Bangladesh protested against Mamta shelter
Earlier, Bangladesh Foreign Minister Dr. Mohammad Hasan Mahmud also objected to the statement of the West Bengal Chief Minister. According to reports, Mamata Banerjee’s remarks about giving shelter to ‘helpless people from Bangladesh’ have been described by the government there as ‘provocative’, protesting in front of the Indian High Commission.
Internal affairs Bengal before Indian High Commission
Sources said that Bangladesh has strongly objected to the remarks made by Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on its internal affairs before the Indian High Commission. Sources said that Dhaka has argued that Ms Banerjee’s remarks over the weekend were provocative and contained mistakes related to the internal affairs of Bangladesh.
The High Commission was told that the West Bengal Chief Minister’s statement on the ‘internal affairs’ of Bangladesh also contained ‘mistakes’ and officials in the capital Dhaka and other places are trying to restore ‘normalcy’.
Terming the protests as an internal matter
The neighbouring country’s foreign minister and a senior member of the ruling Awami League party, Dr Mohammad Hasan Mahmud, said the words of Banerjee, whose state shares borders with Bangladesh, could create ‘confusion’ and ‘mislead’ people.
“With all due respect to Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, I would like to say that we have a very good relationship with her. But her comments have created some level of confusion and there is scope to be misled,” Mahmud said in a press interaction.
Earlier, speaking about the anti-reservation agitation led by students from Bangladesh that turned violent last week, Banerjee announced that her state would provide shelter to ‘helpless people knocking on our doors’.
The West Bengal chief minister, who was addressing the Trinamool Congress’ (TMC) annual Shaheed Diwas rally in Kolkata on July 21, cited a UN resolution to justify her ‘proposal’.
This is because of the UN resolution, he stressed, which provides for accommodating refugees in areas adjacent to unrest areas. Normalcy returned to Bangladesh on Wednesday after five days of nationwide violent student protests over reservation in government jobs. Traffic returned to normal during rush hour in the capital and a limited number of banks, garment factories and internet services opened.
The curfew in the capital and other districts was also relaxed for seven hours, but officials said strict vigil would continue by army personnel and the paramilitary Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) along with riot police and the elite anti-crime Rapid Action Battalion (RAB).
His remarks came on a day when Bangladesh’s Supreme Court in an urgent hearing refused to abolish quotas in civil service jobs but reduced the reservation for kin of 1971 Liberation War veterans from 30% to just 5%, while 93% of jobs (up from 44%) will now be allocated on merit. The remaining 2% (previously 26%) of jobs will be set aside for specific groups, including ethnic minorities, transgender and the disabled.
Constitutional violation: Bengal Raj Bhavan objects to Mamata’s Bangladesh visit
The South Asian nation had withdrawn the quota in 2018 following massive student protests, but a high court in June this year reinstated it, leading to the recent agitation. However, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s ‘Razakar’ remark angered students and led to a rise in protests.
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I should not speak on the affairs of Bangladesh because she is a sovereign nation and whatever needs to be said on this issue is a central subject. But I can tell you this that if helpless people knock at the doors of Bengal, we will definitely provide them shelter,” she had said at her party’s “Shaheed Diwas” rally in Kolkata.
Sources told Dhaka that the situation Ms Banerjee referred to in the context of the UN resolution does not exist in Bangladesh.
Further, it said that such comments, especially the assurance of shelter to people, can incite many people. Terrorists and miscreants can also take advantage of such an announcement.
Bangladesh has lodged a formal protest against West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee’s recent statement on providing shelter to people from neighboring countries. The Bangladeshi government deemed the comments “unwarranted” and “unacceptable,” stressing that such statements could negatively impact the cordial relations between the two countries. Bangladesh’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs issued a statement urging Indian leaders to refrain from remarks that could harm bilateral ties and mutual understanding. The protest highlights the importance of maintaining respectful and constructive dialogue to foster positive relations between Bangladesh and India.
Conclusion
The Sheikh Hasina-led government has strongly objected to West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee’s offer to “give shelter” to “hapless people” from Bangladesh amid last week’s violent protests.
Banerjee said during an address on July 21 that her government will provide assistance to everyone “who knocks on our door” and will provide shelter to people coming to India from the troubled country.
“Hundreds of students and others are returning to West Bengal, India from crisis-hit Bangladesh. I have asked my state administration to provide all possible help and assistance to those returning,” he said.
