New Delhi: India Friday accused the interim government of Bangladesh of seeking to “shift the blame” for its inability to maintain law and order in the South Asian nation, after Dhaka’s Home Adviser hinted that “external forces” were behind the recent violent protests in Khagrachhari hill district.
“We categorically reject these false and baseless allegations. The interim government, which is unable to maintain law and order in Bangladesh, has routinely sought to shift the blame elsewhere,” Randhir Jaiswal, the official spokesperson for the Ministry of External Affairs, said at a regular press briefing.
Jaiswal added: “It (the Bangladesh government) would do well to introspect and conduct serious investigations into the actions of local extremists—committing violence, arson and land grab—against the minority communities in the Chittagong Hill Tracts.”
Earlier in the week, Lt. Gen. Jahangir Alam Chowdhury (Retd.), the adviser for Home Affairs, indicated that “fascist forces”—possibly the Awami League—or other external forces were behind the protests on 28 September in the Khagrachhari hill district. The protests broke out over the alleged sexual assault of a teenaged girl from the hill tracts.
At least three people were killed during the protests. Some politicians in Bangladesh were quick to accuse India of fermenting violence and instability in the hill tracts, especially during the festive season. However, neither Chowdhury nor the other Bangladeshi politicians offered any evidence to support their claims.
Ties between New Delhi and Dhaka have remained tense since the fall of Sheikh Hasina’s government in August 2024.
(Edited by Viny Mishra)
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