Wednesday, 04 December 2024
Wednesday, 04 December 2024
The frost between India and Bangladesh over the arrest of Hindu monk Chinmoy Krishna Das intensified on Tuesday with Bangladesh interim government’s foreign affairs ministry summoning India’s high commissioner Pranay Verma over protesters entering Dhaka’s diplomatic mission in Tripura's Agartala on.Monday.
After the meeting, Verma told reporters: “We have a wide-ranging, multi-faceted relationship, and as I have said before, you cannot reduce it to one issue or one agenda. We are working across many issues. We [India] always want to build a positive, stable and constructive relationship. There are many interdependencies we have and we want to build on that to mutual benefit.
"We are also willing to work with the interim government in Bangladesh,” he said. “We are committed to work with them to fulfil our shared aspirations for peace, security and development."
Bangladesh also suspended consular services at the assistant high commission in Agartala,
even as India’s ministry of external affairs said it “deeply regretted” the breach.
Four police officers faced disciplinary action and seven people were arrested following the breach at Bangladesh’s assistant high commission in Agartala. Tripura Chief minister Manik Saha condemned the incident, iterating the importance of peaceful protests.
Additional CRPF and Tripura State Rifles personnel have been deployed to secure the area.
After Monday’s incident in Agartala, security was intensified at the Bangladesh High Commission in Delhi. Extra police personnel were deployed to prevent gatherings and restrictions were enforced.
In Bangladesh, a Chattogram court postponed to January 2 the bail hearing for Hindu monk Chinmoy Krishna Das, arrested on sedition charges, after no lawyer appeared on his behalf.
Swatantra Gauranga Das, an associate of the monk, cited threats from a "politically motivated lawyers' group".
On Monday, Iskcon Kolkata spokesperson Radharamn Das had claimed that Ramen Roy, who was defending Chinmoy Krishna Das, was attacked by a group of Islamists at his home in Bangladesh and was in an ICU.
"No new lawyer has come up to fight his case till now. Those who want to fight the case are afraid that they might face the same consequences as Ramen Roy. We would request the Bangladesh government to provide the lawyers who are willing to fight the case with adequate safety and security," he said.
The Dhaka Tribune reported on Tuesday that a lawyer, Ekhlas Uddin Bhuiyan, had filed a writ petition in the Bangladesh High Court seeking a ban on the broadcast of all Indian TV channels in the country, citing provocative news aired on them.
The petition, filed under Section 29 of the Cable Television Network Operation Act 2006, accused Indian channels such as Star Jalsha, Zee Bangla, Republic Bangla and others air content that opposes Bangladeshi culture and negatively influences youth.
The Bangladesh Nationalist Party urged the Mohammad Yunus-led interim government to seek assistance from the UN peacekeeping force to ensure the security of the staff of Bangladesh's diplomatic missions in India.
In the Lok Sabha, the Trinamul’s Sudip Bandyopadhyay urged the Narendra Modi government to appeal to the UN for immediate deployment of peacekeeping forces in Bangladesh.
Bandyopadhyay cited escalating violence against Hindus and minorities, warning of refugee influxes into West Bengal.
BJP leader Pratima Bhoumik decried the arrest of Chinmoy Krishna Das and the reported rise in violence against minorities following political changes in Bangladesh.
Highlighting claims of over 17,000 properties being attacked, she said, “The world is concerned about Bangladesh. We demand immediate release of Chinmoy Prabhu, who has been a voice for minorities.”
The UK issued an advisory on Bangladesh on Tuesday, according to a report in the Dhaka Tribune.
"Terrorist attacks could be indiscriminate, including in places visited by foreign nationals, such as: crowded areas, religious buildings and political rallies," the UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) said in the advisory.
“Some groups have targeted people who they consider to have views and lifestyles contrary to Islam. There have been occasional attacks against minority religious communities and targeting police and security forces. These have included improvised explosive device (IED) attacks in major cities.”
Protests continued in the states bordering Bangladesh. Thousands of people in Tripura's capital, Agartala, gathered under the banner of Sanatani Yuva on Tuesday demanding the immediate release of Das from custody in Bangladesh.
The protesters also attempted a “march to Bangladesh” towards Tripura’s Akhaura Integrated Check Post (ICP) on the international border, but were stopped by police citing lack of permission.
Iskcon Kolkata said it has advised Bangladeshi monks and followers to avoid wearing saffron robes or public displays of their faith. The guidance aims to protect devotees following attacks on temples and Iskcon members.
“This is a temporary measure for safety,” Iskcon Kolkata’s vice-president emphasised.
"At least 70 lawyers have been implicated in false cases, and I have news that they have been arrested,” Bengal BJP leader Suvendu Adhikari told reporters outside the Assembly.
“See this photograph... arrested Hindu monk Chinmoy Krishna Das' principal lawyer Ramen Roy was severely beaten up by the fundamentalists of the Jamat. And the person, Regan Acharya, who was supposed to appear on his behalf was also badly beaten up.
"Both the advocates, who were supposed to appear for the arrested Hindu monk in a court, are now fighting for their lives. This is a complete violation of human rights and I believe that international human rights organisations must intervene immediately," he added.
Bengal Congress chief Shubhankar Sarkar visited the Belgharia home of Sayan Ghosh, 25, who has said he was attacked in Dhaka on November 26 for being a Hindu from India.
