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India lodged a strong protest with Bangladesh over a now-deleted post by a senior Bangladeshi leader Mahfuz Alam and sternly asked "all concerned" to be mindful of their public comments.
The map of Bangladesh posted by Alam, included Indian territories of Bengal, Assam and Tripura as parts of Bangladesh. Mahfuz Alam, serving as an 'Advisor' in Bangladesh's interim government, is considered a close aide to Muhammad Yunus. He is also one of the key organisers of the protests in Bangladesh that led to the ouster of Former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina. "We have registered our strong protest on this issue with the Bangladesh side. We understand that the post being referred to has reportedly been taken down," Jaiswal said in the weekly briefing on Friday. "We would like to remind all concerned to be mindful of their public comments. While India has repeatedly signalled interest in fostering relations with the people and the interim government of Bangladesh, such comments underline the need for responsibility in public articulation," he added. Notably, Bangladesh is currently facing a tumultuous period following a student-led movement that led to the ousting of Former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina. The movement was sparked by a series of violent incidents, including attacks on Hindus and other minorities, as well as the demolition of Hindu temples. Recently, Chief Advisor Muhammad Yunus announced that Bangladesh's next general elections could be scheduled between late 2025 and the first half of 2026. Yunus made the statement during his address to the nation on Victory Day, marking Bangladesh's victory in 1971. Yunus emphasised the importance of political consensus to move forward with elections. He said, "If political consensus allows us, again, to conduct elections based on accurate electoral rolls with a few reforms, it may be possible to hold elections by the end of 2025." Yunus acknowledged, however, that additional time might be needed to implement the necessary reforms. The situation in Bangladesh began to escalate in June 2024, when students from various universities in Dhaka united to demand reforms to the country's quota system for government jobs led to the ouster of Former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina. After weeks of protests and violence that led to over 600 deaths. Hasina fled to India, and an interim government led by Yunus took charge. Following this, Chinmoy Krishna Das, also a former priest of ISKCON, was arrested by police from Dhaka Airport on November 25 on a charge of sedition in Bangladesh, sparking protests worldwide. Bangladesh also reported several attacks on Hindus and other minorities after Muhammad Yunus took charge of the interim government. (ANI)
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