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'Either shelter us in India or kill us right here': Over 500 refugees turn up at Bengal border amid Bangladesh violence

by Trans World Features | @twfindia 08 Aug 2024, 12:17 am

Kolkata/IBNS: Over 500 refugees, including seniors and children, have turned up at a no-man's land near West Bengal's Uttar Dinajpur border area in the hope of getting shelter in India amid reports of targeted violence against minorities in Bangladesh, local newspaper Uttarbanga Sambad has reported.

"Either shelter us in India or kill us right here. If we go back, they will also kill us," these Bangladeshi refugees have reportedly pleaded with the Border Security Forces (BSF).

According to the newspaper, the refugees from strife-torn Bangladesh swam across the Nagar River to reach the no-man's land, seeking shelter in India.

As these refugees are stranded at the no-man's land seeking shelter in India amid Bangladesh turmoil, nightmares of partition have returned indicating significant implications of further unrest in South Asian countries.

The developments came after Former PM Sheikh Hasina was forced to quit and escape to India on Monday amid violent protests which left hundreds of people dead in the country.

Bangladesh's Chief of Army Staff General Waker-Uz-Zaman on Wednesday confirmed the interim government led by Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus will take oath on Thursday.

He has appealed to the protesters to refrain from violence.

However, even after assurance from the Army General himself, targeted attacks on minorities, mostly Hindus, continued in Bangladesh with massive vandalisation of temples across the country.

On Monday night, Bangladesh protesters in the Baliadangi Upazila raided the Radhakrishna market and burnt down shops.

Besides temples, a large number of Hindu homes have also come under attack by violent mobs.

Hindus, who account for 8 percent of Bangladesh's 17 crore population, were apparently the supporters of Hasina's Awami League largely.

The Awami League has maintained close ties with India flagging its secular image contrary to its opposition parties that have remained more hardliners.

In one of the recent instances of attacks on Hindus, a mob set folk musician of the country, Rahul Ananda's residence on fire in the capital city, Dhaka.

The mob attacked, looted and torched Rahul's house on Monday afternoon.

Reports claim Rahul, his wife and their son could manage to escape from the attack unharmed.

Among the items that the mob looted were about 3,000 musical instruments which were present in the house.

In some positive images, Hindus and Muslims were also seen guarding the places of worship from the onslaught by the mob, which is on the rampage across the country.

India monitors the situation in Bangladesh:

While India is keeping an eye on illegal migration, there is also concern about the condition of the Indians living in Bangladesh and the minorities of the Muslim-majority nation.

In a statement to the Lok Sabha on Tuesday, India's External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar said there are around 19,000 Indian nationals living in Bangladesh, around 9,000 of whom are students. The bulk of students have already returned to India in the month of July on the advice of the High Commission.

The ministry, he said, has been in "close and continuous touch with the Indian community in Bangladesh through our diplomatic missions".