New Delhi: The centre has formed a committee to monitor the situation in Bangladesh amid reports of targeted violence against minorities. The committee will also ensure the safety of Indians and other minorities in the country amid deadly protests that saw the fall of the Sheikh Hasina government.
“The Government of India has constituted a Committee to monitor the current situation on Indo-Bangladesh Border (IBB). The committee will maintain communication channels with their counterpart authorities in Bangladesh to ensure safety of Indian citizens and people belonging to minority communities in Bangladesh,” the government said.
“The Committee will be headed by ADG, Border Security Force (BSF), Eastern Command and will have IG, BSF Frontier HQ South Bengal, IG, BSF Frontier HQ Tripura, Member (Planning & Development), Land Ports Authority of India (LPAI), and, Secretary, LPAI, as its members,” it added.
On Thursday, Nobel Peace Prize winner Muhammad Yunus was sworn into office as Bangladesh’s interim leader, vowing to guide the country back to democracy after a student-led uprising ended the 15-year rule of Sheikh Hasina.
Mr Yunus, who returned to Dhaka from Europe, called for the restoration of order in the South Asian nation after weeks of violence that left at least 455 people dead, calling on citizens to guard each other, including minorities who came under attack.
“Law and order is our first task… We cannot take a step forward unless we fix the law and order situation,” he said.
The caretaker administration is a civilian team, bar one retired brigadier-general.
“My call to the people is if you have trust in me, then make sure there will be no attacks against anyone, anywhere in the country,” said 84-year-old Mr Yunus.
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“Every person is our brother… our task is to protect them,” Mr Yunus said, adding that “the whole of Bangladesh is one big family”.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi extended his best wishes to Bangladesh’s caretaker leader Muhammad Yunus and called for the safety and protection of Hindus and other minority communities in the country.
“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.
Mr Hasina, accused of widespread human rights abuses including the jailing of her political opponents, was forced to flee to neighbouring India on Monday as masses of protesters flooded Dhaka’s streets.
Monday’s events were the culmination of more than a month of unrest, which began as protests against a quota plan for government jobs but morphed into an anti-Hasina movement.
The military then agreed to student demands that Mr Yunus — who won the Nobel prize in 2006 for his pioneering microfinancing work — lead an interim government.
