Amid the unrest in Bangladesh, the Border Security Force (BSF) thwarted an infiltration attempt on Sunday, apprehending eleven Bangladeshi nationals who were trying to enter India through the international borders in West Bengal, Tripura, and Meghalaya. According to a spokesperson, the apprehended individuals are being questioned and will be handed over to the state police for further legal action.
The spokesperson said that the BSF is in regular contact with its counterpart, the Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB), to address mutual issues, particularly focusing on preventing atrocities against Indian nationals and minority communities in Bangladesh. It said, "11 Bangladeshi nationals have been apprehended on the border while infiltrating into India. Two each were nabbed from West Bengal and Tripura borders while seven were apprehended from the Meghalaya border."
BSF ADG (eastern command) chaired meeting
The South Bengal Frontier of the BSF, headquartered in Kolkata, stated that its eastern command head, Additional Director General (ADG) Ravi Gandhi, chaired an operational conference on Saturday. The meeting was held to review security along the 4,096-km-long India-Bangladesh border in light of the ongoing unrest in Bangladesh and the upcoming Independence Day on August 15. "Detailed deliberations were held to further enhance border control, security and management. Besides, it was decided to continue the close collaboration with counterpart Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB)," he said.
The BSF has been conducting flag meetings with the BGB to address mutual issues amicably, with a particular focus on preventing atrocities against Indian nationals and minority communities in Bangladesh. The BGB has been responding positively to these discussions, according to the statement. Additionally, the Union Home Ministry has recently formed a committee under ADG Ravi Gandhi to investigate the challenges faced by minorities in Bangladesh following the fall of the Sheikh Hasina government.
Protests over anti-Hindu violence in Bangladesh
Hindus comprise about 8 per cent of Bangladesh's population of 170 million, making them particularly vulnerable to discrimination and violence. They have traditionally been the supporters of Hasina's Awami League party, which identifies itself as largely secular, while the Jamaat-e-Islami has links to Pakistan and is involved in several attacks on Hindus.
Meanwhile, hundreds of people hit the streets of Dhaka protesting against the attacks on the country's minority Hindus, chanting slogans of "Who are we, Bengali Bengali", appealing for peace as they blocked an intersection of the city. The protestors carried posters and placards, demanding Bangladeshi minorities to be "saved".
Bangladesh Hindu Buddhist Christian Unity Council and the Bangladesh Puja Udjapan Parishad on Friday presented the data in an open letter to the Nobel Laureate, detailing 205 attacks on minorities since Hasina's ouster. Alarming visuals had earlier surfaced on social media showing as Hindu temples and houses are under attack in Dhaka, Chittagong, Cumilla, Thakurgaon, Noakhali, Bagerhat, Nazirpur, Firozepur, Sylhet and Madaripur areas of Bangladesh. As many as 800 Hindus in the Thakurgaon district were forced to flee their homes in fear of their safety as their houses were looted and burnt.
Notably, over 230 people were killed in the incidents of violence in Bangladesh, that erupted across the country following the fall of the Hasina government. With this, the deaths count rose to 560 since the anti-quota protests first started in mid-July.
(With PTI inputs)
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