WILL THE SAFETY OF BANGLADESHI HINDUS BE ENSURED?
Under the leadership of the interim government of
Bangladesh, attacks on Hindus and other minorities are increasing rapidly.
According to the Indian Foreign Ministry, till December 8, 2,200 violent
incidents have taken place against Hindus and other minorities. The worrying
thing is that these attacks are not showing any signs of stopping.
Since the coup, minorities especially Hindus have been
facing constant attacks in Bangladesh. Many temples have been destroyed. Saints
are being harassed. Hindu officials are being forced to resign. Even women are
being harassed and their houses are being looted.
Many organizations such as Jamaat-e-Islami, Hizbut Tahrir,
and Bangladesh Nationalist Party are involved in leading the anti-government
movement in Bangladesh. An influential section of America was also supporting
the agitators.
Award-winning exiled Bangladeshi
author Taslima Nasreen strongly criticized the shifting dynamics between
Bangladesh and its neighbors, India and Pakistan. She has strongly condemned
interim government chief Muhammad Yunus for Pakistan's inclination towards
Bangladesh and the increasing atrocities on Hindus there.
When the attention of the Bangladesh government is drawn
towards these incidents, it argues that this is our internal matter and the
incidents are not communal but political.
There may be political reasons behind some of the incidents,
as the minority community there mostly supports the Awami League, but it is
difficult to say that there is no communal malice behind the attacks on them.
When Hindu temples are destroyed and
they are harassed, does it become an internal matter of the country concerned?
Can this argument of Bangladesh be trusted blindly? The answer to this will
also be found in the womb of the future.
How Pakistan has now become a friendly nation of Bangladesh?
Taslima Nasreen has expressed her disappointment over the
growing relations between Bangladesh and Pakistan in her social media post. She
has said that Bangladesh should not forget that 17,000 Indian soldiers lost their
lives to save Bangladesh from its enemy Pakistan.
India gave shelter, food, and clothing to 10 million
refugees. The same India that gave arms and trained freedom fighters to
Bangladesh to save it from the Pakistani army is now being considered an enemy.
Has Bangladesh forgotten that Pakistan killed 3 million
people? Thousands of women were raped. Pakistan, which is number one in
producing terrorists, has still not apologized to Bangladesh for the atrocities
of 1971.
But it is now considered a friendly nation. Bangladesh has
forgotten that India played an important role in making it an independent
nation. This is a matter worth considering. Bangladesh should think seriously
about this.
The growing closeness between Pakistan and Bangladesh may be
a conspiracy against India.
Trade and maritime relations between Bangladesh and Pakistan
seem to be strengthening. Bangladesh and Pakistan have made significant
progress in enhancing their bilateral relations. Maritime ties between the two
have been seen to be getting stronger. Recently, a second cargo ship from
Pakistan has arrived in the Chittagong port city of Bangladesh.
After the formation of Bangladesh, this will be the first
time that a ship has arrived directly from Pakistan to Bangladesh. The entire
development could have far-reaching implications for regional geopolitics
between Bangladesh and Pakistan, especially for India.
The most significant sign of this change is the visit of
Pakistan's Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee Chairman Lieutenant General Sahir
Shamshad Mirza to Dhaka. This will be the first visit by a senior Pakistani
military official to Bangladesh in 53 years, underlining the strategic
importance of this evolving partnership.
It cannot be denied that the growing closeness between
Pakistan and Bangladesh may be a conspiracy to carry out terrorist activities
in India. Pakistan may want to use the Bangladesh border for terrorist
activities.
Chittagong Port is strategically very important for India.
Through this port, India could keep an eye on the conspiracies happening
against it in Bangladesh.
The two countries have had a history of terrorist activity.
Pakistan has been accused of playing a role in several terrorist attacks in
India, including the 2001 Indian Parliament attack, the 2006 Mumbai Train
Bombings, and the 2008 Mumbai attacks.
We liberated Bangladesh in 1971.
