Staff Reporter:
Indian External Affairs Minister Dr S Jaishankar has sought the understanding and support of the House in regard to sensitive issues regarding an important neighbor – Bangladesh – on which there has always been strong national consensus.
In a Suo moto statement in Rajyasabha on the situation in Bangladesh, he said they are also monitoring the situation with regard to the status of minorities, and noted that there are reports of initiatives by var-ious groups and organizations to ensure their protection and well-being.
“We welcome that, but will naturally remain deeply concerned till law and order is visibly restored. Our border guarding forces have also been instructed to be exceptionally in view of this complex situation,” he said, mentioning that demonstrators converged in Dhaka despite the curfew. .
Jaishankar said the situation in Bangladesh is still evolving. The Army Chief, General Waker-uz-Zaman, addressed the nation on 5th August. “He spoke about assuming responsibility and constituting an interim government.”
“Our understanding is that after a meeting with leaders of the security establishment, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina apparently made the decision to resign. At very short notice, she requested approval to come for the moment to India. We simultaneously received a request for flight clearance from Bangla-desh authorities. She arrived yesterday evening in Delhi,” he said.
In the last 24 hours, he said they have also been in regular touch with the authorities in Dhaka.
He apprised the House that Bangladesh-India relations have been exceptionally close for many decades over many governments. “Concern about recent violence and instability there is shared across the politi-cal spectrum.”
Since the election in January 2024, Jaishankar said there have been considerable tensions, deep divides and growing polarization in Bangladesh politics.
He said this underlying foundation aggravated a student agitation that started in June this year. “There was growing violence, including attacks on public buildings and infrastructure, as well as traffic and rail obstructions. The violence continued through the month of July.”
Jaishankar said throughout this period, they repeatedly counselled restraint and urged that the situation be defused through dialogue. “Similar urgings were made to various political forces with whom we were in touch.”
Despite a Supreme Court judgment on 21 July, there was no let-up in the public agitation, he said.
“Various decisions and actions taken thereafter only exacerbated the situation. The agitation at this stage coalesced around a one-point agenda, that is that the Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina should step down,” Jaishankar said.
“On 4th August, events took a very serious turn. Attacks on police, including police stations and gov-ernment installations, intensified even as overall levels of violence greatly escalated. Properties of indi-viduals associated with the regime were torched across the country. What was particularly worrying was that minorities, their businesses and temples also came under attack at multiple locations. The full extent of this is still not clear,” he added.
Jaishankar said they are in close and continuous touch with the Indian community in Bangladesh through our diplomatic missions.
There are an estimated 19,000 Indian nationals there, of which about 9,000 are students. The bulk of the students have already returned to India in the month of July on the advice of the High Commission.
“In terms of our diplomatic presence, in addition to the High Commission in Dhaka, we have Assistant High Commissions in Chittagong, Rajshahi, Khulna and Sylhet,” he said.
Jaishankar said it is their expectation that the host government will provide the required security protec-tion for these establishments.
“We look forward to their normal functioning once the situation stabilizes,” he added.
