KOLKATA: Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee urged the Union govt Monday “to request the United Nations to deploy a peacekeeping force in Bangladesh” amid reports of attacks on minorities, particularly Hindus. She sought PM Narendra Modi’s “intervention” to ensure safe return of persecuted Indians from the neighbouring country.
Banerjee also demanded that Modi or external affairs minister S Jaishankar make a statement in Parliament on the situation in Bangladesh.
“For the past 10 days, the Centre has kept mum. Their party (BJP) is holding daily rallies and saying they will block the border and cut off food supplies. This is not within our jurisdiction. We want the PM to explain India’s stand,” Banerjee said in the assembly. “Let the two nations engage in dialogue. If not, let the Centre bring Indian nationals back. We can ensure food for them,” she said. “If required, let an international peacekeeping force be sent to Bangladesh after talking to the (interim) govt there to help restore normalcy.”
Indo-Bangla ties nosedived after a sharp rise in violence against Hindu minorities since the Sheikh Hasina govt’s fall in Aug. The situation worsened after Iskcon’s “expelled” priest Chinmoy Krishna Das Brahmachari was arrested on sedition charges, besides with two other monks. There were also attacks on Indian citizens.
Reacting to Banerjee’s comments, Bangladesh foreign affairs adviser M Touhid Hossain dismissed the need for a UN peacekeeping force and reiterated the nation’s resolve to manage its challenges independently.
“We don’t know why she made such a statement. Personally, I think it’s for her political agenda. We are determined to maintain religious harmony and protect the rights of all citizens equally,” he said in Dhaka. Hossain said Bangladesh values its relationship with India “while also tackling internal challenges with firm resolve to ensure stability and harmony”. He assured transparency in handling the arrest of Chinmoy. Banerjee also warned of potential retaliatory violence in India. “Thank God, they (majority community) did not resort to rioting in return,” she said.