Protests erupt in Assam over attacks on minorities in Bangladesh

GUWAHATI/SILCHAR/DIBRUGARH: Protests against attacks on minorities in Bangladesh spread across Assam on Monday as CM Himanta Biswa Sarma flashed a high alert after incendiary calls in the neighbouring country for a "Greater Bangladesh" that envisions India's North-East as part of its territory.Protests were carried out in Barak Valley, Dima Hasao, Hailakandi, Tinsukia and other areas demanding urgent intervention by Centre to ensure safety of minorities in Bangladesh. In Silchar, demonstrators condemned attacks on Hindus in Bangladesh. In Sribhumi, members of Bangali Parishad Assam burnt an effigy of Muhammad Yunus. In Dima Hasao, Parishad members submitted a memorandum to local authorities for being sent to PM Modi, seeking steps to protect minorities in Bangladesh. A rally on similar lines was taken out at Panchgram in Hailakandi district. In Tinsukia, Parishad activists held demonstrations against Dipu's killing. "The brutal lynching of Dipu is an attack on humanity and on the Hindu community in Bangladesh," a Parishad member said in Tinsukia.If the protests kept BJP-governed Assam on toes, CM Sarma's alert over "Greater Bangladesh" fanned fears of a possible spill-over of the unrest in Bangladesh. "We have all witnessed the atrocities against Hindus in Bangladesh, (with one) even burnt alive, and the dangerous rhetoric of a 'Greater Bangladesh' promoted by certain leaders and those in power. We must be vigilant and keep a sharp eye on developments in that country," Sarma said.The CM vowed to continue an ongoing drive against infiltrators.