Opposition Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) President Abdulla Shahid has remarked that it is ironic for President Dr. Mohamed Muizzu to inaugurate the Hanimaadhoo International Airport, a project he once criticized as an “Indian military initiative.”
In a post on X, Shahid extended gratitude to former President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, and the government and people of India for their generous assistance in making the project a reality. He noted that the airport’s development began during President Solih’s administration with Indian government support.
Shahid recalled that while in opposition, Muizzu and members of the then PPM-PNC coalition accused the Hanimaadhoo Airport Project of being linked to the Indian military and spread a “dangerous nationalist narrative,” falsely claiming that the project’s construction workers were Indian soldiers.
He added that Indian-assisted projects were politicized at the time to inflame anti-India sentiment and turn international cooperation into a political weapon.
Shahid said it was a “striking twist of fate” that President Muizzu has now inaugurated the very project his campaign once vilified, one made possible through the same partners his government had previously sought to demonize.
The newly inaugurated Hanimaadhoo International Airport features a modern 10,380-square-metre passenger terminal capable of handling 1.3 million passengers annually.
In a post on X, Shahid extended gratitude to former President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, and the government and people of India for their generous assistance in making the project a reality. He noted that the airport’s development began during President Solih’s administration with Indian government support.
Shahid recalled that while in opposition, Muizzu and members of the then PPM-PNC coalition accused the Hanimaadhoo Airport Project of being linked to the Indian military and spread a “dangerous nationalist narrative,” falsely claiming that the project’s construction workers were Indian soldiers.
He added that Indian-assisted projects were politicized at the time to inflame anti-India sentiment and turn international cooperation into a political weapon.
Shahid said it was a “striking twist of fate” that President Muizzu has now inaugurated the very project his campaign once vilified, one made possible through the same partners his government had previously sought to demonize.
Tonight, President @MMuizzu inaugurated the new Hanimadhoo International Airport, marking the completion of a major project that began with assistance from the Indian government during President @ibusolih’s administration. My deepest gratitude to President @ibusolih for this… pic.twitter.com/tsoxHMGyTS
— Abdulla Shahid (@abdulla_shahid) November 9, 2025
The newly inaugurated Hanimaadhoo International Airport features a modern 10,380-square-metre passenger terminal capable of handling 1.3 million passengers annually.
