‘Not transient’: India invokes 1971 legacy after Dhaka summons envoy over Hasina

“Our societies and economies are closely linked, so closely that we are interdependent on each other,” Verma said.

India said on Sunday that its relationship with Bangladesh is 'everlasting', hours after Dhaka summoned Indian High Commissioner Pranay Verma to protest what it called incendiary statements by former prime minister Sheikh Hasina, who is currently in India.

Speaking at an event in Dhaka, Verma said the bilateral relationship was 'not transient' and could not be weakened, according to PTI. The comments came amid a sharp diplomatic exchange as Bangladesh renewed its demand for Hasina’s extradition to face a death sentence handed down by a special tribunal last month.

“The bonds we share with Bangladesh are not transient; they are everlasting. A relationship forged in blood and sacrifice cannot be weakened,” Verma said, as per PTI.

What triggered the diplomatic flare-up

Earlier on Sunday, Bangladesh’s foreign office summoned Verma to convey its 'serious concern' over statements made by Hasina, accusing her of urging supporters to engage in activities aimed at disrupting the upcoming parliamentary elections scheduled for February 12, according to a statement cited by PTI.

Hasina, 78, fled to India in August last year after her Awami League government was toppled following violent student-led protests. She continues to stay in India.

Bangladesh said it had again sought her “expeditious extradition”, along with former home minister Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal, both of whom have been sentenced to death by a special tribunal after being convicted of crimes against humanity.

The foreign office also flagged what it described as 'anti-Bangladesh activities' by other fugitive Awami League members residing in India, alleging they were planning and facilitating acts to disrupt the polls.

India invokes 1971 legacy

Verma’s remarks were delivered at an event hosted by academic and cultural group Itihash O Oitijjo Parishad to mark Bangladesh’s Victory Day on December 16, commemorating its liberation from Pakistan in 1971.

The envoy said India stood with Bangladesh during the Liberation War and would continue to support its vision of a “democratic, stable, peaceful, progressive and inclusive nation”, PTI reported.

“Our societies and economies are closely linked, so closely that we are interdependent on each other,” Verma said.

He also recalled India’s military sacrifices during the war, saying thousands of Indian soldiers were killed or wounded in support of Bangladesh’s freedom struggle.

The exchange suggests growing strain in India-Bangladesh ties at a sensitive moment, with Bangladesh heading into elections amid political uncertainty and low public trust, reflected in recent poor voter turnout.

Unlike previous bilateral frictions focused on trade or border management, the current standoff cuts to issues of sovereignty, internal security and extradition, areas where diplomatic room for compromise is limited.