B’desh violence: Protests erupt across Assam

Silchar: Protests against alleged attacks on religious minorities in Bangladesh spread across Assam’s Barak Valley and Dima Hasao on Monday, with Youth Congress workers, civil society organisations and Bengali groups demanding urgent intervention by the Indian govt to ensure the safety of minorities in the neighbouring country.

In Silchar, district Youth Congress members held a demonstration condemning what they described as a spate of violent incidents targeting Hindus in Bangladesh, including the killing of a Hindu youth, Dipu Chandra Das, in Mymensingh. Protesters raised slogans against the interim govt in Dhaka and fundamentalist forces and burnt an effigy of Muhammad Yunus.




Addressing reporters, former district Congress president Abhijit Paul said incidents of vandalism at temples and monasteries, along with killings of minority youths, had created widespread outrage. He warned that the Youth Congress would intensify its agitation if attacks on minorities did not stop immediately, while urging New Delhi to take swift and effective steps to protect vulnerable communities.

Echoing similar concerns, Karimganj district Congress media department chairperson Shahadat Ahmed Choudhury alleged that extremist outfits were gaining ground in Bangladesh, creating an atmosphere of fear among minorities. He said violence and discrimination on religious grounds were crimes against humanity and demanded firm diplomatic and security measures to curb fundamentalism. He also called for stricter border controls and a review of trade and other engagements until the situation improves.

Parallel protests were reported elsewhere in the region. Members of Bangali Parishad Assam, Sribhumi unit, assembled at the Visharjan Ghat on the banks of the Kushiyara river, near the Bangladesh border, raising slogans against the interim dispensation and burning an effigy of Yunus. Police maintained a tight vigil during the protest.

In Dima Hasao, the Bangali Parishad’s district committee submitted a memorandum to the Prime Minister through the district commissioner at Haflong, condemning the incidents and seeking immediate action to safeguard minorities in Bangladesh.

A rally on similar lines was also taken out at Panchgram in Hailakandi district, where speakers expressed solidarity with persecuted minorities and urged the Centre to adopt a firm stand on the issue.

Protesters across locations emphasised that peace and security for minorities in Bangladesh were essential for regional stability and called on New Delhi to use all diplomatic and strategic options to address the crisis.

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