Bangladesh 'urgently' recalls Kolkata and Agartala mission heads amid rising tension with India: Report

NEW DELHI: Bangladesh has urgently recalled the mission heads of Agartala and Kolkata high commissions to Dhaka, a move that would further deepen the ongoing tension between the interim-Yunus government and New Delhi.

The acting deputy high commissioner of Bangladesh in Kolkata, Shikdar Md Ashrafur Rahman, and the assistant high commissioner in Tripura, Arifur Rahman, were instructed to return to Dhaka on an urgent basis last Tuesday, reported Prothom Alo citing sources.

While the mission head of Kolkata turned to Dhaka, his Tripura mission colleague will soon leave for Bangladesh.

This comes a day after demonstrators allegedly broke into the Bangladesh assistant high commission in Agartala to protest atrocities against minorities in the neighbouring country.

The high commission breach comes after an Agartala-Kolkata bus travelling via Dhaka on Saturday reportedly faced an attack in the Brahmanbaria district of Bangladesh after being involved in an accident on Vishwa Road.

The breach came amid escalating tensions between India and Bangladesh, exacerbated by rising attacks on Hindus and their places of worship in Bangladesh following the resignation of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina earlier this year.

The political instability in Bangladesh has coincided with a series of mob attacks, intensifying concerns for the safety of the Hindu minority community. The tension rose further after the arrest of prominent Iskcon priest Chinmoy Krishna Das, a vocal advocate for minority rights.

Das was detained at Dhaka airport in October on charges of allegedly disrespecting the Bangladeshi flag during a rally. The specifics of the allegations remain vague, and Das has been denied bail.

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