[🇧🇩] Student revolution in Bangladesh-----how does it impact India?

[Saif]

‘Plot on to label Bangladesh as a communal country’

Stating that there is a plot to brand Bangladesh as a communal country by labelling false allegations of repression against minorities, BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir yesterday urged all to remain alert to thwart such a move.

www.thedailystar.net

‘Plot on to label Bangladesh as a communal country’
Says Fakhrul; he leaves for London today to meet Tarique

Photo: AFP

Stating that there is a plot to brand Bangladesh as a communal country by labelling false allegations of repression against minorities, BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir yesterday urged all to remain alert to thwart such a move.

"My only request is that what we have achieved should not go in vain, because there is a fascist sitting on the other side of the border," he said at a student convention held at the Krishibid Institute of Bangladesh (KIB).

The event, titled "Student Convention 2024," was organised by the Thakurgaon Chhatra Kalyan Parishad in Dhaka.

The BNP leader claimed that fascist forces, staying in India, are devising various conspiracies and instigating a series of untoward incidents.

"After orchestrating these incidents, they are spreading them worldwide to portray Bangladesh as a country of fundamentalists, where minorities are being persecuted."

Fakhrul said the Indian newspapers and social media relay such vile incidents as evidence of what is happening in Bangladesh.

"Actually, it is not. Who is doing these things? Why are they doing them? I am saying this because we have no time to be happy that we have won..."

The BNP leader said a sword is still above the heads of the democratic and pro-Bangladesh forces.

"They [fascist forces] are trying to take us back to darkness everywhere. So, we must stay vigilant and alert. Any hasty actions or chaos must be prevented to ensure that no one can instigate it."

The BNP leader also alleged that the Awami League had depleted the country's resources through widespread planning and corruption.

"The economy has been ruined, banks have been plundered, and looting, bribery, and corruption were rampant everywhere. We must put a stop to these things and build resistance against them."

Fakhrul also expressed frustration over the fact that students from different colleges were fighting against each other, despite having once united to overthrow an oppressive regime. "This is not acceptable in any way."

"We must stand against this, as it is a conspiracy...Your [students'] responsibility is to make people understand that this is not the way. I am deeply concerned when I see a lawyer killed on the road in the name of ISKCON, in the name of religion."

Fakhrul thanked the students for their crucial role in helping oust the fascist government through a mass uprising. "Fighting against fascism without resources is nearly impossible, but your courage made it possible."

Throughout Bangladesh's history, he said whenever the people, along with students, united in resistance, victory was always achieved.

FAKHRUL LEAVES FOR LONDON

Fakhrul is scheduled to leave for London, UK, today for a 10-day visit, said BNP media cell member Sayrul Kabir Khan.

According to BNP sources, Fakhrul is travelling to London to meet party acting chairman Tarique Rahman to discuss political and party matters.

Once Mirza Fakhrul returns, BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia may travel to London for medical treatment.​

 

[Bilal9]

Dhaka slams desecration of nat’l flag in Kolkata

The government yesterday strongly condemned the desecration of Bangladesh’s national flag and the burning of Chief Adviser Prof Muhammad Yunus’s effigy in Kolkata as “deplorable acts”.

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Dhaka slams desecration of nat’l flag in Kolkata
Decries violent protest outside its mission

View attachment 11142

The government yesterday strongly condemned the desecration of Bangladesh's national flag and the burning of Chief Adviser Prof Muhammad Yunus's effigy in Kolkata as "deplorable acts".

The foreign ministry in a statement decried the violent protests outside the Deputy High Commission of Bangladesh in the West Bengal capital.

Expressing "deep concern" over the incident, the ministry called upon the Indian government to take necessary measures to prevent such occurrences.

It also urged New Delhi to ensure the safety and security of all the diplomatic missions of Bangladesh in India as well as its diplomats and non-diplomatic members of staff.

A large group of protesters participated in the demonstration in the evening, organised by a Kolkata-based Hindu organisation "Bongio Hindu Jagran".

The protest turned violent as the demonstrators broke through police barricades and reached the boundaries of the Bangladesh Deputy High Commission, according to the foreign ministry statement.

"They set fire to the national flag of Bangladesh and burned the effigy of the Hon'ble Chief Adviser of the Government of Bangladesh," the statement said.

Although the situation seems to be under control at the moment, there is a prevailing sense of insecurity among all the members of the Deputy High Commission, it added.​

I think it may be time to call in the Indian ambassador in Dhaka to the Bangladesh foreign ministry, and give him an earful before handing him a protest note.

If things get worse, then - recall Bangladesh' high commissioner/ambassador back home from New Delhi and Kolkata. No more visas allowed for Indians.

Both parties have to work at bilateral relations, Bangladeshis should not take this sort of insult lying down.

Indians are having a hard time accepting that the horses have left the barn and that ships have sailed.

 

[Saif]

Kolkata’s flag-burning incident must not recur

Such hostile acts will add fuel to the fire

www.thedailystar.net

Kolkata’s flag-burning incident must not recur
Such hostile acts will add fuel to the fire

Visual: Star

The burning of the Bangladesh national flag and the effigy of the chief adviser to the interim government of Bangladesh outside the Bangladesh Deputy High Commission in Kolkata was a reckless and provocative act. This incident has the potential to inflame tensions between India and Bangladesh, exacerbating already strained relations. Such hostile displays only serve to deepen divisions.

According to Bangladesh's foreign ministry, violent protests erupted with demonstrators breaking through police barricades and reaching the Bangladesh Deputy High Commission's boundaries, creating a sense of insecurity among the staff. This kind of aggression threatens not only bilateral relations but could have far-reaching consequences, spilling over into social unrest and further instability in the region.

What makes this incident even more concerning is the involvement of certain Indian regional political figures who appear to be exploiting anti-Bangladesh sentiment for domestic political gain. The recent inflammatory rhetoric and actions by some politicians risk undermining India's own foreign policy and could have broader implications. India has long been a vocal advocate for the rights of minorities in Bangladesh, which the interim government has time and again committed to uphold.

One particularly dangerous narrative being peddled is the claim that the arrest of former ISKCON member Chinmoy Krishna Das Brahmachari is an attack on the Hindu community in Bangladesh. This rhetoric is baseless and irresponsible. The arrest has been misrepresented by sections of the Indian media, which serves to stoke fears and fuel divisions. The tragic death of a lawyer during protests in Chattogram has further been distorted to fit this narrative. Initially, some outlets erroneously claimed that the lawyer, a Muslim, had been targeted because he was representing Chinmoy Das, but this was later proven false. Despite this, false narratives continue to circulate, amplifying tensions.

India and Bangladesh share a complex history, but they also share significant economic and strategic interests. The actions of a few individuals should not be allowed to undermine the broader relationship. It is time for both governments, and particularly the Indian media, to resist the temptation of inflammatory rhetoric and focus on strengthening the ties that bind the two nations. The stakes are far too high to allow such provocative incidents to escalate into something far worse.

We urge the Indian media, in particular, to exercise rigorous journalistic principles when reporting these incidents and to avoid taking them out of context, which may lead to exaggeration and misreporting.​