Bangladesh has reacted angrily to the attack on the Bangladesh Assistant High Commission in Agartala, the capital of Tripura, India.

This response was given in a press release of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Monday (December 2) night.

It said the Government of Bangladesh is deeply angered by the violent protest and attack on the premises of the Assistant High Commission of Bangladesh by protesters of Hindu Sangram Samiti in Agartala early today (December 2).

Earlier, members of a Hindutva association vandalized the Bangladesh Assistant High Commission office in Agartala on Monday. The protest rally was held in front of the Gandhi statue located at Circuit House in Agartala. Later, a six-member delegation from the protest rally went to the Bangladesh Assistant High Commission and submitted a memorandum.

At one point, the angry members of the association entered the Assistant High Commission and pulled down the national flag of Bangladesh and tore it. Later, the signboard in front of the building broke and set on fire.

The BJP had staged a blockade at Petrapole, an important land border between India and Bangladesh, demanding the release of Chinmoy Krishna Das, arrested in a sedition case in Bangladesh.

However, their plan was foiled due to tight security by the Indian Border Security Force (BSF) and police at the border. No protesters were allowed to approach the zero point of the border. In addition to the Indian Border Security Force, the state police had also taken extra precautions along the border.

Earlier, BJP leader and Leader of the Opposition in the West Bengal state assembly, Shuvendu Adhikari, had threatened on Wednesday that if Chinmoy Krishna Das, arrested in a sedition case in the country, was not released, they would stop import, export, visa and medical services for Bangladeshis through Benapole port with India from Monday (December 2) morning.

On Monday (December 2), hundreds of BJP supporters held a rally in the Petrapole area after noon. BJP leader and state opposition leader Shuvendu Adhikari addressed the meeting. Later, they protested at the zero line and tried to prevent an untoward incident.

Benapole Immigration Checkpost Officer-in-Charge (OC) Imtiaz Ahmed said that he has come to know that meetings and rallies have been going on at the Petrapole border since morning. However, the Indian Petrapole Immigration Authority has not given any instructions to stop the travel of passport holders. As a result, although the number of passengers is low, the movement of passengers between the two countries is normal so far.

Shahabuddin, a returnee passport holder from India, said that some anti-Bangladesh people are using mikes to pressure hotel owners to stop Bangladeshis from staying in hotels in Banga town of West Bengal. This has spread some panic among ordinary Bangladeshis and many have returned to the country. However, no obstacles have been created by the administration. As a result, the passport holders have received support in their positions there.

It is worth mentioning that recently, ISKCON leader Chinmoy Krishna Das was arrested on charges of sedition. Since then, a section of Hindus have started a movement demanding his release. Demanding his release, several organizations in West Bengal, India are pressuring the Indian government to stop visas, medical services for Bangladeshis, and import and export trade between the two countries. However, as India-Bangladesh relations remain intact, trade and travel between the two countries are normal.

Chief Adviser to the Interim Government Dr. Muhammad Yunus has called for a more effective South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC).

Dr. Yunus made this call when SAARC Secretary General Golam Sarwar came to meet the Chief Adviser at Tejgaon, Dhaka, on Monday (December 2).

He told the SAARC Secretary General that SAARC is a forgotten word. If you can revive it, it will benefit the people of the entire region. At the time, the SAARC Secretary General thanked Dr. Yunus for being a big supporter of SAARC.

The Secretary General informed the Chief Adviser about the ongoing activities of SAARC. Which include the Programming Committee, Governing Body of Regional Centers and Specialized Agencies, Climate Change Events, SDGs, Regional Integration, Customs Cooperation, etc.

He said that due to the lack of high-level meetings, effective initiatives are not gaining momentum. Secretary General Sarwar said that we have partnerships with many organizations. We are trying to figure them out.

Dr. Yunus asked Secretary General Sarwar to work on multilateral issues like Nepal's hydropower exports to neighboring countries like Bangladesh, India and Bhutan. Professor Yunus invited young people from SAARC countries to attend the Youth Festival in Bangladesh in January.

He said that the whole idea of SAARC is to bring people together. This conference can be a way to open the doors of SAARC.

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has asked to send a UN peacekeeping force to control the situation in Bangladesh. When asked by journalists about this, Foreign Affairs Adviser Touhid Hossain said, I do not understand why Mamata Banerjee made such a statement.

He made such comments while talking to media personnel after informing the ambassadors of various countries about the current situation in Bangladesh at the Padma State Guest House on Monday (December 2) afternoon.

He said, I have a good relationship with her (Mamata Banerjee) personally. I have also visited her house. I do not understand why she made such a statement. However, politically this statement will not bring any benefit.

The Foreign Affairs Adviser said, a special group is spreading propaganda with all their might. We accept that their power in this matter is greater than ours. However, we are trying to clarify the matter to everyone.

Noting that the Indian media is spreading false information about the minority situation in Bangladesh, he said, mainly in the Indian media, propaganda is being carried out. Apart from this, many media are spreading misinformation by using the Indian media as a basis. However, we want to say that two or three isolated incidents occur every year during the tenure of all governments. However, the government's job is to control the situation. We have done that. However, false information and confusion are being spread about this in the country and outside the country.

The Foreign Affairs adviser said that a section of the Indian media is creating misconceptions about Bangladeshi Hindus, and to clear that, the real situation was informed to foreign diplomats today.

The government has ensured that no one will be attacked in this country because of their religious identity, and that will be done - Touhid Hossain mentioned that the diplomats were informed about it in the briefing.

The Foreign Affairs adviser said, the report given by the British All-Party Parliamentary Group on the communal situation is one-sided. Dhaka will talk to London about this.

Touhid Hossain has termed the attempts of Indians to enter Bangladesh through some borders as provocative.

Regarding the tension between Dhaka and Delhi, he said, there are differences between the governments before and after August 5. It may take time for a country to adapt to this.

At the same time, the Foreign Affairs adviser claimed that the government's briefing has reassured diplomats.