Bangabhumi
Bangabhumi (Bengali: বঙ্গভূমি, meaning the land of Vanga, also spelt Bongobhumi) also known as Bir Banga (Bengali: বীর বঙ্গ), is a separatist movement to create a Bengali Hindu country for Bangladeshi Hindus in southwestern Bangladesh, envisioned by Banga Sena. Banga Sena (English: Vanga Army) is a separatist Hindu organization which advocates formation of a Bangabhumi for Bengali Hindus in Bangladesh. The group is led by Kalidas Baidya.
| Hindu Republic of Bangabhumi | |
|---|---|
| হিন্দু প্রজাতন্ত্রী বঙ্গভূমি (Hindu Prajātantrī Baṅgabhūmi) | |
| Leader | Kalidas Baidya & Dhirendra Nath Paul |
| Dates of operation | 1973-2006 |
| Ideology | Hindu nationalism Separatism |
| Opponents | People's Republic of Bangladesh |
The movement was founded in 1973 in India soon after the independence of Bangladesh to support the Hindu refugees from Bangladesh, who were targeted by the Pakistan Army in the 1971 Bangladesh atrocities. However, this movement did not receive much support at that time. In an interview with BBC News in 2001, Chittaranjan Sutar, one of the alleged organisers of the movement, denied supporting the creation of a new nation.