Agartala: Thousands of people in Tripura on Sunday demonstrated their solidarity with persecuted religious and ethnic minorities in Bangladesh by marching through the streets of Agartala.
Responding to the call of the newly formed Forum for Protection of Minorities in Bangladesh (FPMB), people from various sections of society, including journalists, authors, writers, poets, advocates, doctors, and intellectuals, participated in the rally. Their demand was clear: an end to the religious persecution of minorities in Bangladesh.
Several civil society organizations also sent volunteers to strengthen the call for justice for the Hindu, Buddhist, and Christian minorities facing violence in Bangladesh.
Since the fall of the Sheikh Hasina-led government in Bangladesh, reports of targeted attacks on Hindus and other minority communities have surfaced.
As a bordering state, Tripura, with its 856-kilometer border with Bangladesh, has a significant population with relatives in the neighboring country.
Speaking during the rally, Jayanta Bhattacharya, President of Agartala Press Club, remarked, “Forum for Protection of Minorities in Bangladesh is a new organization. We have organized this rally in Agartala to express our solidarity with the minorities in Bangladesh who are under attack.”
Expressing his concern, Bhattacharya added, “We are deeply worried about what is happening in Bangladesh. This movement, which started as a quota issue, has turned into a brutal campaign against minorities. We’ve seen properties and businesses of minorities vandalized, forced conversions, and homes set on fire. This cannot be tolerated. Our forum will continue raising its voice for the rights and justice of minorities in Bangladesh for as long as this menace persists.”
According to Bhattacharya, the forum has drafted two memorandums that will be submitted to the Prime Minister of India and the head of the current Bangladesh administration.
“We will send the memorandums to the Prime Minister of India and the Chief Adviser to the Bangladesh government, Muhammad Yunus. We seek direct intervention from the Indian government to protect minorities in Bangladesh. Tripura has a sacred connection to Bangladesh’s liberation war. Around 1.5 million people from Bangladesh took refuge here during the war. Even before the Indian government officially supported Bangladesh’s liberation, the people of Tripura had opened their borders and offered help, which contributed to ousting Pakistan’s tyranny. Today, the people of Tripura are once again united, raising their voices against the injustices faced by minorities in Bangladesh.”
Swapan Kumar Bhattacharya, a senior journalist and recipient of the Friends of Liberation War honor, expressed his sorrow over the situation in Bangladesh.
He stated, “The current situation in Bangladesh goes against the spirit of the liberation war. The forces that once sought to undermine Bangladesh’s freedom struggle are now unfortunately in power. During Pakistan’s rule, anti-Hindu and anti-India campaigns were rampant in the region now recognized as Bangladesh, and the present government, led by Muhammad Yunus, appears to be following a similar path. We cannot accept this. Every family in Tripura contributed to Bangladesh’s liberation war. It is painful to see the present regime negate the country’s freedom movement,” he added.
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