New Delhi: Bangladesh High Commissioner to India M Reaz Hamidullah was called to Dhaka on short notice on Monday night, leading to speculation at a time when ties between the two neighbours are not at their best.
Hamidullah left New Delhi after an “urgent call” from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Bangladesh, News18 reported.
This was confirmed by Bangladesh daily Prothom Alo. “In view of the recent situation in bilateral ties with India, Bangladesh High Commissioner in New Delhi M Reaz Hamidullah was called to Dhaka on an urgent basis,” the newspaper reported.
“He has been summoned to Dhaka for discussions on the recent situation of bilateral relations,” a “responsible source” has been quoted by news agency PTI as saying.
Bangladesh has been witnessing violence, including attacks on the minority Hindu population, over the last several weeks. This led India to caution the country and remind it about the protection of minorities.
Hamidullah was also summoned by New Delhi over security concerns around the Indian High Commission in Dhaka. This followed reports o
f radical elements planning protests outside the mission.
Bangladesh, meanwhile, claimed that the killers of student leader Sharif Osman Hadi crossed over the border into India. This is a claim that has been rejected by Indian security agencies.
India’s Ministry of External Affairs has also stated that it “completely rejects the false narrative” being created by radical elements regarding recent events in Bangladesh and called on the interim government in that country to share credible evidence regarding the incidents.
Bangladesh also expressed “grave concern” over attacks on its diplomatic missions in India, including vandalism at the Bangladesh Visa Centre in Siliguri on December 22 and protests outside its High Commission in New Delhi on December 20.
The country’s foreign secretary Asad Alam Siam summoned Indian High Commissioner Pranay Verma to convey Dhaka’s concerns, stating that such acts “not only endanger the safety of diplomatic personnel but also undermine the principles of mutual respect and values of peace and tolerance.”
The protests in India followed the brutal killing of Dipu Chandra Das, a factory worker, in Mymensingh, on December 18. Das (27), was beaten to death by a mob over alleged blasphemy, and his body set on fire, sparking outrage. The police later confirmed that there was no evidence of any blasphemous act by Das.
Both countries have temporarily suspended visa and consular services at a few locations, citing security concerns.