Diplomatic Correspondent, Dhaka
Updated: December 2, 2024, 5:28 PM
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The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has stated that the attack on the premises of Bangladesh’s Assistant High Commission in Agartala, the capital of India’s northeastern state of Tripura, by supporters of the Hindu Sangharsa Samiti has deeply angered the Bangladeshi government. Various incidents indicate that the main gate of the mission was deliberately broken to allow aggressive actions within the premises.
This statement was made in a press release by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Monday evening. According to the release, the Bangladeshi government is deeply upset over the violent protest and attack carried out by a large group of Hindu Sangharsa Samiti demonstrators early Monday morning at the premises of Bangladesh’s Assistant High Commission in Agartala.
The statement added that the sequence of events clearly demonstrates that the demonstrators were intentionally allowed to break the main gate and intrude into the premises. In the presence of local law enforcement, they vandalized the flagpole, desecrated Bangladesh’s national flag, and damaged property inside the Assistant High Commission. Regrettably, the local police responsible for securing the premises were not proactive in controlling the situation from the outset.
The release further stated that all members of the Assistant High Commission are feeling extremely insecure. The Bangladeshi government emphasizes that this heinous attack on a diplomatic mission and the desecration of Bangladesh’s national flag is a grave incident. A similar violent protest occurred in Kolkata on November 28. This incident in Agartala constitutes a violation of the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has reiterated that it is the responsibility of the host country to protect diplomatic missions from any intrusion or damage. Therefore, the Bangladeshi government calls on the Indian government to take immediate action to address the incident and conduct a thorough investigation. The release also urged the Indian government to prevent any further violence against Bangladesh’s diplomatic missions and to enhance the security of diplomats, non-diplomatic staff, and their families.
