Unrest returns in Bangladesh, Indian missions on edge

The caretaker government of Muhammad Yunus was left scrambling for some semblance of control as protests took on distinct anti-India overtones

Bangladesh continued to be on edge on Friday, after protests near the Indian high commission in Dhaka and assistant high commissions in Chittagong, Khulna and Rajshahi, attacks on the offices of several newspapers including the influential The Daily Star, and the lynching of a Hindu factory worker, amid apprehensions that there could be more violence ahead of the funeral of radical student leader Sharif Osman Hadi.

Protesters set fire outside the Prothom Alo office which had its windows smashed in Dhaka on Friday. (AFP)

Hadi, injured in a shooting on December 12, died in a Singapore hospital on Thursday, and the attack sparked violent protests. His body was brought to Dhaka on Friday evening.

The caretaker government of Muhammad Yunus was left scrambling for some semblance of control as protests took on distinct anti-India overtones. The government, which announced a day of state mourning on Saturday over Hadi’s death, urged people on Friday to “resist all forms of mob violence committed by a few fringe elements”. While condemning acts of violence, intimidation and arson, the caretaker setup said in a statement that a democratic transition “must not…be derailed by those few who thrive on chaos and reject peace”.

Protests were organised near the Indian mission in the western Bangladeshi city of Rajshahi on Friday, hours after a large crowd attempting to storm India’s assistant high commission in southern Chittagong was pushed back by security forces.

People familiar with the matter described the situation in areas near the Indian mission and posts in Bangladesh as tense and said on condition of anonymity that all Indian diplomats and officials were safe. There were no reports of violence near any of the Indian missions on Friday, they said.

Bangladesh police and security forces failed to take timely action against protesters over the last few days, including in Chittagong on Thursday, and only stepped in after they got close to the missions, the people said.

On Wednesday, Bangladesh high commissioner Riaz Hamidullah was summoned to the external affairs ministry for a protest over the deteriorating security environment in the neighbouring country and the threat to the Indian mission in Dhaka from extremist elements. Hamidullah was told that India expects the interim government to ensure the safety of missions and posts in Bangladesh.

There was no word from Indian officials on Friday on the latest protests near Indian missions.

Indian authorities are gearing up for further protests and apprehend the situation could worsen. Student groups involved in the protests have sought to link the Awami League party of former premier Sheikh Hasina, currently in self-exile in India, to Hadi’s killing though no evidence has emerged in this regard.

Four people, including two police personnel, were injured in a clash between protesters and police outside the Indian assistant high commission in Chittagong late on Thursday night. The protesters lobbed bricks and vandalised the premises, Bangladesh’s UNB news agency reported. Police detained 12 people under the Anti-Terrorism Act, officials said.

On Thursday, tensions flared when police blocked a march towards the Indian assistant high commission in Rajshahi, leading to brief scuffles between protesters and security forces. The people cited above said radical and anti-India forces were more active in Rajshahi, increasing the potential for protests.

“The authorities have not stepped in to quell unsubstantiated reports of an Indian link to Hadi’s killing and have created this situation,” one of the people said.

In its statement, the interim government described the general election and constitutional referendum scheduled for February 12 as a “solemn national commitment” and called for honouring Hadi through restraint and rejecting hatred.

The interim government also condemned the lynching of a Hindu man in Mymensingh. “There is no space for such violence in new Bangladesh. The perpetrators of this heinous crime will not be spared,” the statement said. Dipu Chandra Das, a 30-year-old garment factory worker, was beaten to death in Bhaluka area of Mymensingh on Thursday night by a mob that accused him of blasphemy. His body was tied to a tree and set on fire, BBC Bangla reported.

India-Bangladesh relations have been at an all-time low since the interim government came to power in August 2024. The Indian side has criticised the caretaker administration for failing to stop attacks on minorities, including Hindus, and to act against radical and extremist forces.

A state-appointed tribunal has already sentenced Hasina to death, and the caretaker government has banned her Awami League. Rival BNP’s leader Khaleda Zia is on life support, and Yunus has often appeared to be on shaky ground himself, caught between the increasingly jingoistic demand of student groups that were at the forefront of the 2024 protests and the army that has so far been content to be a neutral observer.