‘Feel more scared as an Indian than as a Hindu,’ says West Bengal student in Bangladesh

A young man from West Bengal studying in Bangladesh and also tracing his family roots there said that until recently, it was easy to get accommodation in that country as an Indian but now it was the opposite.

According to Supriyo Saha (name changed on request), the situation in Bangladesh is drastically different from what it was in mid-2024, when an uprising forced the then Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina to flee the country, with mobs now replacing protesting citizens, and most mobsters having no idea what they were fighting.

“Back then, people were enjoying the post-uprising scenarios. A large group of Awami League supporters went underground, and the stakeholders of the July [2024] revolution, which included almost every civil citizen, were cherishing the newly acquired freedom of speech. But now, many of those who were on the streets back then are busy with their lives, and their space has been occupied by the mob,” Mr. Saha said.

“I hardly have a proper explanation for the mob. These are pressure groups formed with different political motives. Often individuals inside the mob have very little idea about why and what they are doing as a group or who they are serving. They get motivation from YouTubers, social media pages, and also by money, I guess,” the young Indian, a Hindu, said.

His family in West Bengal, needless to say, is far more worried about him now than they were in the middle of 2024. Until recently, his mother called him just once a day to check on him, but now WhatsApp calls are made almost on an hourly basis.

“My life in Bangladesh is still not as bad because as a Bengali, I don’t stand out. Also, there are still people in this country who have empathy, but I don’t know for how long. Back when I came, about three years ago, I easily got a room on rent because I was an Indian, but now I won’t. Today they have mixed reactions about India — some still see it as a developed country which they can rely on, but many now see it as a hegemonic country. Though face-to-face, I haven’t got a bad reaction,” Mr. Saha said.

When asked why he wasn’t returning to India, he said he wanted to complete his course and also finish his personal project on family roots.

“I remember the first time I went to the place from where my family had migrated. I didn’t know a soul there, but I was received with warmth. What a memorable morning it was. But today I sense tension in the atmosphere. More than my Hindu identity, I feel fear because of my Indian Identity,” Mr. Saha said.

According to him, the situation was getting bad not just because of tension related to religion but also because of mob culture and fake news. “I feel Bangladesh is going through a rough patch. Though they are trying to internally change some things, the situation can get worse without strong governance. Many of their citizens are trying to leave the country,” he said.