Finance
India evacuated all non-essential workers and families of high commission officials from Dhaka on Wednesday as a precautionary measure in light of the ongoing violence in Bangladesh, though the mission remains operational, according to persons familiar with the situation.
The move occurred two days after former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina resigned on Monday due to massive public demonstrations demanding the removal of her Awami League administration. The army has taken over responsibility for governing the country until an interim administration led by Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus is established.
“The return of non-essential staff and families from the Indian high commission in Dhaka has been done on a voluntary basis through a commercial flight. The non-essential staff and families returned this [Wednesday] morning,” one of the people cited above said on condition of anonymity.
The people said all diplomats remain in the high commission, which continues to be functional. The mission’s helplines are also functional and the numbers are +8801958383679, +8801958383680 and +8801937400591.
Since Hasina’s resignation, Indian High Commissioner Pranay Verma and other diplomats in Dhaka have been working tirelessly to connect with Bangladeshi authorities, particularly the military, according to sources. According to sources, the Indian side has also emphasized to military authorities the need of protecting Indian nationals and Bangladesh’s minority communities.
Despite Bangladesh Army Chief Gen Waker-uz-Zaman’s plea for calm and order following Hasina’s resignation on Monday, violence has continued in several regions of the country, primarily targeting Awami League leaders, workers, and supporters. However, normalcy has returned to Dhaka.
In Jashore, a crowd set fire to an Awami League politician’s hotel, killing 24, while in Khulna, three individuals were beaten to death, including an Awami League activist. Selim Khan, a film producer, and his actor son Shanto Khan were slain in Chattogram when violence erupted across Bangladesh on Tuesday.
Nearly 140 people were killed in riots following Hasina’s resignation, bringing the total death toll since last month to nearly 450.
Apart from the high commission in Dhaka, India maintains assistant high commissioners in Chittagong, Khulna, Rajshahi, and Sylhet. External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar informed Parliament on Tuesday on developments in Bangladesh, saying India was very worried about the status of the country’s minorities following attacks on their businesses and places of worship.
Though numerous groups have taken steps to protect minorities, India’s concerns will persist until law and order are restored, he stated. He urged Bangladeshi authorities to guarantee protection for India’s missions, which will resume normal operations once the situation has stabilised.
When the protests started last month, there were approximately 19,000 Indian nationals in Bangladesh, including 9,000 students. The majority of the pupils returned home in recent weeks.
The Hindu minority accounts for around 8% of Bangladesh’s population of nearly 170 million.
Source:HT
