By: Siam Sarower Jamil
Dhaka, Mar 20:
Youth activists rallied in Bangladesh’s capital on Saturday to denounce the upcoming visit of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi to join the celebration of the country’s 50th anniversary of independence.
Modi is due to arrive in Dhaka on March 26, which Bangladesh celebrates as its independence day. It was the date in 1971 when Bangladesh declared itself independent from Pakistan. Aided by India, Bangladesh emerged as a new nation after nine months of bloody war.
The protesters carried banners & fastoons. They chanted anti-India and anti-Modi slogans, asking him not to come to Dhaka.
Separately, about 100 left-leaning youth activists marched through streets on Purana Paltan area where they called Modi “the butcher of Gujarat”.
Some protesters carried posters reading “Go Back Modi, Go Back India” and “Go Back Killer Modi.”
The protesters criticised Bangladeshi Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina for inviting Modi, saying the two countries had many disputed issues. The protesters said Modi and his Hindu-nationalist party oppressed Muslims in India. They also criticised the killings of Bangladeshis by Indian border guards. India says such casualties happen when Bangladeshis are involved in cross-border smuggling and attempt to cross the border illegally.
