As Dhaka slipped into turmoil once again, Russia has called upon Bangladesh to ease tensions with India at the earliest. Stable relations between the two
South Asian neighbours would be in the interest of regional stability, Russian Ambassador to Bangladesh Alexander Grigoryevich Khozin said. The Russian Ambassador to Bangladesh also urged Dhaka to remember New Delhi's pivotal role in the country's independence in 1971. In the 1971 war, the Pakistani military had surrendered before the Indian forces, leading to the liberation of Bangladesh. "The sooner you reduce the tension... the better. Because, historically, since 1971, when Bangladesh gained independence, it was mostly because of Indian help. And Russia also supported this. Together, India, Bangladesh, and Russia have worked shoulder to shoulder," Khozin said. He said that it will be good if the tensions between Delhi and Dhaka do not extend beyond the current level.
Unrest in Bangladesh Over Hadi's Killing
Bangladesh has been witnessing afresh wave of unrest following the death of student leader Sharif Osman Hadi last week. Hadi was a prominent face of the July Uprising, the anti-government protests that led to the ouster of former Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina. Hadi was shot in the head on December 12 by masked gunmen at an election campaign in central Dhaka’s Bijoynagar area. He died while undergoing treatment in Singapore.
The protestors, angry over Hadi's death, attacked the offices of Bangla newspaper Prothom Alo and Daily Star. They also targeted Chhayanaut, a leading cultural institution, and vandalised 32 Dhanmondi, the personal residence of Bangladesh's founding father, Sheikh Mujibur Rahman. Indian Missions were also attacked, and stones were hurled at the Assistant Indian High Commissioner's residence in Chattogram. After his funeral, a mob had entered the Parliament of the country, breaching the security barricades.
Situation remains tense in Bangladesh with another student leader being shot in the country's southwestern Khulna city. Muhammad Motaleb Sikdar, a member of the National Citizen Party, is undergoing treatment and is in critical condition, according to latest reports.
Tensions Between Delhi and Dhaka?
There have been instances of heightened diplomatic relations between Delhi and Dhaka since the ouster of Hasina in August last year and the appointment of Muhammad Yunus' interim government.
Amid the fresh unrest, a group of angry protesters tried to storm India's assistant high commission in Chittagong. India subsequently suspended its visa services in the mission. Following this, Bangladesh on Monday suspended visa services in its high commission in New Delhi and its mission in Tripura. The decision to suspend the visa services was taken after groups of protesters held demonstrations outside the two missions, according to reports.
Last week, India had summoned Bangladesh envoy Riaz Hamidullah and conveyed its strong concern over certain extremist elements announcing plans to create a security situation around the Indian mission in Dhaka. In a statement, the MEA said that India "completely rejects the false narrative" sought to be created by extremist elements regarding certain recent events in Bangladesh. "It is unfortunate that the interim government has neither conducted a thorough investigation nor shared meaningful evidence with India regarding the incidents," it said shortly after summoning Hamidullah.
Meanwhile, Bangladesh on Tuesday summoned Indian High Commissioner Pranay Verma over the incidents outside the Bangladesh High Commission. This is the second such summons in last two weeks.
