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

[Saif]

India’s statement ‘unwarranted and unexpected’

New Delhi’s comments on the demolition of Bangabandhu’s house on Dhanmondi 32 is uncalled-for and unexpected, said foreign affairs ministry spokesperson Rafiqul Alam yesterday.

www.thedailystar.net

India’s statement ‘unwarranted and unexpected’
Says Dhaka about Delhi’s remarks on demolition of Dhanmondi 32

New Delhi's comments on the demolition of Bangabandhu's house on Dhanmondi 32 is uncalled-for and unexpected, said foreign affairs ministry spokesperson Rafiqul Alam yesterday.

The political comments Sheikh Hasina made from her refuge in New Delhi were not taken well by the people of Bangladesh, Rafiqul told reporters.

"On February 5, a situation was created over the statements of the former prime minister. The interim government has already clarified its position," he told reporters.

On February 6, Indian Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said it was regrettable that the historic residence of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman had been destroyed.

"All those who value the freedom struggle that nurtured Bangla identity and pride are aware of the importance of this residence for the national consciousness of Bangladesh. This act of vandalism should be strongly condemned," he said.

Rafiqul yesterday said, "We have seen some situations arise in the neighbouring country. But Bangladesh does not comment on the internal affairs of other countries. Bangladesh expects the same from others."

Bangladesh-India relations have been strained since deposed prime minister Sheikh Hasina fled to India on August 5 amid a mass uprising.

In December last year, Dhaka requested New Delhi to extradite Hasina, who faces numerous cases of crimes against humanity. Dhaka also requested New Delhi to prevent Hasina from issuing statements.

Last week, Mofa summoned Indian Acting High Commissioner in Dhaka Pawan Badhe to lodge a protest over Hasina's comments.

On Feb 7, Indian MEA summoned Bangladesh Acting High Commissioner to India, Nural Islam, and conveyed that "India desires a positive, constructive and mutually beneficial relationship with Bangladesh."

Regarding reports that a few Bangladeshis were getting involved in the Russia-Ukraine war, Rafiqul said the foreign ministry has ordered the Bangladesh mission in Moscow to probe the matter.

According to media reports, several Bangladeshi victims of human trafficking gangs were involved in the war.

"We learned that an agency sent some Bangladeshis to Russia and forced them to be involved in the war. We asked the Bangladesh embassy in Russia to investigate the matter," the spokesperson said.

Law enforcers also arrested an agent in Bangladesh and were instructed to take actions against any travel or recruiting agents involved in such crimes.

The government instructed the airports and immigrations to be cautious.

Rafiqul said earlier, Sulaiman Kabir, a Bangladeshi, was forced to take part in the Russia-Ukraine war. He later took shelter in the Bangladesh embassy in Moscow, which later arranged his repatriation home.

"If anyone in trouble contacts the Bangladesh embassy, it will take measures to repatriate them home."

Asked if the foreign ministry flagged it to the Russian government, the spokesperson said this is human trafficking, and the government has no role in it. "We have alerted all the agencies concerned."

In the wake of a war in the Democratic Republic of Congo, some structures have been destroyed by the bombing, but Bangladeshi peacekeepers were unhurt, he said.

Rafiqul said a cargo plane of Bangladesh Air Force has been transferred to Uganda and three helicopters have been transferred to a different location for safety.

Except for the Bangladeshi peacekeepers, there are no Bangladeshi citizens residing in Congo, he said.

The latest UN figures suggest 2,900 people have been killed since early January as a result of the hostilities between rebel group M23 and armed forces of the DR Congo, while around 700,000 are estimated to have been displaced and thousands more injured.​

 

[Saif]

‘I am worried, but not without hope’

Voicing concern over the situation in Bangladesh, Nobel laureate Amartya Sen said his friend Muhammad Yunus, chief adviser of the interim government, is taking significant steps but has a long road ahead to resolve the impasse.

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‘I am worried, but not without hope’
Amartya Sen tells PTI about Bangladesh

Photo: Collected

Voicing concern over the situation in Bangladesh, Nobel laureate Amartya Sen said his friend Muhammad Yunus, chief adviser of the interim government, is taking significant steps but has a long road ahead to resolve the impasse.

In an interview with PTI at his ancestral house in Santiniketan recently, he cautioned against banning the Awami League, saying such a move would repeat the same mistakes that other parties had accused the Awami League government of making.

Asked about his assessment of Yunus as Bangladesh's chief adviser, Sen said "Yunus is an old friend. I know he is highly capable and, in many ways, a remarkable human being. He has made strong statements about Bangladesh's secularism and democratic commitment."

