NEW DELHI, Feb 20: Chief of Bangladesh’s border guarding force today sought to downplay the attacks on minorities in his country that took place after the fall of the Sheikh Hasina government, saying such reports were “exaggerated”.
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Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) director general Maj Gen Mohammad Ashrafuzzaman Siddiqui also said “many new issues” under the common heads were discussed during his high-level talks with an Indian delegation headed by BSF DG Daljit Singh Chawdhary here.
Siddiqui, while speaking to reporters during a joint press conference with Chawdhary, asserted that authorities of his country took steps for the protection of the minorities as he gave example of his force “personally” extending security cover to Durga Puja pandals within 8 km of their jurisdiction along the international border.
This was the first high-level meeting of the two forces after the regime change in Bangladesh in August last year.
The BGB DG also said they raised “objections” and “flagged a number of cases” during the bi-annual DG-level talks with regard to the fencing being done by India along the IB and has requested for a “joint inspection” before the work is done.
“The attacks on minorities in the recent past, I would say, that this is an exaggeration and to be honest such attacks on minorities per se did not happen.”
He played down these instances saying the “overall the law and order situation was not against the minorities, it was, may be, some bit of political problem but definitely that was not on the minorities.”
“The substantiation for this is the recently held Durga Puja which was one of the most peacefully organised and arranged Hindu festivals. The law enforcement agencies of Bangladesh were very precisely and strictly tasked by the government so that the Hindu community is able to perform…(the rituals),” the BGB chief said.
He said they got “several requests (from the minority community), sometimes without any fear or any threat, and even when there was nothing substantial (vis-a-vis threats against minorities), we provided security.”
Siddiqui said such reports were more in the media, “tempting” the politicians to comment. There were such instances during the initial couple of months after August 5 (fall of Hasina government in 2024)…, he said.(PTI)
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