India has been closely monitoring the situation in neighbouring Bangladesh as violence escalated in the country following the death of anti-Indian activist Sharif Osman Hadi on Friday (19th December). The Bangladesh interim government, led by Chief Advisor Muhammad Yunus, deployed the Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) across Dhaka to control the situation ahead of the arrival of Hadi’s body from Singapore. In a statement on Friday, the BGB informed that personnel have been deployed in the airport area, Karwan Bazar, the Hotel InterContinental zone, and other key points in the capital.
Hadi’s funeral procession will be held on Saturday (20th December) following Zuhr prayers at Manik Mia Avenue. He will be buried beside the poet Kazi Nazrul Islam. He was shot on 12th December during an election campaign in the central region of Dhaka in the Bijoynagar area. After undergoing treatment for 6 days, he succumbed to his injuries in a Singapore hospital.
Indian visa facility in Dhaka resumed operation
The India Visa Application Centre (IVAC) facility in Dhaka resumed operations on Thursday (18th December) after temporarily suspending operations due to security concerns following a protest march headed towards the Indian High Commission in the capital city. However, the IVAC facilities in Khulna and Rajshahi remained closed due to security concerns. On Wednesday (17th December), a group of protesters marching under the banner of ‘July Oikya’ were stopped by the Dhaka police from surrounding the Indian High Commission in Dhaka. The same day, the Indian Ministry of External Affairs summoned Bangladesh’s high commissioner Riaz Hamidullah and registered a protest over the deteriorating security environment in Bangladesh.
The US issued a travel advisory to its citizens in Bangladesh
Amid the deteriorating law and order situation in Bangladesh, the United States on Saturday (20th December) issued a travel advisory to its citizens in Bangladesh. The US cautioned citizens about possible disruptions in Dhaka and urged them to reassess travel plans and remain vigilant.
An Islamist mob lynches Hindu man over allegations of blasphemy
In the middle of the widespread violence triggered by Hadi’s shooting, an Islamist mob beat a Hindu man, Dipu Chandra Das, to death and set him on fire after tying him to a tree in Mymensingh’s Bhaluka Upazila on Thursday (18th December).
Security heightened in the Indian bordering states amid Bangladesh chaos
GOC-in-Chief of the Indian Army’s Eastern Command, Lieutenant General RC Tiwari, visited the Belonia border outpost in South Tripura district to assess the situation along the India-Bangladesh border. Several senior military officers accompanied him during the visit and reviewed the security measures.
As Bangladesh descends into violence and chaos again, India is keeping a close watch.