"If you suddenly become the head of a country, as Yunus effectively has, you must consider various factions. There are Islamic parties, and now Hindu factions as well. I have great confidence in Yunus' abilities," he said.

Sen said Bangladesh, which has largely kept communal forces like Jamaat in check, should continue its admirable commitment to secularism.

According to Amartya Sen, "Bangladesh should make the best use of its tradition of working together rather than attempting to sideline any particular group. A broader perspective is needed. I hope that the Bengali commitment to freedom and pluralism will persist. And I hope future elections will be more visibly free than many claim they have been. There is room for change. I am worried about Bangladesh but I am not without hope," he said.

Sen, who spent much of his childhood in Dhaka and began his formal education at St Gregory's School there, said the situation in Bangladesh affects me deeply because I have a strong Bengali sense of identity," Sen said.

He said he was concerned about how the country would navigate the challenges.

"I have spent a lot of time in Dhaka and began my school education there. Aside from Dhaka, I often visited my ancestral home in Manikganj. On my maternal side, I regularly visited Bikrampur, particularly Sonarang. These places have deep personal significance for me. Like many others, I am worried about how Bangladesh will overcome its current challenges," he said.

On Bangladesh's progress since its independence, Sen highlighted the country's improvements in per capita income, at one point surpassing India, along with a sharp reduction in birth rates and higher life expectancy compared to India.

"Bangladesh has undergone major economic and social transformations, particularly in advancing women's rights, with contributions from both the government and non-governmental organisations like BRAC and Grameen Bank," he said.

Sen also noted that newspapers in Bangladesh remained "relatively free", with many flourishing despite taking strong anti-government positions.

He praised the Bangladeshi Army for its restraint in not attempting to establish military rule, as has happened in many other countries.

Sen condemned attacks on Hindu minorities and the vandalisation of temples, emphasising that it was the responsibility of both the government and the public to prevent such violence.

"This is an important issue because Bangladesh has historically taken pride in its treatment of minorities and its efforts to keep communal forces like Jamaat in check. Unfortunately, there have also been attacks on mosques in India. These incidents, whether in Bangladesh or India, must stop," he asserted.

"There is nothing easier than fuelling communalism by selectively amplifying certain incidents. This is how the Hindu-Muslim riots of the 1940s escalated, leading to bloodshed. We must reflect on our past and consider our future in that light. Selective publicity can be extremely dangerous," Sen said.​

 

[Saif]

India was aware of anti-Hasina wave but could not interfere: Jaishankar

India was aware of an anti-Sheikh Hasina wave building up in Bangladesh ahead of the violent overthrow of the former Prime Minister’s government on 5 August 2024, reports Indian media outlet The Hindu quoting the country’s External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar.

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India was aware of anti-Hasina wave but could not interfere: Jaishankar
Prothom Alo English Desk
Published: 23 Mar 2025, 23: 07

Indian foreign minister S Jaishankar File photo

India was aware of an anti-Sheikh Hasina wave building up in Bangladesh ahead of the violent overthrow of the former Prime Minister’s government on 5 August 2024, reports Indian media outlet The Hindu quoting the country’s External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar.

The Indian foreign minister divulged this information to the country’s Consultative Committee on External Affairs on Saturday.

According to him, however, India was not in a position to do much as it lacked the necessary leverage over Sheikh Hasina, who could only be “advised”, he told the MPs.

The Hindu also reported that Jaishankar indicated that India — like a few other leading stakeholders — had been aware of the tumultuous situation inside Bangladesh.

He also mentioned the UN Human Rights Chief Volker Turk’s recent remarks about the UN warning the Bangladesh army against a confrontation with unarmed protesters during the anti-Hasina protests, that such a move would prompt the UN to ban the army from peacekeeping operations.

The Consultative Committee on External Affairs members met Jaishankar for an open discussion on India’s foreign policy where the circumstances in the neighbourhood — especially in Bangladesh, Myanmar, Maldives, Sri Lanka and Pakistan — dominated.

The Hindu report also stated that while the interim government in Bangladesh has initiated dialogue with India, the Dhaka-Delhi relationship has been fraught with tension in view of India providing asylum to Sheikh Hasina.

The report further said that Bangladesh has requested India for a meeting between Chief Adviser Muhammad Yunus and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi on the sidelines of the BIMSTEC meeting in Bangkok, Thailand between 2 and 4 April this year.

Delhi, however, has remained tight-lipped about the possibility of meeting as of now, it added.​

 

[Saif]

We have Confronted a Devastating Defeat in Bangladesh: India Finally Admits Surrender!​