‘Will sever Seven Sisters’: B'desh NCP leader warns India against destabilisation
Hasnat Abdullah accuses India of cross-border killings, says undermining Bangladesh sovereignty will invite repercussions
A file image of Bangladesh’s National Citizens Party leader Hasnat Abdullah. (Photo:@english_ritam/X)
Guwahati, Dec 16: In a sharp escalation of rhetoric, Hasnat Abdullah, a senior figure of Bangladesh’s newly formed National Citizen Party (NCP), has issued a provocative warning to India, claiming Dhaka could “isolate” India’s northeastern states if New Delhi attempted to destabilise Bangladesh.
Addressing an all-party protest rally organised by Inqilab Mancha at Dhaka’s Central Shaheed Minar on Monday, Abdullah accused India of backing “chaos-creators” and those allegedly trying to derail Bangladesh’s electoral process.
He also linked India to the recent attack on right-wing activist Osman Hadi. “We will shelter separatist and anti-India forces and then we will sever the Seven Sisters from India,” Abdullah said, drawing loud applause from sections of the gathering.
He further alleged Indian involvement in cross-border killings of Bangladeshi nationals, warning that any move to undermine Bangladesh’s sovereignty would trigger consequences across the wider region.
Known for his strident anti-India positions, Abdullah accused New Delhi of harbouring political “terrorists” from the formerly ruling, now-banned Awami League.
He called for a future Bangladeshi Parliament that would be “against Indian hegemony” and firmly “pro-Bangladesh,” arguing that Dhaka must engage India as an equal rather than a subordinate partner.
Striking at a sensitive historical chord, the NCP leader downplayed India’s role in the 1971 Liberation War, asserting that the victory belonged solely to Bangladesh.
He criticised India’s observance of Vijay Diwas, despite the day commemorating Indian soldiers who fought alongside Bangladeshi forces. “Even after 54 years of independence, Bangladesh is still facing attempts by vultures to exert control,” he said.
A key face of the 2024 July Uprising, Abdullah has previously targeted New Delhi, including in December last year when he criticised Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s remarks on Vijay Diwas, calling them a “threat to our independence.”
The remarks came a day before Vijay Diwas on December 16, which is commemorated every year to honour the soldiers who fought in the 1971 Indo-Pak war, which culminated in the surrender of Pakistan's Army and the formation of Bangladesh.
Around 93,000 Pakistani soldiers, led by General A A Khan Niazi, laid down their arms in what was one of the largest surrenders seen since World War II.
With inputs from agencies