Bangladesh slams attack on its mission in India

DHAKA, Bangladesseh

Bangladesh strongly condemned a violent demonstration and attack by a group of protesters on its consulate in the northeastern Indian state of Tripura on Monday, saying it was preplanned.

A group of angry protesters from the Hindu Sangharsh Samiti attacked the premises of the Bangladesh Assistant High Commission in Tripura's capital Agartala, vandalizing the flagpole and setting the Bangladesh national flag on fire.

Bangladesh’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs in a statement said it “deeply resents” the incident.

“The accounts received conclusively attest that the protesters were allowed to aggress into the premises by breaking down the main gate of the Bangladesh Assistant High Commission in a pre-planned manner,” it said.

Local police in charge of protecting the premises were found not to be active in containing the situation from the beginning, the statement alleged, saying that all members of the Assistant High Commission “are left with a deep sense of insecurity.”

It said the attack was similar to a violent demonstration in Kolkata last Thursday.

Bangladesh deemed the attack as a violation of the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations, calling for immediate action and a thorough investigation by the Indian government.

It also called for ensuring the safety and security of diplomats and non-diplomatic members of staff and members of their families.

In response, an Indian Foreign Ministry statement called the attack “deeply regrettable."

"The incident earlier today of the breach of premises at the Bangladesh Assistant High Commission in Agartala is deeply regrettable. Diplomatic and consular properties should not be targeted under any circumstances. The government is taking action to step up security arrangements for the Bangladesh High Commission in New Delhi and their Deputy/Assistant High Commissions in the country," it said.

Students at the campus of Dhaka University and in the port city Chattogram and many other parts of the country held protest rallies Monday night.

They also criticized India for hosting ousted Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.

The neighboring South Asian countries have been experiencing a sense of discomfort after her fall.

Since she fled India on Aug. 5 in the face of an uprising and a transitional government led by Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus took office on Aug. 8, the Indian government and Hindu right-wing groups began alleging that Hindu minorities and their temples in Bangladesh are being targeted.

The Bangladesh government rejected the allegations, however, labeling them “propaganda.”

The Foreign Ministry on Monday also briefed foreign diplomats in Dhaka on the safety of minority citizens and the security situation in the country as allegations arose from the India side.

*Ahmad Adil in New Delhi contributed to the story