India concerned over religious persecution in Bangladesh amid unrest
India is worried about persecution against religious minorities in neighboring Bangladesh a day after its government was overthrown amid violent protests against discriminatory job quotas. Sheikh Hasina, who resigned as the Prime Minister of Bangladesh on Monday, is taking refuge in New Delhi.
On Tuesday, commenting on attacks on minorities, India’s Foreign Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar said his country “will naturally remain deeply concerned until law and order is visibly restored” in Bangladesh.
Indian forces guarding the border have also been instructed to be “exceptionally alert in view of this complex situation,” he said. Bangladesh and India share a 2,500-mile (about 4,000-kilometer) border, the fifth-longest land border in the world.
Videos of Hindu temples being set on fire and houses and businesses of Hindus being attacked have surfaced on social media, India Today reported. News agency PTI reported on claims that two Hindu leaders associated with the now-ousted Bangladesh Awami League party were killed in the violence following Hasina’s resignation.
Hasina’s party was seen as sympathetic to Hindus, who make up around 8% of Bangladesh’s population.
On Tuesday, right-wing group Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) asked New Delhi to take “every possible step” to maintain the safety of Hindus in Bangladesh amid the upheaval. Earlier this year, New Delhi approved fast tracking citizenship to non-Muslims who are fleeing from three neighboring countries, including Bangladesh, due to religious persecution.
Indian Railways announced on Monday that it was suspending cross-border travel with its neighbor, while Indian airlines, including flag-carrier Air India, has canceled flights to and from the capital of Bangladesh, Dhaka.
Around 19,000 Indians have been living in Bangladesh, of which about 9,000 are students, according to Jaishankar. However, most of the students returned to India when the violence flared, he said.
The minister has vowed that India will help former PM Hasina during her stay in the country. New Delhi and Dhaka signed a spate of key agreements with her government when she visited India in June. She also attended the swearing-in ceremony of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi earlier this year.
The now-exiled former premier is currently awaiting clearance to travel to London. She has also held talks with Finland and Russia for transit, India Today reported, citing unnamed sources.
Hasina’s ouster followed weeks of violent protests that engulfed the country and have reportedly resulted in hundreds of deaths. The protests initially broke out last month over a controversial government jobs-quota scheme that favored the children of war veterans.
