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New Delhi: Amid tensed ties with Bangladesh, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) once again summoned Bangladesh High Commissioner Riaz Hamidullah. This was the second time that he was summoned by the ministry in a week.
Earlier in the day, the Bangladesh foreign ministry had summoned Indian High Commissioner Pranay Verma in Dhaka and expressed concerns over the security of its diplomatic missions in India. This, even as India shared a statement earlier, rejecting reports in the Bangladesh media as ‘misleading’.
Recently, India had lodged a strong protest with Bangladesh over “deteriorating security situation" around its diplomatic missions in the country. New Delhi had voiced strong concerns over “extremist elements targeting India’s missions in the neighbouring country.
“We expect the interim government to ensure the safety of [Indian] missions and posts in Bangladesh in keeping with its diplomatic obligations," the MEA had said in a statement. It further added that the Bangladeshi envoy's attention was also drawn to certain announcements made by certain groups in Bangladesh.
The ministry added, “It is unfortunate that the interim government has neither conducted a thorough investigation nor shared meaningful evidence with India regarding the incidents." India once again maintained that it favoured peace and stability in Bangladesh.
On Tuesday, Bangladesh had earlier summoned Verma and conveyed Dhaka’s “grave concern over the regrettable incidents" outside the perimeter of the Bangladesh High Commission and the High Commissioner’s residence in New Delhi on December 20, as well as “acts of vandalism" at its Visa Centre in Siliguri on December 22, allegedly by “different extremist elements." As per an official statement, Bangladesh also expressed “deep concern" over protests outside various Bangladeshi diplomatic missions across India.
In recent times, tensions once again increased between India and Bangladesh following the attack on student leader Usman Hadi in Bangladesh. Hadi was the one who led protests against Sheikh Hasina Government in Bangladesh last year, which led to the fall of the regime and then prime minister escaping to India.
After the recent attack, Hadi was shifted to Singapore for better treatment, but the latter succumbed to injuries increasing tensions, which was also targeted at India. Following tensions, a Hindu man Dipu Chandra Das (25) was killed by the mob in Dhaka. This lead to anger in India and minor protests outside Bangladeshi missions across the country.
