Describing an incident of breach of the premises of the Bangladesh consulate in Agartala by a group of people protesting the arrest of Hindu monk Chinmoy Krishna Das in Bangladesh 'deeply regrettable' India said consular properties should not be targeted under any circumstances. The comments by the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) came hours after the protesters reportedly barged into the Assistant High Commission of Bangladesh and allegedly resorted to vandalism. In Agartala, thousands of people took out a massive demonstration near the Bangladeshi mission protesting the arrest of Das as well as attacks on the Hindu community in Bangladesh.
It is understood that the Bangladesh high commission in New Delhi is lodging a protest over the "breach" at its mission in Agartala. In its statement, the MEA said the government is taking action to step up security for the Bangladesh High Commission in New Delhi and other missions of the country in India. "The incident earlier today of the breach of premises at the Bangladesh Assistant High Commission in Agartala is deeply regrettable," the MEA said.
Bangladesh reacts
According to reports, the protesters "vandalised the flag pole, desecrated the national flag of Bangladesh and also damaged properties inside the assistant high commission". The Bangladesh foreign ministry further alleged the local police personnel "in charge of protecting the premises were found not to be active in containing the situation." It said "attack" on the mission violates the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations and called upon the Indian counterpart to initiate a "thorough investigation" into the incident, prevent any further acts of violence against Bangladesh's missions and ensure the security of Bangladeshi officials.
Hindu monk Chinmoy Krishna Das was arrested at Dhaka's Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport on Monday last in connection with a sedition case.