During the tenure of Sheikh Hasina, it seemed that our northeastern borders
would now be safe and good relations would be maintained with this neighboring
country, but this chapter also ended on 5 August 2024, when there was a coup in
Bangladesh and Sheikh Hasina had to take refuge in India.
Bangladeshi traders are being pressured to import goods from
Pakistan
Bangladesh is heavily dependent on India for its needs.
Essential food items like rice, wheat, and onions and other items like ginger,
garlic, and sugar are supplied by India. Rice is a staple food
of Bangladesh.
Sources have reported that
Bangladeshi traders are being forced to trade with Pakistan and import goods
from there. Pakistan's interference in the Bay of Bengal can cause potential
losses for India. When Sheikh Hasina was in power, Pakistani ships were banned
from entering Bangladesh ports.
Indian Foreign Secretary meets
Bangladesh Chief Advisor Mohammad Yunus
India’s Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri on December 9, 2024,
conveyed India’s “concerns” over the safety of minorities in Bangladesh and
urged the interim government there to take a “constructive approach”.
Meanwhile, Chief Advisor Mohammad Yunus during the meeting urged India to
"join their initiative to revive SAARC (South Asian Association for
Regional Cooperation)".
Despite India's efforts, there does
not seem to be any change in the situation. On the contrary, the situation is
getting worse. There are three aspects of particular concern for India.
Firstly, the dominance of fundamentalists is increasing in Bangladesh. The ban
on Jamaat-e-Islami has been lifted. The fundamentalists who were imprisoned by
the previous government have been released.
India should increase surveillance of its borders.
India has been a strong advocate of international peace.
Being a large country with a long border, India has a history of welcoming and
good neighborly relations with many of its neighbors. Afghanistan, Bhutan,
Bangladesh, China, Pakistan, Burma, Sri Lanka, Maldives, and Nepal are close
friends of India.
Good relations with neighboring countries are essential for
maintaining peace, stability, and prosperity. But Bangladesh's rapidly changing
equation with India and its growing proximity to Pakistan and China may force
India to think. China is quickly expanding its network in Bangladesh. Its Belt
and Road Initiative plan may gain more momentum. Bangladesh is planning to buy
military equipment from China.
In such a situation, India needs to be cautious. Is it
possible that a Taliban state like Afghanistan will be established in
Bangladesh? Is it also possible that Bangladesh will once again become a haven
for terrorist-separatist organizations of the Northeast?
In such a situation, will the safety
of Bangladeshi Hindus be ensured? At present, the number of Hindus in
Bangladesh is 7.95 percent, compared to more than 20 percent at one time. We
will have to keep a strict vigil on the borders of the Northeast. The Border
Security Force is deployed on Bangladesh's 4,096 km border, so it will have to
do its duty with greater alertness.
The resolution passed in the US Parliament on the situation
of Bangladeshi Hindus.
Indian-origin American Democratic MP Shri Thanedar had
targeted Bangladesh for attacks on minorities. He had said that given the
increasing human rights violations in Bangladesh, targeted sanctions should be
imposed on it. He had urged the US Finance and Foreign Department to impose
targeted sanctions on Bangladesh and implement them.
US National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan spoke to
Bangladesh's interim government's chief advisor Muhammad Yunus and gave a clear
message that it is the responsibility of the Bangladesh government to ensure
the safety of life, property, and human rights of all the people living in
Bangladesh. During this conversation, Yunus agreed to protect people of all
religions amid growing anger over attacks on minority Hindus in Bangladesh.
A resolution was passed in the US Parliament on the status
of Bangladeshi Hindus, which put pressure on Bangladesh and brought some relief
to Hindus. This has not happened in the Indian Parliament to date. Sullivan
reiterated US support for a prosperous, stable, and democratic Bangladesh and
said the US will always help Bangladesh address the challenges it faces.
The surge in violence against minorities has heightened
diplomatic strains between India and Bangladesh. In such a situation, India has
to maintain international pressure on Bangladesh for the safety of Hindus
keeping in view the massacres of Hindus in Bangladesh in 1971, 1989, and 1993.
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