New Delhi: In a congratulatory message, Prime Minister Narendra Modi extended best wishes to the newly sworn-in head of the Bangladesh interim government, Nobel laureate Professor Muhammad Yunus. He expressed hope for a swift return to normalcy and explicitly called for the protection of Hindus in Bangladesh.
Four days after former Bangladesh prime minister Sheikh Hasina resigned and fled to India, Nobel laureate Yunus was sworn in as chief adviser of the interim government, along with a 16-member advisory council, in Dhaka on Thursday night.
This marked the culmination of a dramatic shift in Bangladesh’s political landscape, where Hasina and the ruling Awami League had maintained undisputed control over all levers of government for 16 years.
Soon after, Modi tweeted “best wishes to Professor Muhammad Yunus on the assumption of his new responsibilities.
My best wishes to Professor Muhammad Yunus on the assumption of his new responsibilities. We hope for an early return to normalcy, ensuring the safety and protection of Hindus and all other minority communities. India remains committed to working with Bangladesh to fulfill the…
— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) August 8, 2024
Significantly, he added, “We hope for an early return to normalcy, ensuring the safety and protection of Hindus and all other minority communities.”
“India remains committed to working with Bangladesh to fulfill the shared aspirations of both our peoples for peace, security and development,” posted Modi on his X account.
While India’s official statements from the MEA and foreign minister S. Jaishankar had generally expressed concern about attacks on minorities, Modi’s remarks were the first to specifically identify Hindus as one of the main victims.
Both Jaishankar and the MEA spokesperson had also acknowledged and welcomed ‘initiatives’ by Bangladeshi civil society groups to ensure the protection of minorities, but this was absent from Modi’s statement on Twitter on Thursday night.
Earlier in the day, MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal stated at the weekly media briefing, “As far as we are concerned, the government of India and people of India are concerned – for us the interest of people of Bangladesh is foremost in our minds”.
When asked about the violent actions even after Hasina left the country, he said, “We also want to make it clear that it is the responsibility of every government to ensure the well-being of all its citizens. We hope for early restoration of law and order in Bangladesh,” adding, “This is both in the interests of the country itself and for the larger region as a whole.”
India had already repatriated non-essential staff and family members of diplomatic personnel from its five missions due to concerns about the security situation.
Jaiswal noted that Indian diplomats had been actively facilitating the return of Indian nationals. There were over 19,000 Indian nationals in Bangladesh, including 9,000 students. Following the outbreak of violent protests in July, more than 7,200 had returned to India.
Official sources revealed that the Indian High Commission, in coordination with the Bangladesh Army, had “facilitated the movement of Indian nationals, including project personnel, across the land borders.” Some of these situations were reportedly “life-threatening”, though no further details were provided.
The returning Indian nationals included personnel from Indian companies involved in bilateral projects, such as IRCON Khulna, L&T, RITES, Tata Projects, Afcons, Ashoka Build Con, KEC, ITD Cementation, and Transrail Sirajganj. Additionally, staff from Indian companies operating in Bangladesh, such as Sun Pharma, IOCL, and NTPC, were also being sent back.
The high commission attended to over 350 calls on its three emergency helplines.
“Mission has also facilitated consular services, including immigration. Emergency Certificates have been issued to Indian nationals to enable their travel in urgent situations. The mission has ensured that airlines continue to operate, preventing service discontinuation and ensuring that people are not left stranded,” said official sources.
Earlier on Tuesday, Jaishankar had mentioned that India had agreed to a request from former Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina to come to India “at short notice” and “for the moment.” However, with the UK clarifying that her asylum request does not meet its guidelines, her stay in India is expected to continue for some time.
“As far as former prime minister Sheikh Hasina is concerned, we do not have an update on her plans. It is for her to take things forward,” said MEA spokesperson, Randhir Jaiswal.
Received a call from UK Foreign Secretary @DavidLammy today.
Discussed the situation in Bangladesh and West Asia.
— Dr. S. Jaishankar (@DrSJaishankar) August 8, 2024
Incidentally, Jaishankar had his first discussion on Bangladesh with a foreign counterpart when UK foreign secretary David Lammy called him on Thursday. It is unclear whether Jaishankar discussed Sheikh Hasina’s asylum request with Lammy.
