KOLKATA: West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has called for UN peacekeeping deployment in Bangladesh amid escalating violence targeting Hindu minorities. Addressing the state assembly, she condemned the attacks and urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi and External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar to engage with Bangladesh on the issue.
Addressing the West Bengal Assembly, Mamata Banerjee condemned the attacks on Hindus in Bangladesh and called for stronger measures to address the issue.
"We condemn atrocities of any kind, irrespective of caste, creed, or religion. I suggest the UN send a peacekeeping team to Bangladesh. Either the Prime Minister or the External Affairs Minister should intervene and engage with Bangladesh," she said.
The CM, while clarifying that she was out of jurisdiction to officially comment on the matter, urged the Ministry of External Affairs to take the issue up.
Banerjee’s calls for intervention come amid reports of civil unrest in Bangladesh, where Hindu priests from the International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON) have been arrested. The unrest began in August following a student-led uprising that forced Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina to step down, leading to a military takeover and the installation of an interim government.
Stating that there was an urgent need to rescue persecuted Indians and rehabilitate them across the border, the Chief Minister said, "If necessary, we can rehabilitate the Indians attacked in Bangladesh. We have no issue sharing our ‘one roti’ with them, and there will be no food shortage."
Banerjee stressed the importance of maintaining harmony and good relations among all communities in Bangladesh and beyond. She also highlighted the continued captivity of 79 Indian fishermen by Bangladesh, stating, "When their fishermen entered our waters, we ensured their safe return."
Accusing the central government of remaining silent for the past 10 days despite rising tensions, Banerjee indirectly referred to the BJP: "Why don’t they ask their central leadership to push for proactive intervention in Bangladesh? Instead, their leaders are demanding the closure of goods movement along our borders."