Turmoil in Bangladesh Raises Alarms in India: Concerns Over Regime Change and Minority Rights

Veena Sikri, ex-Indian High Commissioner, highlights the orchestrated regime change in Bangladesh in 2024. An open letter emphasizes concerns over minority rights and violence amidst political unrest. With 685 eminent signatories, Sikri calls for stronger ties between India and Bangladesh, urging peace and security for affected communities.

The political upheaval in Bangladesh during July and August 2024 has raised significant alarm in India, as revealed by Veena Sikri, the former Indian High Commissioner to Bangladesh. According to Sikri's open letter, recent disturbances were not spontaneous student protests but a carefully planned operation aimed at regime change, as disclosed by Chief Adviser Professor Muhammad Yunus in New York.

The letter, which has garnered the support of 685 signatories, including retired judges and military officers, stresses the need for peace between India and Bangladesh. It criticizes the prevailing 'mobocracy' in Bangladesh, where anarchy and forced resignations have become widespread across both public and private sectors, affecting essential institutions such as the judiciary and the media.

Particularly concerning is the plight of Bangladesh's 15 million minority citizens, who face attacks from extremist groups. Sikri's letter demands the enactment of a minority protection law and criticizes the Yunus administration's lack of response to these human rights issues. Notably, the arrest of religious leader Chinmoy Krishna Das has intensified tensions, prompting India to plead for the safety and freedom of expression for all minorities in Bangladesh.

(With inputs from agencies.)