Morning Brief: Bangladesh's New Rulers Try To Erase India’s Role In 1971 Liberation; 'One Nation, One Election' Bills To Be Tabled Today; Trudeau's Grip On Power Slipping

Dear reader, catch up on the day’s must-read stories with Swarajya's roundup of the morning's headlines.

Bangladesh's New Leadership Tries To Erase India’s Role In 1971 Liberation

Apparently, some Bangladeshi leaders missed the memo on history, as they lashed out at Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Vijay Diwas message, insisting the 1971 victory was all Bangladesh’s doing, and India was just along for the ride.

Among the most vocal were Yunus’ law advisor Asif Nazrul, Hasnat Abdullah, the country’s most dedicated India-basher, and a few members of Khaleda Zia’s BNP, all furiously claiming that India played no significant role in Bangladesh’s liberation. One student leader even went as far as calling Modi’s words a “direct threat” to Bangladesh’s independence—because, obviously, nothing screams “sovereignty” like denying the help of the nation that actually made it possible.

Vijay Diwas, celebrated on December 16, marks the historic day when Pakistan’s forces, led by Lieutenant General AA Khan Niazi, surrendered to Indian commander Jagjit Singh Aurora, bringing an end to their reign and paving the way for Bangladesh’s birth.

'One Nation, One Election' Bill To Be Tabled Today

The BJP-led central government will table the 'One Nation One Election' Bill in the Lok Sabha today, December 17. In anticipation of the bill's introduction, the BJP has issued a three-line whip to all its MPs. After the introduction, Law Minister Arjun Ram Meghwal is expected to request the bill be referred to a Joint Parliamentary Committee for further consultations.

The committee, formed on a proportional basis, will be chaired by the BJP and include members from various political parties, with the final composition to be announced by Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla. Opposition leaders, including Rahul Gandhi, Mamata Banerjee, and MK Stalin, have strongly opposed the bill, calling it "anti-democratic" and a move to undermine India’s democracy. If passed, the first 'One Nation, One Election' polls could be held in 2034.

Trudeau's Grip On Power Slipping As Party Implodes

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is reportedly considering resignation amid growing pressure and instability within the Liberal Party. Speculation about his future intensified after the abrupt resignation of Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland, who accused Trudeau of prioritizing "costly political gimmicks" over addressing Canada's economic issues. According to trading platform Polymarket, there is an 80% chance Trudeau will step down before April. Sources suggest he is contemplating either resignation or proroguing Parliament, with a decision expected soon.

In the wake of Freeland's resignation, which has further shaken Trudeau's administration, Liberal MPs held an emergency meeting to discuss the crisis. The Prime Minister has yet to comment publicly on Freeland’s departure or the mounting pressure on his leadership, which has faced increased criticism from opposition parties and within his own ranks. Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre has accused Trudeau of losing control, as national polls show Trudeau trailing by 20 points behind the Conservatives.

Other Developments

India’s Trade Deficit Soars To Record High In November

India’s goods trade deficit hit a record $37.84 billion in November 2024, driven largely by a surge in gold imports. Exports, which had shown improvement in the previous month, fell by 4.83 per cent year-on-year to $32.11 billion, mainly due to a decline in petroleum exports as global prices dropped. Imports, on the other hand, soared by 27 per cent to $69.95 billion, with gold imports alone reaching a staggering $14.8 billion, more than double the previous month's figure. This sharp rise in gold imports accounted for over 20 per cent of total imports.

Judge Denies Trump’s Bid To Dismiss Hush Money Conviction

A judge in New York denied Donald Trump’s attempt to have his conviction for covering up hush money payments thrown out on immunity grounds. Judge Juan Merchan ruled that the Supreme Court’s immunity protections for presidents didn’t apply to this case, as the testimony involved “unofficial conduct.”

Trump’s motion to dismiss the indictment was rejected, and the ruling sets the stage for him to potentially enter the White House with a felony conviction, pending his appeal.

The president-elect has also pushed for the case to be moved to federal court, where he could potentially end the matter if he regains the presidency. Trump is challenging the conviction on various technical grounds, including claims of juror misconduct.

Meta To Pay $31 Million To Settle Australian Privacy Lawsuit

Meta Platforms has agreed to pay $31.85 million (A$50 million) to settle an Australian lawsuit stemming from the Cambridge Analytica scandal. The Australian Information Commissioner dropped its civil penalty proceedings after the settlement was reached. The lawsuit, filed in 2020, accused Meta of sharing personal data of over 300,000 Australian users with the "This is Your Digital Life" quiz app without consent between 2014 and 2015. Meta allegedly violated Australian privacy laws by misusing the data and failing to protect it, in breach of Privacy Principles. The case was part of the larger global fallout from the misuse of Facebook user data by Cambridge Analytica.

Bangladesh: Yunus Drags Feet On Elections 

Muhammad Yunus, Bangladesh’s interim government "chief adviser", is apparently in no rush to give the people a voice, announcing that the parliamentary elections will be held no earlier than late 2025 or early 2026. The excuse? Apparently, verifying the voter list and adding new names is a Herculean task that will take another year or more. Yunus managed to make the situation sound like a democratic triumph, saying this delay is essential for the first-time young voters to exercise their “right and joy.”

Looks like Yunus is planning to stay the de facto prime minister until the election, if not longer, all while pretending to care about democracy.

From The States

Yogi Defends Sambhal Mosque Survey Amid Tensions

Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath defended the survey at Shahi Jama Masjid in Sambhal, stating that the atmosphere worsened due to the speeches delivered during Friday prayers. He added that the Baburnama, the memoirs of Mughal Emperor Babur, mentions that the mosque was built by demolishing the Harihar temple. Adityanath’s remarks came in response to the Opposition’s demand for a discussion on the issue, with the Opposition accusing the government of orchestrating a conspiracy.

The violence in Sambhal, which led to four deaths on November 24, occurred during protests against a court-ordered survey of the mosque.

Delhi Air Quality 'Severe' Again, Restrictions Back In Place

The air quality in the National Capital Region has once again deteriorated to the 'severe' category, with the Air Quality Index (AQI) recorded at 401, prompting the imposition of GRAP-IV restrictions to control pollution levels. Of the city's 37 monitoring stations, 25 reported AQI readings above 400. The spike in pollution is attributed to low wind speeds, which fail to disperse pollutants, and consistently low temperatures, with minimum temperatures staying below 5 degrees Celsius for two consecutive days.

On Sunday, the AQI slipped to the 'very poor' category at 307, an increase from 294 on Saturday, which was at the higher end of the 'poor' category.

TMC Stands By Islamist Leader, Then Walks Back Support

Less than 24 hours after the TMC expressed support for Firhad Hakim, the party distanced itself from his controversial remarks about "majority Muslims." On Monday (16 December), the TMC stated that such comments would be met with “strict measures” and clarified they did not align with the party's views.

The controversy began when a video surfaced over the weekend, in which Hakim allegedly said, “We make up 33 per cent of West Bengal’s population and 17 per cent of India’s, but we don’t consider ourselves a minority. We believe that with Allah’s grace, we could one day become a larger majority than the current one.” Following the backlash, the TMC quickly moved to distance itself from the comments, signaling its disapproval.

Stay tuned for more insights throughout the day.