Trouble in Bangladesh

What is the issue?

Incidents of majoritarian violence against Bangladesh’s Hindu minority community during Durga Puja has been condemned by the UN, the U.S. and India.

What is the recent communal tension in Bangladesh ?

The minority Hindu community accounts for nearly 10% of the country’s 160 million people.

• The mob violence appears to have begun in Comilla, in Chittagong district, where an image allegedly showing disrespect to the Koran was circulated in social media.
• It resulted in incidents of vandalism of Hindu temples and homes belonging to the minority community.
• According to the police, more than 450 people have been arrested and more than 70 cases filed in different parts of Bangladesh.

What is India’s response to the violence?

• The Indian High Commission in Dhaka was in touch with law and order officials at the Centre.

• It has stepped in to meet the members of Bangladeshi Hindu community, including representatives from the ISKCON group that was attacked.
• India has raised its voice against the majoritarian violence against Bangladesh’s Hindu minority community.
• The Indian government has also praised the authorities for moving quickly to take control of the situation.

What must be India cautious about?

• The Citizenship (Amendment) Act in 2019 had a widespread effect in Bangladesh and at least 12 people were killed in protests against Mr. Modi’s visit to Dhaka earlier this year.

• There are chances that the Indian High Commission’s act of meeting local minorities to be interpreted as an act of interference rather than an act of compassion.
• As a regional leader, India has every right to be concerned about the plight of communities in the subcontinent.
• But, India must ensure that the foreign relations are not affected.
• A non- partisan religious approach is needed to stabilise the relations between the two countries which have a shared history of cooperation over much of the past 50 years.

Source: The Hindu