Protest rally in Tripura against continuous attacks on minorities in B’desh

Rallies and demonstrations against the atrocities on minorities in Bangladesh continued in the northeastern states with Tipra Motha Party (TMP), an ally of ruling BJP, on Thursday organised a massive rally in southern Tripura’s Sabroom sub-division.

Sabroom sub-division, 135 km south of Agartala, adjoining Khagrachari district, one of the three districts of Chittagong Hill tracts of southeast Bangladesh.

The TMP protest rally was led by party supremo and former royal scion Pradyot Bikram Manikya Debbarma.

Debbarma in a post on the X said, “Think about it, if we can speak about Israel, Palestine, Russia and Ukraine then why are we silent when we have to speak about our minority plight in Bangladesh? After all, it was a part of our history.”

Addressing the gathering in Sabroom, he urged the Centre to expose the ongoing assaults in Bangladesh at the United Nations.

“Since the Sheikh Hasina-led (Awami League) government fell in neighbouring Bangladesh (on August 5), there have been regular attacks on our temples, churches, prayer houses and properties. This is a rally to show solidarity to our Hindu Bengali, Buddhist, Christian, tribals and other brethren suffering in Bangladesh,” he said.

Debbarma also stated that the TMP and all stakeholders stand with the minorities of Bangladesh saying: “We want to tell the minorities in Bangladesh that they are not alone. We are with them. We also urge the government of India to take this issue to the international forum including the UN and expose Bangladesh before the world.”

Thousands of tribals, mostly Buddhist Chakmas, during the past two weeks, organised a series of massive demonstrations and rallies in Mizoram, Tripura and Assam to protest the continuous attack on minorities in neighbouring Bangladesh.

Chakma community leader Amitav Chakma said in Agartala: “More than 79 people, mostly from the Chakma community, were killed by Muslims and their goons during the past few weeks. The Bangladesh government is yet to take any effective step to stop these acts of violence against innocent people.”

A group of Chakma leaders last week urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi in a memorandum demanding the downgrading of diplomatic relations with Bangladesh until the lives and properties of the hill tribes and religious minorities are protected.

The Chakma leaders in their memorandum claimed that since September 19, more than nine innocent tribals were shot dead while dozens were injured at Khagrachari in “organised attacks” by the Bangladesh Army and the illegal settlers.

Besides, over 100 houses and shops have been burnt at Dighinala Sadar.

The Buddhist Chakmas mainly live in the CHT of southeast Bangladesh, the Chin and Arakan provinces of Myanmar and several states of India’s northeastern region.