Bangladesh unrest LIVE | US revokes Hasina’s visa: Reports

A number of Hindu temples, households and businesses were vandalised, women assaulted and at least two Hindu leaders affiliated with the Awami League killed in violence in Bangladesh following the ouster of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, PTI has reported quoting community leaders.

“We have compiled some incidents of vandalism in different parts of the country exposing the Hindu and other minority communities to anxiety,” Bangladesh Hindu Buddhist Christian Unity Council leader Kajol Debnath told PTI.

According to the available information, two Hindu leaders, who were incidentally leaders of Hasina’s Awami League party, were killed in north-western Sirajganj and Rangpur, Debnath said, adding that the Council was still gathering more information.

Debnath said the attackers “plundered shops, temples and houses and assaulted Hindu women” while many were injured during the assaults amid the fast-paced political developments following the fall of Hasina’s government.

According to the Council leaders, the districts where religious minorities and their households or businesses were attacked are north-eastern Panchagarh, Dinajpur, Rangpur, Bogura and Sirajganj; northern Sherpur and Kishoreganj; western Jashore, Magura and Narail, south-western Khulna, Patuakhali and Satkhira; central Narsingdi, Mymensingh and Tangail; north-western Lakkhipur, Feni and Chattogram, and north-eastern Habiganj.

“The situation is grave and Hindus are being continuously attacked across Bangladesh,” the Unity Council’s general secretary Rana Dasgupta said in a statement earlier.

“We urge the army to ensure security for the minorities and bring the perpetrators of the attack to book immediately,” he added.

Debnath, meanwhile, said they would come up with details on the attacks later on Tuesday.

On Monday, the Indira Gandhi Cultural Centre in Dhaka was vandalised by an unruly mob and four Hindu temples suffered “minor” damage across the country. The Centre, of the Indian Council for Cultural Relations of India, has a library with over 21,000 books in the fields of Indian art, culture, politics, economics and fiction.

Vistara's scheduled services to Dhaka will be operational from Wednesday (August 7).

Vistara operates daily flights from Mumbai and three weekly services from Delhi to Dhaka.

Both Vistara and IndiGo had cancelled their Tuesday flights to the Bangladesh capital.

An update from IndiGo on Dhaka flights for Wednesday is awaited.

Normally, IndiGo operates one daily flight from Delhi, Mumbai and Chennai to Dhaka, and two daily services to the Bangladesh capital from Kolkata.

The BSF held meetings on Tuesday with state government officials and villagers in the border areas of West Bengal to ramp up security following the ongoing unrest in Bangladesh.

BSF Director General (Acting) Daljit Singh Chawdhary and other senior commanders, who are presently touring the bordering areas of the state to review the security situation, visited the Petrapole border in Bongaon in North 24-Parganas district.

South Asia’s largest land port is in Petrapole, which is key to facilitating trade between India and Bangladesh.

“The situation is presently under control. The security along the entire stretch has been strengthened. We are in touch with Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) for better coordination. The DG BSF and other senior officials, visited the Petrapole border,” a BSF official of the eastern command told PTI.

According to BSF, a “high alert” was issued across all its formations on Monday along the 4,096-km India-Bangladesh border in the wake of developments in the neighbouring country.

“The BSF officers held a coordination meeting with the state government officials and people of border villages to establish coordination with border communities and local officials. The discussion focused on the prevailing situation in Bangladesh and the Bangladeshi Army taking over. The BSF emphasised the need for vigilance to prevent infiltration and smuggling,” a BSF statement said.

According to BSF officials, the villagers have been advised not to move freely in the border areas and on the International Border Road during night hours.

“It was also decided that all shops in the market should be closed by 9 pm and announcements would be made from mosques that villagers should stay away from the border areas in Nadia district,” the statement added.

The BSF has also asked all its units to “maintain an alert posture” all along the front that runs across West Bengal (2,217 km), Tripura (856 km), Meghalaya (443 km), Assam (262 km) and Mizoram (318 km).

Tripura Chief Minister Manik Saha on Tuesday requested security agencies to intensify vigil along the international border. Saha said he was in touch with Delhi and held a meeting with the Chief Secretary, DGP, Assam Rifles, and BSF on Monday to discuss the situation.

“We are keeping a close eye on the situation in Bangladesh. I have been in touch with Delhi constantly. I held a meeting with the Chief Secretary, DGP, Assam Rifles and BSF. I asked them to intensify vigil along the border. We will take steps based on instructions from Delhi,” he told reporters.

The CM also emphasised the importance of coordination among security forces and instructed them to prevent any crossings from Bangladesh into Tripura. “The security agencies were instructed not to allow anyone to enter India,” he added.

Saha said while Delhi is seeking updates on any potential issues arising from the political upheaval, there have been no detailed directives so far. “Delhi wanted to know if there is any problem in the state in the aftermath of political turmoil in Bangladesh. I said as such there is no trouble,” the CM said.

On attack on minorities in Bangladesh, Saha said his government was keeping tabs on the development in the neighbouring country. “Social media reports indicate that the majority community in Bangladesh is taking steps to protect minority groups. For instance, some students have been seen guarding temples. It’s a good sign,” he said.