Recently, a claim circulating on the social media platform Facebook alleged that the Chief of the Indian Army, General Upendra Dwivedi, threatened Bangladesh with an attack at any time. However, an investigation conducted by the Rumor Scanner team has revealed that General Dwivedi made no such statement. Instead, on January 13, he remarked that bilateral relations between India and Bangladesh would normalize once an elected government assumed office in Bangladesh.
At the initial stage of the investigation, a keyword search across both Indian and Bangladeshi media sources did not yield any evidence of such a statement by the Indian Army Chief. Subsequently, a report published on January 13 in the online edition of Bangladesh’s mainstream media outlet Prothom Alo, titled "Relations Will Normalize Once an Elected Government Assumes Office in Bangladesh: Indian Army Chief," was found.
According to this report, during the annual press conference held on the occasion of Army Day on January 13, General Dwivedi responded to questions regarding the bilateral and military relations between India and Bangladesh in light of recent political developments in Bangladesh. He stated that overall relations between the two countries would return to normalcy once an elected government takes charge. He further emphasized that Bangladesh is an important strategic partner of India and that hostility between the two nations would be detrimental to both, serving no one's interests.
General Dwivedi also stated, "We are neighbors. Both our countries must coexist, understand, and know each other. Hostility is not beneficial for anyone." He added, "Our military relations are completely intact. However, regarding overall bilateral relations, they will normalize once an elected government takes office."
Regarding military relations with Bangladesh, General Dwivedi mentioned that he has maintained communication with Bangladesh Army Chief General Waker-Uz-Zaman. During the political transition in August, they remained in constant contact, and on November 24, they even held a virtual meeting. This communication continues to date.
Additionally, he clarified that the joint military exercises between India and Bangladesh were postponed due to the prevailing situation, but they would resume once stability is restored.
Further evidence against the false claim was found in a video report published on January 13 by the YouTube channel of private television network Jamuna TV, titled "Relations Will Normalize Once an Elected Government Assumes Office in Bangladesh: Indian Army Chief." The report contained no mention of any threat from the Indian Army Chief.
Moreover, an article published on January 14 on the website of the Indian media outlet The Times of India, titled "Army Chief General Upendra Dwivedi Says Dhaka is Strategically Important," also provided similar information, with no reference to any threatening statement.
Therefore, the claim that the Indian Army Chief, General Upendra Dwivedi, threatened Bangladesh with an attack at any time is entirely false.
Original News Source: https://rumorscanner.com/fact-check/indian-army-chief-general-upendra-dwivedi-didnt-threat-to-attack-bangladesh/135388
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