Army soldiers guarding outside the Indian High Commission check the identity of a person after a call for anti-India protests in Dhaka, Bangladesh, Tuesday, Dec. 3, 2024.
| Photo Credit: AP
The Bangladesh Assistant High Commission in Agartala on Tuesday announced the suspension of visa and consular services for an indefinite period a day after an incident involving a breach of the consular premises by a mob during protests against the arrest of a Hindu monk in the neighbouring country.
The Assistant High Commission (AHC) posted a notice on their board without specifying when the services would resume.
This incident, which sparked a fresh diplomatic row between India and Bangladesh, resulted in the suspension of three Tripura police officers for their negligence in duty at the AHC. West Tripura Superintendent of Police K. Kiran Kumar issued the order for the suspension of the three sub-inspectors.
Seven protesters from the Hindu Sangharsh Samiti have been detained by the police in connection with the breach at the AHC. The police and security agencies are currently reviewing CCTV footage and social media posts to identify those involved in the incident.
Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) and Tripura State Rifles (TSR) troops have been deployed at the AHC and two checkpoints have been set up outside as a security measure. Two additional checkpoints have also been created on Akhaura Road leading to the Agartala Integrated Check Post.
These security measures have been put in place based on assessments made by senior police and intelligence officials, according to sources. In a statement released on Monday, Chief Minister Manik Saha, who holds the Home portfolio, condemned the incident at the Bangladesh AHC.
On the other hand, protests against alleged atrocities committed on minority Hindus in Bangladesh continued in Agartala and other parts of the State on Tuesday. The Sanatani Yuba, a right-wing youth organisation, held a protest rally in Agartala city under heavy security presence.
In another major development, Tripura Hotel and Restaurant Owners Association has declared they would not provide accommodation to Bangladesh nationals in protest of the deterioration of the communal situation there. It, however, said the measure is temporary.
Meanwhile, a leader of a Hindu organisation stated that they will continue to hold protests until attacks on Hindus in Bangladesh are stopped and the country’s Hindu leader Prabhu Chinmoy Krishna Das is unconditionally acquitted from false charges.
Published – December 04, 2024 06:03 am IST
