Nearly 140 people died in the violence the followed Sheikh Hasina’s resignation, taking the death toll since last month to almost 450.
India pulled out all non-essential staff and families of officials of the high commission in Dhaka on Wednesday as a precautionary measure in view of the continuing violence in Bangladesh though the mission remains functional, people familiar with the matter said.
An aerial view shows anti-government protestors storming former Bangladesh prime minister Sheikh Hasina’s palace in Dhaka. (AFP Photo)
The move came two days after former premier Sheikh Hasina resigned on Monday because of nationwide public demonstrations seeking the ouster of her Awami League government. The army has taken responsibility for running the country till an interim government, led by Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus, is formed.
“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 quit, Indian high commissioner Pranay Verma and other diplomats in Dhaka have been engaged in hectic efforts to engage with authorities in Bangladesh, especially the military, the people said. The Indian side has also conveyed to military authorities the need to protect Indian nationals and Bangladesh’s minority communities, they said.
Despite Bangladesh Army chief Gen Waker-uz-Zaman calling for peace and order in the wake of Hasina’s resignation on Monday, violence – mostly directed against the Awami League party’s leaders, workers and supporters – has continued in many parts of the country. However, a sense of normalcy has returned to Dhaka.
A mob torched a hotel owned by an Awami League politician in Jashore, killing 24 people, while an Awami League activist was among three people beaten to death in Khulna. Film producer Selim Khan and his actor son Shanto Khan were killed in Chattogram as violence roiled several parts of Bangladesh on Tuesday.
Nearly 140 people died in violence after Hasina’s resignation, taking the death toll since last month to almost 450.
Besides the high commission in Dhaka, India has assistant high commissions in Chittagong, Khulna, Rajshahi and Sylhet. While informing Parliament on developments in Bangladesh on Tuesday, external affairs minister S Jaishankar said India was deeply concerned about the status of the country’s minorities following attacks on their businesses and places of worship.
Though several groups have taken steps to protect minorities, India’s concerns will remain till law and order is restored, he said. He called on Bangladeshi authorities to provide security for India’s missions, which will resume normal functioning once the situation stabilises.
There were about 19,000 Indian nationals, including 9,000 students, in Bangladesh when the protests began last month. The bulk of the students have returned home in recent weeks.
The Hindu minority makes up about 8% of Bangladesh’s population of almost 170 million.
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