DHAKA, Bangladesh: Bangladesh on Tuesday summoned New Delhi’s ambassador after an attack on one of its consulates in India, the latest flare-up in strained ties between the neighbours.
Relations have been frayed by the student-led uprising in August that toppled Bangladesh’s former prime minister Sheikh Hasina’s government, who is now residing in India, AFP reported.
Hindu activists on Monday attempted to storm a Bangladeshi consulate during a protest in Agartala, a small Indian city not far from the two countries’ shared border.
India has condemned the breach and local police have arrested seven people.
After meeting Bangladesh foreign ministry officials, Indian High Commissioner (ambassador) Pranay Verma said his country was committed to engaging with the interim government, which took office after Hasina’s ouster to implement democratic reforms.
“This is a wide-ranging relationship, a multifaceted relationship,” Verma told reporters.
“We remain interested in working with the government of Bangladesh to fulfil our shared aspirations for security and development.”
Public sentiment in Bangladesh continues to be stacked against India, which was Hasina’s main international patron during her 15-year rule.
Nahid Islam, a 26-year-old sociology graduate who played a key part in the protests against Hasina’s regime and is now part of the interim cabinet, in a post on X accused “India’s ruling elite” of “fostering hatred against Bangladesh”.
“By continuing to provide refuge and support to Sheikh Hasina, a fugitive responsible for genocide and child killings, the Indian government risks undermining shared democratic values,” he said.
“India must not forget that its stability and integrity are closely interlinked with the stability and integrity of Bangladesh.”
Students of Dhaka University on Monday evening staged rallies protesting the attack on the Bangladeshi consulate.
At the Dhaka University protests, students said the attack on the consulate in India amounted to undermining Bangladesh’s “sovereignty” and “independence”.
“We can clearly see that a hardline Hindu group from India, with Delhi’s provocation, is trying to hurt the sovereignty of Bangladesh,” said 30-year-old Nayeem Ahmad.
The Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) also held a protest outside its headquarters in the capital.
“The Indians have feigned sorrow but they failed to ensure security to our mission,” senior BNP leader Ruhul Kabir Rizvi said.
Bangladesh is currently seeking Hasina’s extradition to face trial for a crackdown on the protest movement that ultimately toppled her. – AFP
