Attack on Agartala mission: Student bodies protest at DU

 

Leaders and activists from various student organisations staged a demonstration tonight, strongly condemning the attack by a large group of protesters from the Hindu Sangharsh Samity of Agartala on the Bangladesh Assistant High Commission in India's Tripura

The protest followed rallies held by several student groups, including the Anti-Discrimination Students' Movement and Bangladesh Chhatra Odhikar Parishad, near the Raju Memorial Sculpture at Dhaka.

Student leaders emphasised that the incident in Agartala violated the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations, 1961, which protects the inviolability of diplomatic missions.

They also criticised India's approach, noting that the Indian government has maintained relations with the Awami League, but not with the people of Bangladesh.

They expressed concerns over India's dissatisfaction with the ousting of Sheikh Hasina, and the lack of condemnation from India regarding the mass killings of students and civilians in Bangladesh by Awami League.

The student leaders urged India to respect Bangladesh's sovereignty, stating that the safety and rights of all Bangladeshis, including Muslims, Hindus, Buddhists, and Christians, should be ensured by the Bangladeshi government, not by India. They also called on India to refrain from interfering in Bangladesh's internal affairs.

The leaders further accused India's media of exaggerating incidents of minority attacks in Bangladesh, claiming that India is attempting to politicise these issues. They stressed that Bangladesh enjoys religious harmony, with minorities living peacefully in the country.

Bin Yamin Molla, president of Bangladesh Chhatra Odhikar Parishad, urged all political parties in Bangladesh to unite against India's alleged interference and demanded a ban on Awami League politics, calling it an ally of India.

 

The protest concluded with students marching in procession across the campus.

During the protest, at least 30-40 residential students of Jagannath Hall, a dormitory comprised of non-Muslim students, went to Raju Memorial to voice their support.

One of the residents, Joy Pal said, "Forget the differences of religion, caste, race, and tribe. We are all Bangladeshis and that is our only identity."

"When it comes to the sovereignty of the country, we will all stand united. We have seen that, at different times, various conspiracies have been made against the Hindus of Bangladesh," he said.

"Not just Hindus, but conspiracies are being made against Bangladesh itself. We all must stand united against these conspiracies."

The attack on the Bangladesh consulate in India should be condemned by every citizen of the country, he added.

The rally, organised by the movement's Chattogram unit at the city's Sholoshohor Railway Station, was addressed by the student movement's Central Coordinator Russell Ahmed and Co-Coordinator Khan Talat Mahmud Rafi.

The speakers at the rally said, "Since independence, India has been trying to spread its hegemony in Bangladesh. During the rule of the dictator Sheikh Hasina, India's hegemony was deep-rooted. But on August 5, the student-led mass uprising uprooted Indian hegemony."

Citing recent violence and border killings, they said, "These incidents have been caused by a joint conspiracy between Awami League and India. They are yet again hatching conspiracies and plots. Our appeal to the countrymen is that you should unite. Hindus, Muslims, Buddhists, Christians -- we all have to maintain the harmony that exists among us. Together, we will resist this conspiracy," said the leaders of the movement.