Amid escalating tensions between India and Bangladesh, Indian High Commissioner to Bangladesh, Pranay Verma, met with Acting Foreign Secretary, Riaz Hamidullah, on Tuesday. The meeting came a day after a breach at the Bangladesh mission in Agartala, which has sparked renewed diplomatic friction between the two nations, already strained by the arrest of Hindu monk Chinmoy Krishna Das and ongoing protests over the treatment of Hindus in Bangladesh.
Contrary to earlier reports suggesting that Verma had been summoned by the Bangladesh Foreign Ministry in response to the incident, senior Indian journalists later clarified that the meeting was pre-scheduled and part of ongoing diplomatic engagements.
During the meeting, High Commissioner Verma reaffirmed India's commitment to building a "constant, stable, and constructive" relationship with Bangladesh, emphasizing that the bilateral ties between the two countries are broad and multifaceted, and cannot be reduced to a single issue. Verma highlighted the importance of maintaining a comprehensive and enduring partnership, noting that both nations have much to collaborate on for mutual benefit.
"We have a wide-ranging and multifaceted relationship. You cannot reduce it to one issue," Verma was quoted as saying in a Daily Star report. "We want to build on the dependencies between our countries to mutual benefit."
Verma further pointed out the positive developments in various sectors over the years, including power supply and the provision of essential commodities. He expressed India’s interest in engaging with Bangladesh based on the aspirations of the people of both countries.
Earlier today, in a Facebook post, Asif Nazrul, an influential Law Affairs Adviser in Bangladesh's interim government, termed the vandalism at Bangladesh's diplomatic mission in Agartala as India's “failure.” He called for India to reassess its relationship with Bangladesh in the aftermath of the toppling of the Sheikh Hasina-led government. Nazrul also criticized India's handling of the situation and highlighted the differences between the current interim government in Bangladesh, led by Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus, and Hasina's pro-India regime.
The vandalism incident took place during a large protest near the Bangladesh Assistant High Commission in Agartala, where demonstrators voiced opposition to the arrest of Hindu monk Chinmoy Krishna Das and attacks on the Hindu community in Bangladesh. Protesters allegedly stormed the mission premises and set fire to the Bangladesh national flag, prompting condemnation from Bangladesh officials. The Indian Ministry of External Affairs expressed regret over the incident, calling it “deeply regrettable.”
Nazrul accused a group called Hindu Sangharsh Samiti of orchestrating the attack and questioned how India would have responded if a similar incident had occurred under the banner of a “Muslim Sangharsh Samiti.” He also criticized West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee’s comments about deploying international peacekeepers in Bangladesh, suggesting that India should instead focus on the treatment of minorities and Dalits within its own borders.
The tensions between the two countries have been simmering since August 5, when former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina fled to India following widespread protests in Bangladesh. These protests were sparked by the controversial job quota system under Hasina’s government. The situation worsened with the arrest of Hindu monk Chinmoy Krishna Das last week, which led to protests and violence in Bangladesh. The unrest escalated further when a government prosecutor was killed during protests in the port city of Chattogram.
In response to the Agartala incident, Bangladesh's Ministry of Foreign Affairs officially protested to New Delhi, alleging that the attack on the mission appeared to be premeditated. Protests have erupted in Bangladesh, including an overnight demonstration by students at Dhaka University.
In a related development, a lawyer in Dhaka filed a writ petition in the High Court seeking a ban on the broadcast of Indian television channels in Bangladesh.
Meanwhile, the Indian government has pledged to strengthen security at Bangladesh’s diplomatic missions in India, including the High Commission in New Delhi, following the breach in Agartala.
