An angry mob attacked a Hindu temple in Comilla on October 15, 2021 soon after a picture got viral on social media depicting Islam holy book Quran placed on the knee of Hindu deity, during the festive month of Durga Puja. Vandalising the Hindu temple was the dawn of the heart wrenching incidents which followed; mobs have burnt Hindu homes, vandalised temples and disoriented the idols in temple across various parts of Bangladesh. Hindus, in Bangladesh make up to 10 percent of Bangladesh population which is far low compared to Muslim population, hence making Hindu a minority community. This is not the out of the blue incident which have bloomed, Hindu minority have repeatedly come under attack since many years. There have been at least 3,679 attacks on the Hindu community since Jan 2013 which has been reported and many more which have gone unreported. These incidents include cases of vandalism, arson and targeted violence. Bangladesh security authorities have repeatedly failed to investigate and prosecute such violence. Bangladesh authorities are dealing with a very delicate situation which may lead more bloodshed, unless Judiciary acts with caution and restraint. India in recent time has switched to path of Nationalism biased with Hinduism ideology It can be seen from various policies, bills being passed and thereafter being executed which are somewhat biased religiously. This has lead to deteriorating relation with Muslim majority neighbours, eroding citizen to citizen trust and sense of togetherness.
A controversial anti-Muslim law drafted by BJP led govt and passed in the INDIAN PARLIAMENT is a clear demonstration of INDIA’S gradual bias towards Hindu ideology. As per the act all the minorities migrant post Dec 2014 won’t get Indian citizenship. Migrants who have landed in INDIA before Dec 2014 will get Indian citizenship but the bill didn’t mentioned Muslim in minority list which it stated. The bill is a clear demonstration of India’s gradual deviation from its long lasting secular ideology. The Act which offered citizenship to minorities leaving Muslims is broadly seen as part of a broader BJP agenda to side line Muslim population living in India. What India failed to foresee is its effect of Muslim majority neighbours. Whether in India, Bangladesh, or elsewhere, radical forces bank on regional commonality and “spill over sensitivity” to instigate violence for their own ends. Its an another discriminatory prejudice BJP led initiative focussing Bengali – speaking Muslim inhabiting in Assam has led to a huge resistance in India and Muslim majority neighbours vis-à-vis Bangladesh which borders Assam.
The government’s citizenship policies ignited nationwide protests starting from December 2019. During the protests, police officials in several instances did not intervene when mob attacked protesters. In three states that are BJP-governed, security organisations used excessive and unnecessary power that killed 30 people during protests. Some BJP leaders stated the protesters anti-national and pro-Pakistan, while others screamed to “shoot the traitors.” On February 23, 2020, after a BJP leader, Kapil Mishra, supported forcibly dispersing peaceful protesters, many of the Muslim, BJP supporters grouped in the area, resulting to clashes among the groups. The Hindu mobs armed with swords, metal pipes, swords and bottles filled with gasoline, attacked Muslims in several neighbourhoods in Delhi. Almost all of the
53 people killed were Muslim. During the court trial Delhi police told a court in that it has no “actionable evidence” against BJP leaders even though there are videos depicting BJP leaders advocating violence. In several riot-related bail hearings, courts have raised questions over police investigations that targeted riot victims; in at least five cases the courts refused or were reluctant to accept eyewitness accounts of police officials.The principle on the basis of which British’s were able to establish a huge colonial empire is still being practiced by many of the ruling govt. across the globe. India, Pakistan and Bangladesh being part of British colonial rule have gone through this idea of divide and rule; politician very well know how British’s were able to rule for Two hundred years with this policy. Politicians present day are still exploiting this idea to strengthen their radicalisation ideology and followers.
South Asia, as it stands today in global platform is an example of puzzle in modern international relations. South Asian countries share a high degree of similarity regarding history, geographical proximity and cultural affinity. History, however, took a different path, and the Partition resulted in dawn of new dimension of enmity, based on religious lines that still survives. Proximity of South Asian nations and their porous borders keeps them connected in an ironical way. The communal tension and any unprecedented situation in any state is likely to spill over to others. What happened in Bangladesh is an example of “spill over tendency” and one need to keep it under scrutiny and proper check to prevent further such spill over.
