India registers protest with Bangladesh over Yunus aide’s post. ‘Be mindful of public comments’

One of the student protest leaders, Mahfuz Alam, in a now-deleted social media post, commented that a 'truncated Bangla' is not complete victory or freedom.

MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal | X

New Delhi: India has registered a protest with Bangladesh over a now-deleted social media post by Mahfuz Alam, an adviser to the Bangladesh interim government head, Muhammad Yunus.

In the 16 December post, Alam wrote that the entire region between the Himalayas and the Bay of Bengal is culturally and civilisationally similar, and North India is quite different. Later in the post, he wrote a “truncated Bangla” is not complete victory or freedom. The post was later deleted.

“We have registered our strong protest on this issue with the Bangladesh side. We understand that the post being referred to has reportedly been taken down. We would like to remind all concerned to be mindful of their public comments,” Randhir Jaiswal, the Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson, said at a regular press briefing Friday.

Jaiswal added: “While India has repeatedly signalled interest in fostering relations with the people and the interim government of Bangladesh, such comments underline the need for responsibility in public articulation.”

The Indian High Commission in Dhaka has submitted New Delhi’s protest through a note verbale.

Alam is a leader of the student protests that ousted Sheikh Hasina this year. His post asserted that Bangladesh’s history is still in the making and also claimed that while India is the land of “Brahman-vadi Hindus” and Pakistan of “Ashraf Muslims”, Bangladesh belongs to Hindus, Muslims, Dalits and all other oppressed communities.

Yunus has made no comments on Alam’s post so far.

Since Hasina’s ouster, ties between the interim government in Bangladesh and India have, at best, been rocky. Hasina, who fled her country, remains in India, as exclusively reported by ThePrint.

India has also been vocal on the issue of attacks against minorities, especially Hindus, in Bangladesh. According to the Yunus government, besides 88 FIRs, at least 70 people have been arrested over the attacks against minorities.

Last week, Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri visited Dhaka for foreign office consultations and also called on Yunus. Misri raised the safety and welfare of minorities during his visit and also made it clear that New Delhi desires to maintain “mutually beneficial ties”.

(Edited by Madhurita Goswami)