Bangladesh India Relations: Bangladesh on Friday claimed that India was adopting ‘double standards’ on the safety of minority communities and accused the neighboring country (India)’s media of running a ‘very large-scale propaganda campaign’ against Dhaka. Amid the controversy over the arrest of Hindu leader Chinmoy Krishna Das on treason charges, Asif Nazrul, legal affairs advisor to the interim government of Bangladesh, said in a post on Facebook that India’s unreasonable concern about Bangladesh continues.
Nazrul wrote, “Countless incidents of cruelty against the minority Muslim community continue to occur in India but they have no remorse or embarrassment (over those incidents). This double standard of India is condemnable and objectionable.” Citing a survey by ‘Voice of America’-Bangla, Nazrul wrote, ”Most Bangladeshis (64.1%) believe that the interim government will be as good as the previous Awami League government. It is capable of providing better security to the minority communities of the country than the
‘Indian media is spreading false propaganda about Bangladesh’
Meanwhile, the interim government of Muhammad Yunus in Bangladesh urged the country’s journalists to counter the ‘disinformation’ of the Indian media with ‘truth’. Shafiqul Alam, press secretary to Chief Advisor Yunus, said, “We should tell our stories in our own way, otherwise they (Indian media) will set our narrative as per their choice.”
Alam, a former journalist, said in a post on Facebook that many Bangladeshi journalists now realize that the time has come to confront the ‘very large-scale disinformation campaign’ being run by some Indian media organizations and their social media platforms. .
He said Indians should know that smart people also live on its eastern border and a few months ago these people had overthrown a ‘brutal dictatorship’ in one of the ‘best revolutions’ in human history. Alam said that some people may think that Indians are more intelligent, but believe me if you are empowered by the truth, then no propaganda campaign can stop you.
His comments came when a group of students demonstrated on the Dhaka University campus to protest India’s alleged interference in Bangladesh’s internal affairs. They also demanded the extradition of ousted Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, who fled to India amid massive student-led protests in August. On their behalf, there was also a demand to ban ‘International Society for Krishna Consciousness’ (ISKCON) in Bangladesh.
‘India is committing atrocities on Muslims’
Student Rights Council president Bin Yameen Mulla alleged, “India is killing people on our border every week.” He is committing daily atrocities on minorities in his own country. Recently, many Muslims were killed in an incident that took place near a mosque.
Mulla said that Bangladesh cannot consider India as a friendly nation. The protesters also demanded a review of the agreements signed with India in the last 16 years and assurance of fair water-sharing from the rivers.
India also gave a befitting reply
India said on Friday that the interim government in Bangladesh should fulfill its responsibility to protect all minorities. India expressed serious concern over the increase in extremist rhetoric and increasing incidents of violence in the neighboring country. Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said India has consistently and strongly raised the issue of threats and ‘targeted attacks’ posed to Hindus and other minorities with the government of Bangladesh.