In August 2019, after the Indian government passed bill to drop the indigenous autonomy of Jammu and Kashmir state, it assessed restrictions and detained thousands of people, including tagged officers, intelligencers, activists, political leaders and attorneys. The authorities detained these people without informing their families about them; several were transferred to jails. Hundreds of habeas corpus desires were filed in the courts by families seeking information about those detained and gruelling unlawful detention. Although habeas corpus, a legal action seeking judicial review of the legality of detention, is honored as a core mortal right in both Indian and transnational law, courts delayed hearing the desires for over a time in the maturity of cases. Of the 554 habeas corpus desires filed in the Jammu and Kashmir High Court after August 5, 2019, the court had passed judgment in only 29 cases by September 2020. In August 2019, the government put a internet arrestment across the state. In January 2020, it allowed slow- speed 2G internet to pierce limited websites. In March, the authorities removed restrictions to websites, but only at 2G speed; which doesn't allow videotape calls, emails, or access to web runners with prints or vids. The government finally restored mobile internet services at 4G speed in the month of February after it was suspended. The government continues to fix down on intelligencers and mortal rights activists, including bringing politically motivated charges of terrorism under the Unlawful Conditioning (Prevention) Act.
India and Bangladesh held a Virtual Summit on 17 Dec 2020. Both sides held comprehensive conversations on all aspects of bilateral relations, and changed views on indigenous and transnational issues. Both sides changed views on the situation of the on going COVID-19 epidemic in their separate countries. India promised that vaccines must be made available to Bangladesh as and when produced. India also offered collaboration in rectifiers and cooperation in vaccine product.
Bangladesh appreciated the warm gesture of India in organizing various events on the occasion of on going – Mujib Borsho‘ and jointly unveiled a commemorative postal stamp issued by the Government of India on the occasion of birth centenary of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman. Noting that the year 2021 will be historic in India Bangladesh bilateral relations as they would be commemorating the fiftieth anniversary of the Liberation War and the establishment of diplomatic relations between India and Bangladesh, it was agreed to jointly organize several activities to commemorate these two epochal events. Bangladesh requested India to consider Bangladesh‘s proposal to name the historic road from Mujib Nagar to Nadia on Bangladesh-India border as "Shadhinota Shorok‖ commemorating the historic significance during Bangladesh‘s Liberation War.
Both sides agreed to hold an early meeting of the Joint Boundary Conference to prepare a new set of strip maps along the stretch of Icchamati, Kalindi, Raimongol and the Hariabhanga Rivers from Main Pillar 1 to Land Boundary terminus, with a view to finalizing the delineation of the boundaries as fixed. It was agreed to carry out necessary work to convert the International Boundary along Kuhsiyara river into a fixed boundary. Bangladesh side reiterated the request for 1.3 km Innocent Passage through river route along River Padma near Rajshahi District. The Indian side assured to consider the request. Bangladesh appreciated the Duty Free and Quota Free access given to Bangladeshi exports to India under SAFTA since 2011. They addressed issues of non-tariff barriers and trade facilitation including port restrictions, procedural bottlenecks and quarantine restrictions so that both countries can take full advantage of SAFTA flexibility.
India have pervious border with Bangladesh owing to heavy swamp. Its delicate to dominate whole border as there are numerous places where hedge cant be installed. Beast trafficking and medicines smuggling is at peak across INDO – BANGLADESH border and a matter of public concern. There is a high chances of weapon supply from these borders to support INDIAN minority Muslims; same being pivoted by ISI, ISIS or China and other Muslim terrorist organisations. Same can be kept under check by increasing the security forces presence on these borders. Focussing on these issues during the diplomatic talks between the countries. India being Hindu majority country have political and cultural bias towards Hindu religion. Increasing attacks on Hindu minority in Bangladesh may indirectly lead to increase in cases of vandalism against Muslim minority in India. Same can be kept under check by strengthening the judiciary and police forces. Strict action must be taken against any such incidents which may arise and led to effecting internal peace.
India should raise the issue of Hindu minority in Bangladesh during diplomatic talks between the officials of both the countries instead of raising the same in international forum as it may effect the ties between both the countries.
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