Lagatar24 Desk
New Delhi: In response to escalating violence and political unrest in Bangladesh, the Indian government has established a committee to monitor the situation, particularly focusing on the safety of Indian citizens and minority communities in the country. The move follows reports of targeted violence during protests that led to the ousting of Sheikh Hasina’s government.
The newly formed committee will oversee the situation along the Indo-Bangladesh border (IBB) and maintain communication with Bangladeshi authorities to ensure the safety of Indian nationals and minority groups. “The Government of India has constituted a Committee to monitor the current situation on the Indo-Bangladesh Border (IBB). The committee will maintain communication channels with their counterpart authorities in Bangladesh to ensure the safety of Indian citizens and people belonging to minority communities in Bangladesh,” the government announced.
The committee will be led by the Additional Director General (ADG) of the Border Security Force (BSF), Eastern Command, and include other key members such as the Inspector Generals (IG) of BSF Frontier HQs in South Bengal and Tripura, a Member of the Land Ports Authority of India (LPAI), and the Secretary of LPAI.
This development comes on the heels of Nobel Peace Prize laureate Muhammad Yunus being sworn in as Bangladesh’s interim leader after a student-led uprising ended Sheikh Hasina’s 15-year rule. Mr. Yunus, who returned from Europe to assume leadership, has vowed to restore democracy and order in the country after weeks of violent unrest that claimed at least 455 lives.
In his first address as interim leader, Mr. Yunus emphasized the importance of law and order, calling on citizens to protect each other, especially minorities who have been targeted during the violence. “Law and order is our first task… We cannot take a step forward unless we fix the law and order situation,” he stated. He further urged the people of Bangladesh to ensure no further attacks occur, stressing that “every person is our brother… our task is to protect them.”
Prime Minister Narendra Modi extended his best wishes to Muhammad Yunus and expressed concerns over the safety of Hindus and other minority communities in Bangladesh. “My best wishes to Professor Muhammad Yunus on the assumption of his new responsibilities. We hope for an early return to normalcy, ensuring the safety and protection of Hindus and all other minority communities. India remains committed to working with Bangladesh to fulfil the shared aspirations of both our peoples for peace, security, and development,” PM Modi wrote on X.
Sheikh Hasina, who faced accusations of widespread human rights abuses, including the imprisonment of political opponents, fled to India on Monday as massive protests engulfed Dhaka. The unrest, initially sparked by opposition to a government job quota plan, evolved into a full-fledged anti-Hasina movement, leading the military to support the students’ demand for an interim government under Mr. Yunus, renowned for his pioneering work in microfinancing that earned him the Nobel Prize in 2006.
