Attack on Agartala mission: Protests mount, Yunus moves for national unity

Amid demonstrations in the capital and different districts over the attack on Bangladesh Assistant High Commission in Agartala, Chief Adviser Prof Muhammad Yunus last night began a series of dialogues to achieve national unity.
He met the leaders of students against discrimination and other student organisations yesterday evening, will hold dialogues with the major political parties today, and religious groups tomorrow.
Unity is needed to counter the "misinformation" spread by the Indian media, Shafiqul Alam, press secretary to the chief adviser, told a press conference at the foreign services academy yesterday.
Information Adviser Nahid Islam and Shipping Adviser Brig Gen (retd) Sakhawat Hussain also criticised the Indian media.
In the afternoon, the BNP and its affiliated bodies marched on VIP Road in the Nayapaltan area, denouncing Monday's attack on the assistant high commissioner's office in Agartala.
BNP Senior Joint Secretary General Ruhul Kabir Rizvi urged the interim government to seek assistance from the United Nations peacekeeping forces to guard the facility in Agartala.
"Indian law enforcers failed to provide security…. Officials and employees of the Bangladesh mission are feeling insecure," he said.
Certain extremist religious groups in Bangladesh, "instigated by India's BJP [Bharatiya Janata Party]", are out to disrupt peace, he said, calling upon the interim government to control those extremists.
"We urge Modi [Indian prime minister] and Mamata [West Bengal chief minister] to take care of their own issues. Here in Bangladesh, all communities live in peace," he said, adding, "Bangladeshis were not hostile towards the Indian people."
BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir, now in London, issued a statement saying, "It appears that the attack by members of an organisation called 'Hindu Sangharsh Samiti' on the premises of the Assistant High Commission was pre-planned."
The Vienna Convention had been violated, he added.
He expressed hope that the Indian people and government would respect the democratic aspirations of Bangladeshis and extradite the Awami League leaders staying there.
"We request the Indian government and people not to use hatred against Bangladesh as a tool in domestic politics, because it may harm the long-term friendship between the two countries."
The BNP and student organisations also demonstrated in Rangpur, Noakhali, Cumilla, Rajshahi, Chattogram, Barishal, Feni, Khulna, and Joypurhat.
In a statement, Jamaat Secretary General Mia Golam Parwar said Bangladesh is a country of communal harmony.
The country that failed to protect a diplomatic mission office has no right to talk about Bangladesh, he said.
"The people of Bangladesh do not like the big brother-like attitude. We urge all Bangladeshis to remain vigilant. Only a strong national unity can face foreign aggression."
At a rally in front of Baitul Mukarram mosque, Islami Andolan Bangladesh Secretary General Maulana Yunus Ahmad urged the interim government to bring back the members of Bangladesh High Commission if India fails to ensure their safety.
"India must apologise," he said.
The Jatiya Nagorik Committee, formed after the mass uprising, held a rally in front of the National Museum in Shahbagh and then marched to the Central Shaheed Minar.
Its member Alik-Mree said, "Our country is ethnically diverse. People of all religions live in peace. But they are trying to break communal harmony."
Manzur Al Matin, another member, said Hindu, Buddhist, Christian, and Muslim communities have been living in Bangladesh for centuries.
"But autocrat Sheikh Hasina and Narendra Modi do not want this. They are scheming against it. We know this is not about religion. It is an imperialist conspiracy," he said.
Nasiruddin Patwary, central convener of the committee, said, "The political environment in South Asia is no longer stable because of India's imperial ambitions…. The attack on the Bangladeshi mission violates the country's sovereignty. We are ready to face Delhi's conspiracies with our unity."
At the Jatiya Press Club, the Gono Odhikar Parishad criticised "misinformation" spread by the Indian media and condemned the attack in Agartala.
Barishal University students demonstrated on campus while students of some other institutions marched different streets in Barishal city.
Students in Joypurhat marched last night with lit torches.
NAHID'S REACTION
"India's ruling elite is engaging in divisive politics and anti-Bangladesh rhetoric. Bangladesh shares historical and cultural ties with West Bengal, Tripura, and Assam; they are our stakeholders. During the uprising in Bangladesh, students from Kolkata and Delhi stood in solidarity with us and protested against Sheikh Hasina's atrocities," Adviser Nahid last night wrote on X.
"These democracy-loving people of India are our friends. However, India's ruling elite and Hindutva forces do not want such democratic relations and harmony. They perceive Bangladesh's uprising and the political awakening of its students as a threat. As a result, they are fostering hatred against Bangladesh. By using the 'minority persecution' narrative, Delhi is attempting to rehabilitate the fascist Awami League and disrupt Bangladesh's democratic and nation-rebuilding process."
The anti-Bangladesh and anti-Muslim politics will not serve India's national interest or contribute to its unity, he wrote.
"Therefore, we call on India to cease false propaganda against Bangladesh and uphold harmony and respect for democracy."
India must not forget that its stability and integrity are closely interlinked with the stability and integrity of Bangladesh, he wrote.
Shipping Adviser Brig Gen (retd) M Sakhawat Hussain said Indian media were resorting to propaganda.
"Hindu people in our country are living peacefully…. We want to live peacefully with our neighbouring country. We do not want unrest in our country."
NATIONAL UNITY
At his press briefing, Press Secretary Shafiqul Alam said Indian media outlets were aggressively trying to spread misinformation against Bangladesh over some recent incidents.
"We have to ask [Indian journalists] to come visit and see what is happening. At the same time, we must maintain our national unity and resist the misinformation campaign."
He urged Bangladeshi media to combat the "dangerous" misinformation campaign.
"We think it's a national responsibility."
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