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India tightened security outside Bangladesh diplomatic missions
A war of words between Bangladesh and its neighbor India threatens to spiral out of control following protests and counter-protests over alleged mistreatment of Hindu minorities in the country.
Diplomatic relations between the neighbors and their once-close allies have been strained since August, when former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina fled Bangladesh after a popular uprising (she is currently in India).
The latest trigger was the arrest of a Hindu monk last week, which sparked protests in India by activists from Hindu organizations and politicians, including members of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
On Monday, to India's embarrassment, dozens of protesters forced their way into the Bangladesh consulate building, located in the northeastern city of Agartala, and vandalized it.
Hours later, hundreds of students and activists demonstrated in Dhaka against the assault on the consulate.
The Indian government has distanced itself from the attack, calling it “deeply regrettable.”
“Diplomatic and consular properties should not be targeted under any circumstances,” the Indian foreign ministry said in a statement, adding that it was strengthening security at Bangladesh diplomatic buildings in the country. Police arrested seven people in connection with the incident.
But Dhaka is furious.
Bangladesh's foreign ministry described the attack as “heinous” and called on Delhi to undertake a thorough investigation and “prevent any further acts of violence against Bangladeshi diplomatic missions”.
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Student leaders and activists protested in Dhaka against the attack on the Bangladesh consulate in Agartala.
“It is very unfortunate and an unacceptable situation…Hindu extremists broke into the premises, demolished the flag stand and desecrated the (Bangladeshi) flag. Our officers and other personnel were extremely scared,” Touhid Hossain, foreign affairs adviser to the caretaker government of Bangladesh, told the BBC.
Bangladeshi officials say the protests in India – some took place near the country's border – were sparked by misinformation and heated coverage of the issue by several Indian media outlets.
“Unfortunately, the Indian media has gone crazy on this issue. They try to present Bangladesh in the darkest light possible. I don’t know why they are doing it and how it will benefit Bangladesh or India, I don’t understand,” said Mr Hossain, the de facto foreign minister.
Indian experts, however, say it is natural for developments in Bangladesh to have repercussions in the neighboring country.
“Feelings are running high in India. Bangladesh should first tackle the lawlessness there, especially attacks on minorities,” Pinak Ranjan Chakravarty, former Indian high commissioner in Dhaka, told the BBC.
For India, Bangladesh is not just any neighboring country. It is a strategic partner and a crucial ally for India's border security, particularly in the northeastern states. The two countries also share close cultural and linguistic ties.
Hindus make up less than 10% of Bangladesh's 170 million people. Community leaders have long spoken of discrimination and hateful attacks against them by Islamists and some political parties.
In the wake of Hasina's chaotic overthrow in August, many of her supporters were targeted, particularly those from religious minorities traditionally seen as supporting her.
After weeks of relative calm, the situation became tense again following the arrest of Hindu leader Chinmoy Krishna Das.
He was arrested, among other things, for sedition, after organizing a demonstration demanding the rights of minorities in Chittagong in October. There, he was accused of raising a saffron flag – the color is associated with Hinduism – over the Bangladeshi national flag.
Last week, a Chittagong court denied him bail, provoking clashes that led to the death of a Muslim lawyer. Dozens of people have been arrested in connection with these murders and violence.
On Tuesday, the monk's bail hearing was pushed back to January 2 after no lawyer showed up to represent him.
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Hindu organizations in India have held protests against alleged mistreatment of minorities in Bangladesh.
Chinmoy Das was previously associated with the religious organization Iskcon. But Hrishikesh Gauranga Das, a senior Iskcon official in Dhaka, told the BBC that the monk was expelled from the organization earlier this year for disciplinary reasons.
“Some students complained about Chinmoy Das’ bad behavior with them. We therefore sent letters asking for his cooperation in investigating this matter. But he refused to cooperate,” the official said.
Chinmoy Das is in prison and unavailable for comment, but a supporter told the BBC that the allegations were false and the result of an “internal feud between Iskcon leaders in Dhaka and Chittagong”.
His supporter, Swatantra Gauranga Das, also denied that Chinmoy Das disrespected the Bangladeshi national flag.
The outbreak of violence sparked by this arrest has added to the tense atmosphere in Bangladesh.
Hrishikesh Gauranga Das said minorities in Bangladesh “live in fear”.
“They don’t know what’s going to happen. The government is trying (to provide security) but it is difficult to control most people,” he said.
He said three temples in Iskcon suffered minor damage after being vandalized by miscreants in recent days.
Bangladesh's caretaker government says it is aware of the sensitivities and provides equal treatment to all communities.
“We have deployed additional forces to ensure the security of Iskcon and Hindu temples as well as places where religious minorities live. There may have been some isolated incidents, but there are no orchestrated attacks on minorities,” said Shafiqul Alam, press secretary to Bangladesh's interim leader Muhammad Yunus.
But religious tensions are nothing new in the region and activists on both sides fear that if the inflammatory speeches and protests continue, the situation could spiral out of control.
Hasina's stay in India has already become a major irritant in bilateral relations and the escalation of protests in both countries risks deteriorating the atmosphere.
Experts stress that India and Bangladesh are neighbors who need each other and it is time to soften their rhetoric.
The protests have also affected ordinary people traveling from Bangladesh to India for business, tourism or medical treatment.
As Muhammad Inayatullah crossed the Indian border earlier this week to meet his friends, he witnessed a protest by Hindu activists at the Petrapole border in the Indian state of West Bengal.
“It's not nice to hear people shouting slogans against your country when you cross the border,” Mr Inayatullah told BBC Bengali.
Additional reporting by Amitabha Bhattasali, BBC Bengali from Petrapole border
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