Bangladesh PM dares opposition amidst anti-India campaign: 'Burn your wives' Indian sarees'

Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina slammed the opposition party - Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) - for making saree, a classic Indian garment, a matter of politics. The country's opposition party ran an anti-India campaign targetting sarees and other products, stating that they would burn their wives' Indian sarees.

The latest episode in the South Asian nation's politics gave a slight déjà vu of the recent India and Maldives diplomatic row which erupted after social media posts against Prime Minister Narendra Modi by three ministers.

Hashtags like #IndiaOut and #BoycottIndia were trending on social media. In response, the campaign and the remarks by the ministers drew massive flak across India. Now, BNP's campaign has triggered a trend of similar hashtags on social media, including #BoycottIndianProducts.

Hasina slams the Opposition

Amid controversy, Hasina batted for India as during a speech on Wednesday, she said, "They must answer if they can eat without Indian spices. I want to know if they have truly boycotted Indian products."

"The BNP leaders are advocating for boycotting Indian products. My question is – how many Indian sarees do the boycott campaigners' wives possess? Why don't they take the sarees from their wives and burn them?" she added.

The opposition party in Bangladesh often targets the ruling party, Awami League, and its leader Hasina, for her friendly relations with New Delhi. The row, however, seems to have reignited when BNP leader Ruhul Kabir Rizvi publicly threw an Indian shawl away and expressed solidarity with the social media campaign for boycotting made-in-India products.

Rizvi responded to Hasina's comments and said that leaders of the BNP usually do not buy Indian sarees. He further claimed that during a visit to India a long time ago, his maternal uncle gifted an Indian saree to his wife.

In a separate incident, BNP's senior joint secretary general also said that Hasina has to fulfil all demands of neighbouring countries but she cannot raise her voice against India.

BNP constantly targets India

In January, BNP's media cell claimed that "Bangladesh has suffered the most politically due to the wrong policies of the Indian government".

Referring to the contents of a YouTube video, the party's media also alleged in a post: "India has openly interfered and influenced Bangladeshi elections for the past 15 years." After Hasina won the election in January this year, the BNP claimed that it was not free and fair.

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India and Bangladesh relations

India, the first country to recognise Bangladesh as a separate and independent state, enjoys a historic bond pertaining to similarities in language and culture. It goes far beyond a strategic partnership.

The relationship witnessed a spur of bilateral activities in the year 2023 with both prime ministers jointly inaugurating the India-Bangladesh Friendship Pipeline on March 18 in a virtual format.

(With inputs from agencies)