New Delhi: Reacting to the unrest in Bangladesh following the death of radical anti-India leader Sharif Osman Hadi, Congress MP Shashi Tharoor on Friday recalled lines spoken by former Prime Minister Atal
Bihari Vajpayee in reference to Pakistan.
“Due to violence, they've had to shut down two of the visa centres, which is a disappointment because Bangladeshis who want to come to India are the ones who've been complaining that they're not getting visas as easily as before. These situations are making it difficult for our government to help them. I hope normalisation will happen sooner rather than later, and I would call upon the people and government of Bangladesh to place greater value on this close relationship with their neighbour,” chairman of the Parliamentary Committee on External Affairs said speaking to news agency ANI outside the Parliament.
Remembering Vajpayee’s statement on Pakistan, he said, “As Vajpayee Sahib famously said about Pakistan, we cannot change our geography. We are where we are, they are where they are. They should learn to work with us.”
He further said, "The government will have to monitor the situation very carefully. They will certainly, at the level of the High Commission in Dhaka, reach out to the government and the authorities in Dhaka and request that they do whatever they can to calm down the situation. It is not at all welcome that our Assistant High Commission is affected by these protests. It is also the responsibility of the host government to ensure that our facilities are protected and safe. Both sides should have an interest in maintaining a good relationship and we should work to ensure that,” he added.
Violent anti-India protests broke out in Bangladesh on Friday following the death of Sharif Osman Hadi, with incidents of violence and vandalism reported across the country. Protesters targeted leading Bangladeshi media houses, including Daily Star and Prothom Alo, as well as the already demolished structure at 32 Dhanmandi, the former home of Bangladesh's founding father, Sheikh Mujibur Rahman.
The Indian High Commission in Dhaka has issued an advisory for Indians in Bangladesh, urging them to avoid local travel and minimise movement outside their residences.
