India’s 1971 lens no longer reflects today’s Bangladesh, say experts at CLF Literati 2025

Melbourne, 23 November: India continues to interpret Bangladesh mostly through the lens of the 1971 Liberation War, but Bangladesh’s identity has transformed significantly since then, according to speakers at a panel held during the 13th Edition of CLF Literati 2025, organised by the Chandigarh Literary Society (CLS). The festival began on Saturday at the Lake Club.

The discussion, titled “Bangladesh: The Story of an Unfinished Revolution,” featured journalist-author Deep Halder, writer-researcher Rami Desai, and was moderated by senior journalist Kartikeya Sharma. At the event, Halder’s new book Inshallah Bangladesh — which examines the political developments that led to the collapse of Sheikh Hasina’s government in 2024 — was formally launched.

Halder explained that while India’s understanding of Bangladesh still revolves around the 1971 war, the generational shift within Bangladesh has altered the way many citizens perceive that legacy. “If someone was in their early twenties during the 1971 war, they would now be in the final stages of their lives,” he pointed out. “So even though India continues to view Bangladesh through 1971, the country’s younger population no longer relates to that narrative.”

He also noted that anti-India sentiment existed even under Hasina’s administration. According to him, many people in rural Bangladesh increasingly see India as an overbearing “Big Brother” influencing domestic politics, allegedly through “rigged elections and puppet prime ministers.”

Rami Desai supported this perspective, observing that India often assumes the 1971 victory cemented pro-India loyalty in Bangladesh. “The reality is that even during the Liberation War, there remained a section of society sympathetic to Pakistan,” she said.

Desai further warned that rising radicalisation within Bangladesh creates vulnerabilities that can be exploited by anti-India groups. This, she added, presents an ongoing strategic challenge for India.