How Tripura played its part too during the Bangladesh Liberation War of 1971

As India and Bangladesh gear up to celebrate December 16 marked as Vijay Diwas for the South Asian nation, elaborate preparations are on even in the small northeastern state of Tripura. An emotional Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina during her trip Agartala in 2012 had recalled the immense contribution of the people of the northeatern state.”

“If Bangladesh is India-locked, Tripura is Bangladesh-locked — goes an adage in the region,” a study by the Observer Research Foundation noted.

India-Bangladesh relations have typically been driven by an overpowering narrative that emphasizes the commonalities between the people of West Bengal and the South Asian nation. True the two share common culture, language and food habits but the role of other states including that of Tripura, that is almost tucked within Bangladesh, cannot be ignored.

Also read: Maitri Diwas: From physical to emotional connectivity — the way forward for Indo-Bangladesh ties

“About 84 per cent of the state’s border is actually with Bangladesh and Tripura had also a significant contribution in the 197 Liberation War,” Ashish Nath Professor, Department of Economics, Tripura University told India Narrative.

The state government and the Government of Bangladesh have lined up several events and functions to mark the day. Dhaka has also proposed to set up a Bangabandhu Centre in Tripura University.

Nath said that during the war, the state government of Tripura opened its door to lakhs of refugees coming from the erstwhile East Pakistan- now Bangladesh. The state government provided “all kinds of support to the helpless refugees.”