Unrest in Bangladesh

Although the anti-reservation riots started by students in Bangladesh temporarily subsided after Sheikh Hasina fled to India, it has now transformed into an anti-Hindu riot. Following the arrest of Chinmoy Krishnadas, a Hindu monk and leader of the Hindu minority, the police and the Hindu protestors have been fighting in the streets. India has condemned this and strongly protested against the unfortunate incidents in the neighbouring country. This is a time when there is a general concern that Indian troops may have to move into Bangladesh like in 1971. Before the 13-day war in 1971, nearly one crore Bangladeshi refugees had fled to Bengal. India had provided them refuge back then. However, India is not equipped to handle another influx of refugees of such magnitude. India had also not granted entry permits to Rohingya refugees.

Young student leaders and others are now controlling the government in Bangladesh with the support of Jamaat-e-Islami, which favours radical fundamentalism. A massive conspiracy is suspected to be behind the current riots in Bangladesh, aiming to forcibly displace over one crore minority Hindus to India. It cannot be ignored that Pakistan and China might have a hand in this. In addition to Hindus, minorities in Bangladesh include Buddhists and Christians. Reports indicate that more than 2000 incidents of violence had taken place against minorities in Bangladesh after Sheikh Hasina's government collapsed and an interim administration led by Muhammad Yunus came to power. Reports suggest that a shipload of weapons has been transported from Pakistan to Bangladesh. Muhammad Yunus, a Nobel laureate, is a prominent figure, but he is now merely a facade for the fundamentalists pulling the strings from behind the scenes. Unlike the case of Sri Lanka, the unrest in Bangladesh is not due to economic instability. Bangladesh had achieved significant economic progress under Sheikh Hasina's rule. It is the politicization of religion that is tarnishing the atmosphere in Bangladesh. The only solution to this situation is the return of the democratic process. However, holding elections under the current interim government cannot be expected to be fair or just. In this scenario, India's intervention will be crucial. Prolonged unrest in Bangladesh, which shares a border of over 4,000 kilometres with India, is not desirable for India. However, if the violence against Hindus continues, India may find it impossible to refrain from intervening.