Security tightened in Bangladesh Assistant High Commission offices in Agartala, Guwahati

Security of the Bangladesh Assistant High Commission (AHC) offices in Guwahati and Agartala further strengthened in view of the protests against atrocities on the minority Hindu community in the neighbouring country, officials said on Monday.

A senior police officer in Agartala said that Director General of Police (Intelligence) Anurag and Deputy Inspector General (Intelligence and Southern Range) Krishnendu Chakraborty on Monday afternoon visited the AHC office in Agartala and spoke to the officials of the Bangladesh mission.

The official said that the DG (Intelligence) and the DIG (Intelligence) assured the AHC officials that foolproof security would be provided to the mission.

Numbers of security personnel of Tripura Police have been increased in and around the AHC office on the outskirts of Agartala city, the official said.

A senior official in Guwahati said that the security in the AHC office there also increased.

Earlier, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) in a statement in Delhi said that security have been stepped up for the Bangladesh High Commission in Delhi and its Deputy and Assistant High Commissions in the country following a rising number of protests being held against the atrocities being committed on the Hindu community in the neighbouring country.

After a demonstration was held near the office of the AHC of Bangladesh in Agartala earlier in the day, the MEA was quick to point out that diplomatic missions should not be targeted under any circumstances.

"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. 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," read the MEA statement.

On Monday, hundreds of activists had turned up outside the AHC office to submit a memorandum that urged the interim government in Dhaka to protect the lives of Hindus in Bangladesh along with their properties.

The activists of the 'Hindu Sangharsh Samiti' also submitted a memorandum to the AHC, urging the caretaker government to stop atrocities on the Hindu community and protect their lives and properties.

'Hindu Sangharsh Samiti' leader Sankar Roy said that the attacks on the lives and properties of Hindus in Bangladesh became a daily affair in the neighbouring nation and the security forces remained a silent spectator.

"During the 1971 Bangladesh liberation war, thousands of Hindus fighting the war sacrificed their lives and eventually, after the country became a sovereign nation, people of the Hindu community contributed a lot to the development of the country," Roy told the media.

The 'Hindu Sangharsh Samiti' in its memorandum said that it also urged the International Human Rights Commission, United Nations as well as other nations to intervene in the Bangladesh situation and stop atrocities against Hindus.

Earlier, various organisations, Tripura Chief Minister Manik Saha, Leader of Opposition Jitendra Chowdhury, former minister and senior Congress leader Birajit Sinha separately urged the Bangladesh government to stop atrocities on Hindu minorities.

Meanwhile, one of the largest private healthcare facilities in Agartala, has decided to stop services for Bangladeshi patients following protests by some local activists over atrocities against minorities in Bangladesh and reported disrespect of India's national flag.

Responding to the protests, the Chief Operating Officer of the private hospital, also announced the closure of the hospital's Bangladesh desk.

After a private hospital in Kolkata announced not to provide medical treatment to the patients from Bangladesh over reported attacks on minorities and disrespect to the Indian flag, a multi-specialty private hospital in Agartala also followed suit.

An executive of the private hospital in Agartala on Sunday said that they consider the dignity and respect of India first and also the inhuman atrocities of the minorities in Bangladesh can not be ignored.

The Agartala hospital's decision follows a similar move by a private hospital in Kolkata which recently announced it would discontinue medical treatment to Bangladeshi patients over the same issue.

The minorities in Bangladesh, especially Hindus, have come under a severe attack by Islamist elements in Bangladesh after the formation of the interim government in the country headed by Chief Advisor Muhammad Yunus.

Last week, after the arrest and denial of bail to Chinmoy Krishna Das, a spokesperson of the Bangladesh Sammilit Sanatan Jagran Jote, India had underlined that there are several documented cases of arson and looting of minorities' homes and business establishments, as well as theft and vandalism and desecration of deities and temples, reported from Bangladesh.