Bangladeshi Mukti Yoddhas unlikely to attend Vijay Diwas celebrations this year
India TodayThe Bangladeshi Mukti Yoddhas are likely to miss this year's Vijay Diwas celebrations in West Bengal's Kolkata amid the ongoing diplomatic tension between Dhaka and New Delhi. Vijay Diwas, celebrated every year on December 16, commemorates the Indian Armed Forces' decisive victory over Pakistan in the 1971 war, leading to the liberation of Bangladesh. For the past five decades, India has invited Mukti Yoddhas — members of the Mukti Bahini, the Bangladeshi guerrilla resistance force that fought alongside Indian forces in the 1971 war — to participate in the celebrations. India last week said the interim government in Bangladesh led by Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus must live up to its responsibility of protecting all minorities as it expressed serious concern over the "surge" of extremist rhetoric and increasing incidents of violence against Hindus.