The law and order crisis in Bangladesh, India’s neighbor, has put Indian border security agents on high alert.
On Thursday, Muhammad Yunus, who has been leading Bangladesh’s interim administration for a few days now amid violent protests over government employment quotas, will take the oath of office. Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina left office without much fanfare. The besieged nation’s people were urged to preserve peace by Yunus, a Nobel Peace winner who was in Paris for the Olympics at the time he was appointed interim leader. “Our opponent is violence. Don’t make any more enemies, please. Keep your cool and prepare to create the nation, he advised.
The law and order crisis in Bangladesh, India’s neighbor, has put Indian border security agents on high alert. Along the International Border (IB) in West Bengal, the Border Security Force (BSF) said on Wednesday that it had foiled a “significant” attempt at infiltration by a big number of Bangladeshis.
Here are 10 points on the Bangladesh crisis.
At many points in the eastern state, 120–140 residents of Bangladesh were trying to enter India when they were stopped by BSF officers. “The main reason the people assembled was concern of possible disturbances in the area. According to a representative for the border region, which is based in Kadamtala, Darjeeling, “the BSF, in cooperation with the BGB and Bangladeshi civil authorities, has reassured these individuals of their safety and encouraged them to return to their homes.
It stated that 35 Bangladeshi citizens were returned to their houses in one area by the BSF, Border Guard Bangladesh, and local municipal authorities. According to the statement, “BSF has deployed additional forces to manage the situation effectively.” A group of Bangladeshi peasants approached the IB in another area, sparking a brief altercation, but the BSF staff “promptly engaged” with the gathering.
General Waker-Uz-Zaman, the head of Bangladesh’s armed forces, said in a televised speech that Yunus will take the oath of office on Thursday evening. “Every attempt is being made to arrange the ceremony for taking the oath tomorrow, which is Thursday. It was suggested that we have it in the afternoon. That would, however, put us on an extremely strict timeline, since Dr. Yunus is scheduled to arrive in the nation at 2:10 pm. After that, it would be challenging to organize the ceremony. As a result, we might hold it at 8:00 p.m. A total of 400 persons may be accommodated under the setup,” he stated.
Wednesday, former prime minister Khaleda Zia advised composure. “To rebuild our country, we need love and peace, not destruction, anger, or retaliation,” she said to Bangladesh Nationalist Party members.
Dhaka, the capital of Bangladesh, remained peaceful a few days after unrest erupted, compelling Sheikh Hasina to resign from her position and go to India. Following violent attacks on police stations earlier in the week, student activists in Dhaka controlled traffic and cleaned the streets. Officials have been instructed to report back to work by Thursday night, according to the authorities.
At least 109 individuals, including 14 police officers, had died in two days prior to her resignation. Former ministers’ and lawmakers’ homes that belonged to Hasina’s party were broken into, set on fire, or defaced. Additionally, her official residence in the capital was looted.
According to US State Department Spokesperson Matthew Miller, his nation would prefer that the temporary administration uphold democratic values. “I’ve already had a conversation with Bangladesh’s interim administration about the actions we hope it takes going ahead.To create stability, strengthen the institution, and plan an inclusive, free, and fair election…We want to see the interim administration uphold democratic values in all of its future decision-making,” he stated.
It’s unclear what will happen to Sheikh Hasina at this point. After a short visit in India, there were rumors that she planned to go to London. But “uncertainties” caused her stay in India to be prolonged. It is said that she is at a safe house. S Jaishankar, the minister of external affairs, said she had been in shock and that the government had allowed her time to recover before talking about her intentions at the all-party meeting on Tuesday.
Wazed Sajeeb Sheikh Hasina’s son Joy, however, stated that his mother has not made up her mind to apply for asylum in the US or the UK. He claimed she will spend some time in New Delhi. “She didn’t want to leave Bangladesh, which is why I was concerned—not because she was leaving the country. We needed to persuade her. Joy remarked, “I told them that this is a mob now, not a political movement, and they’re going to murder you.
India is concerned about the tragedy in Bangladesh, Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma stated on Wednesday. “We are concerned about the incident in Bangladesh for two reasons. First, the people of Bangladesh will travel to India if this unrest persists. We must secure our borders. Second, under Shiekh Haseena’s administration, all radicals from the Northeast were expelled from Bangladesh,” he stated.
