ABSTRACT

Bangladesh is the only south Asian nation state which has witnessed partition twice, one in the name of religion and another for democratic rights. Common faith brought people belonging to disparate cultures together for a separate nation state, Pakistan in 1947. Soon, shared religiosity proved to be inadequate. After a fierce fight, East Pakistanis became Bangladeshis in 1971. India supported liberation struggle with men and material. The nine month movement saw unprecedented level of violence. Taking into account popular demand for justice, Bangladesh government setup the International Crime Tribunal (ICT) in 2009 to try war criminals. The chapter seeks to analyse the Indian support to Bangladesh’s initiative. India’s support to ICT has been guided by historical necessity or pragmatism.