Bangladesh’s current interim government continues pursuing the return journey of ousted Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina to Dhaka so that she is compelled to face hundreds of legal cases, lodged in different locations of the South Asian nation and to finally deliver justice to the victims. The caretaker regime in Dhaka has also seemingly maintained an inherent agenda to embarrass the Union government in New Delhi for giving shelter to the autocratic Awami League chief, who ruled India’s immediate neighbour for more than two decades. Giving asylum to septuagenarian Hasina after a short notice as she had to leave her country following an unprecedented student-led uprising in July-August 2024, New Delhi continued supporting the daughter of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, even with no formal announcement.
Lately, the Bangla government, led by Professor Muhammad Yunus, approached the International Criminal Police Organization (popularly known as INTERPOL) with an appeal to issue a Red Notice against Hasina along with some of her associates against their involvement in the mass killings during the monsoon uprising. Sending a formal request to France’s Lyon-based inter-governmental body, the national central bureau of Bangladesh Police, claimed that all those accused are now absconding for many months in foreign lands. Usually issued for fugitives wanted for serious crimes such as murder, rape and fraud, the Red Notices reflect international requests to law enforcement agencies across the world. Even though these cannot be termed as international arrest warrants, the initiative is taken seriously to locate the concerned person(s) to proceed with legal formalities.
Recently, Prof Yunus while meeting Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Bangkok on the sidelines of the 6th BIMSTEC summit, reiterated the demand for Hasina’s repatriation. New Delhi remains non-committal to it and subsequently urged the Yunus administration to ensure safety and security for religious minorities in the Muslim-majority nation.
Popular Bangladeshi author Taslima Nasrin, who was forced to leave her country of birth, echoed the same version. In a recent media interview, Taslima also expressed her empathy towards Hasina, even though her passport was not renewed by the premier Bangabandhu Kanya. Destiny has forced both the ladies to take shelter in India and Taslima keeps ready a question to Hasina (if they meet by chance somewhere in Delhi), “How does it feel to lose one’s home country!” Awami League’s archrival Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) always termed Hasina as an agent of New Delhi and it was reflected once again with a party leader’s outburst. BNP vice-chairman Shamsuzzaman Dudu recently commented that Hasina would have integrated the country with India if it was possible. Hasina fled to her actual address, asserted Dudu during a public address.
Meanwhile, the recent abduction and subsequent killing of Bhabesh Chandra Roy (58) ignited another row of outrages as New Delhi termed it a systematic murder of minorities in Bangladesh. Officially reacting to the unfortunate incident, where the office bearer of Biral Upazila Puja Udjapan Parishad was severely assaulted in Dinajpur locality, New Delhi termed it another example of atrocities on Hindus there. Roy was reportedly kidnapped from his residence in Basudebpur village on 17 April and beaten to death by four individuals. They came on two bikes after confirming his presence at home and took Roy away towards Narabari village in the afternoon hours. According to his wife, Shantana Roy, the perpetrators first called him by phone to ensure his presence at home and after a few minutes they arrived to bring him with them. When Roy returned on a rickshaw van, he was almost unconscious, and family members took him to a nearby hospital where he was declared dead. The victim’s son Swapan Chandra Roy lodged a police complaint accusing Atikur Islam, Ratan Islam, Munna Islam and Md Rubel for their involvement with the murder.
The prime opposition Congress party also condemned Roy’s killing and urged the Union government to take up the matter with the highest urgency and prevail upon the regime in Dhaka to ensure a credible investigation to punish the culprits. The abduction and assault leading to Roy’s tragic death is a chilling reminder of the growing sense of insecurity among religious minorities in the region, commented senior Congress leader Jairam Ramesh, adding that it’s not an isolated incident. Over the past months, there have been repeated and deeply disturbing instances of attacks on minority communities in Bangladesh, from the desecration of Hindu temples to targeted attacks on the homes and businesses of minorities. This pattern of intimidation and brutality cannot be ignored, he added.
Dhaka-based human rights group ‘Aain O Salis Kendra’ recently reported that 147 incidents of vandalism targeting Hindu houses, temples and businesses took place last month. It explained that over 408 households, including 36 cases of arson, were recorded when 113 attacks took place against Hindu-owned business groups. Moreover, 32 incidents of vandalism of temples and Ahmadiyya mosques were reported during the period. Days back, the United States renewed its travel advisory for Bangladesh, where it urged American citizens to reconsider visiting the country in general and Chittagong Hill Tracts region in particular over elevated threats of violence, terrorism, and kidnapping.
