File Photo: An anti-Sheikh Hasina protest in Bangladesh’s Dhaka
NEW DELHI: The Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) on Saturday expressed its concern over the violence against Hindus and other minorities in Bangladesh, and appealed for solidarity with the Hindu community of India’s eastern neighbour.
The Akhil Bharatiya Pratinidhi Sabha (ABPS), the highest decision-making body of the RSS, also called out Bangladesh’s “radical Islamist elements” for oppressing the country’s minorities.
“The Akhil Bharatiya Pratinidhi Sabha expresses its serious concern on the unabated and planned violence, injustice and oppression faced by the Hindu and other minority communities at the hands of radical Islamist elements in Bangladesh. This is clearly a serious case of violation of human rights,” stated SAH Sarkaryawah, RSS, Arun Kumar whilst reading the ABPS resolution.
The ABPS also criticised Bangladesh’s interim government for allegedly supporting the violence against minorities, and warned about the potential adverse effects of this on ties between India and Bangladesh.
“The governmental and institutional support for the violence and hatred witnessed during last year is a serious cause of concern. Along with this, the persistent anti-Bharat rhetoric in Bangladesh can severely damage the relationship between the two countries,” as per the ABPS resolution.
Further, the ABPS noted that “certain international forces” were deliberately attempting to “foment instability in the entire region surrounding Bharat by creating an atmosphere of distrust and confrontation pitting one country against another.”
It also requested the Government of India to ensure the protection, dignity and well-being of Hindus in Bangladesh, along with engaging Dhaka’s caretaker administration in a “continuous and meaningful dialogue.”
The Akhil Bharatiya Pratinidhi Sabha of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh is holding a three-day convention in Bengaluru, Karnataka, from March 21-23.
Tensions between India and Bangladesh
On August 5, 2024, Bangladesh’s then-Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina resigned and left Dhaka for Delhi, following months of student-led protests against her Awami League administration. Days later, an interim government headed by Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus was sworn in.
Hasina’s exit was followed by attacks on Hindus, the largest religious minority in Bangladesh. New Delhi has repeatedly flagged the issue with Dhaka, which has accused Indian media of spreading “fake news” of violence against minorities in Bangladesh.
The Yunus government has repeatedly asked New Delhi for Hasina’s extradition, a request which the latter is unlikely to accept.
