestors. The Awami League Born out of discontent with the ruling West Pakistani elite, the Awami League was founded on June 23, 1949, in Dhaka. Then called the 'East Pakistan Awami Muslim League', it was a breakaway faction of the Muslim League. The party emerged as a secular, progressive voice for the Bengali population in then East Pakistan. Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, a young student activist, became one of its key leaders and later its most iconic figure. The party played a major role in the 1952 Language Movement, demanding Bengali be recognised as one of Pakistan's state languages. It grew its base among students, intellectuals, and rural voters through its populist and regional identity politics. 1970 Pakistan Elections In the 1970 general elections of Pakistan, the Awami League, under Mujibur Rahman's leadership, swept the East Pakistani seats and won a majority (160 out of 162). West Pakistan refused to hand over power to Mujibur Rahman, triggering political unrest and a brutal crackdown known as 'Operation Searchlight'. 1971: Formation Of Bangladesh On March 26, 1971, after political negotiations failed, Bangladesh declared independence. Awami League led the freedom movement. Mujibur Rahman was arrested by Pakistani forces. The Awami League-led Mukti Bahini (Liberation Army), backed by India, waged a successful liberation struggle that went on from March to December. Rahman was later released after the war ended. Bangladesh gained independence on 16 December, 1971, with the help of India. Mujibur Rahman was the first President and Prime Minister of the nation. Considered the founding father of Bangladesh, he was hailed as the ' Bangabandhu ' -- Friend of Bengal. 1975: Mujibur Rahman's Assassination The Awami League government struggled with post-war reconstruction, famine, and rising discontent. In 1975, Mujibur Rahman introduced one-party rule through BAKSAL (Bangladesh Krishak Sramik Awami League), a move that many felt betrayed the ideals of democracy. Months later, on August 15, Mujibur Rahman and most of his family were assassinated in a military coup. The Awami League lost its footing in the military-led regimes of Ziaur Rahman and later Hussain Muhammad Ershad. 1981: Return Of Sheikh Hasina In 1981, Sheikh Hasina, Mujibur Rahman's exiled daughter, returned to Bangladesh and assumed leadership of the party. Through the 1980s, she rebuilt the Awami League from the ground up, allying with student groups, civil society and pro-democracy voices. The party played a key role in the 1990 movement that ended Ershad's dictatorship. In 1996, the Awami League returned to power after 21 years when Hasina became Prime Minister. Her first term was marked by peace deals with tribal groups and infrastructure investment. 2001: Political Turbulence After losing power in 2001, the Awami League accused the BNP-Jamaat alliance of political repression. In 2007, a military-backed caretaker government took over, arresting both Hasina and BNP leader Khaleda Zia under corruption charges. 2009-2023: The Hasina Era The real shift came after 2009, when Sheikh Hasina began her uninterrupted 15-year rule -- making her the longest-serving prime minister in Bangladesh's history. Human rights groups and opposition leaders alleged that her government used authoritarian tactics to cling to power. Elections were marred by allegations of vote rigging, opposition crackdowns became common, and the media faced increasing censorship. Critics accused the Awami League of turning into what it once fought against -- a centralised force intolerant of dissent. She ruled until her ouster in 2024. 2024: Student Uprising In July and August 2024, students across the country launched mass protests triggered by fuel price hikes, youth unemployment, and corruption allegations. According to the United Nations, over 1,400 protesters died in police crackdown instructed by Hasina's Awami League. Sheikh Hasina's government collapsed in August 2024, following pressure from civil society, opposition groups, and defectors within her own party. She resigned on August 5, 2024, and fled the country. By September, an interim administration led by Nobel Laureate Muhammad Yunus was in place. Now, the Awami League has not only been removed from power, it has been criminalised and banned under the Anti-Terrorism Act.
The Hindu
03-05-2025
- Politics
- The Hindu
The monk who defied the mob
The case against Chinmoy Krishna Das goes back to October when, against the backdrop of attacks against growing mob violence, which often targeted minority religious communities in Bangladesh, he provided leadership and direction to the Bangladesh Sammilito Sanatani Jagaran Jote, an umbrella organisation of the Hindu community in the country. A case against Mr. Das was lodged on October 31, days after three separate rallies were convened under his leadership in different parts of the country, where the national flag was reportedly disrespected. Mr. Das was arrested in dramatic circumstances on October 25 from Dhaka's Shah Jalal International Airport, and the next day, while he was produced in a court in Chittagong, violent clashes broke out between hundreds of political activists and the police that left a young lawyer dead. Ever since, the allegations against Mr. Das have compounded as he was also accused of encouraging the clashes on the court premises. Mr. Das first shot to the limelight with his fiery speeches demanding protection for the Hindu community in Bangladesh in the aftermath of the fall of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina's regime on August 5, 2024. Bangladesh has an old history of anti-minority violence, dating back to its days as East Pakistan, which found its worst manifestation in the Operation Searchlight of March 25, 1971, when the Pakistan military began killing Hindus and progressives in Dhaka and other parts. The Hindus and Buddhists of East Pakistan had begun mobilising themselves in the 1960s, when Gen. Ayub Khan was in power, leading to the formation of the Bangladesh Hindu Bouddho Oikyo Samiti (BHBOS). The BHBOS survived the 1971 crackdown by the Pakistan military and emerged as a political force in the 1980s when it participated in the pro-democracy protests that eventually overthrew the military regime of Hossein Mohammed Ershad. Also read | Bangladesh High Court orders Hindu leader's release on bail But in the subsequent years, the BHBOS faced criticisms for alleged inaction when violence against the minority communities flared up, from time to time. One such incident took place during the Durga puja season of 2022, when a number of puja pandals were violated in Comilla, Brahmanbaria, Chittagong and Rangpur. Chinmoy Krishna Das was at this time the leader of ISKCON [International Society for Krishna Consciousness] in Bangladesh. He emerged as a strong voice that supported the mobilisation of the minority community. Mr. Das, whose real name is Chandan Kumar Dhar, has overshadowed the older community leaders such as Rana Dasgupta and Manindra Kumar Nath. Rise of Islamists Though in jail since October 2024, he remains a crucial figure in the post-Hasina Bangladesh where there is a spike in the activities of the fundamentalist Islamist movements. On Saturday, Hezat-e-Islam held a major meeting in Dhaka's Suhrawardy grounds as a show of strength even as the interim government continues to argue that the bulk of the attacks that targeted the Hindu community members in August-September 2024 were 'politically motivated' and not communal in nature. An appellate court in Dhaka will take up the case of Mr. Das on Sunday. The High Court in Bangladesh granted Mr. Das bail on April 30 in the case of sedition and his advocate Apurba Kumar Bhattacharjee expressed hope that his client would be released within a week. But The Supreme Court stayed the High Court decision immediately and fixed Sunday for further hearing. One factor that has worked in favour of Mr. Das is that, despite the promise of an investigation into the activities of Mr. Das and the rallies and the violence of October 26, 2024, the interim government has not carried out any probe so far. Mr. Das had earlier applied for bail in the High Court after a lower court rejected his plea on January 2. The decision on the Vaishnav monk will be keenly watched in the region as he has emerged as an important figure in the political terrain of Bangladesh that is getting ready for election later this year.
