 "'Given the security situation...': India asks families of officials in Bangladesh to return amid election tensions")
India on Tuesday advised the families of Indian officials posted in Bangladesh to return home as a precautionary measure, citing security concerns ahead of the country’s parliamentary elections, according to a PTI report, citing government sources.
“Given the security situation, as a precautionary measure, we have advised the dependents of mission and post officials to return to India,” the sources said.
The decision does not affect the functioning of Indian diplomatic missions in Bangladesh. The Indian High Commission in Dhaka and other Indian posts across the country remain fully operational, with diplomatic work and services continuing as normal, added the report.
The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) has yet to release an official statement on the matter.
Bangladesh is scheduled to hold elections on February 12, the first since a 2024 uprising toppled Sheikh Hasina’s government. The country has remained politically unstable since a student-led revolt ousted Hasina in August 2024, ending her 15-year rule.
Nobel Peace Prize laureate Muhammad Yunus, 85, who returned from exile at the request of protesters to lead a caretaker administration as “chief adviser,” will step down after the general elections.
India-Bangladesh tensions
Relations between India and Bangladesh have deteriorated following major political shifts in Dhaka and a series of diplomatic disputes.
Tensions escalated after former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina was ousted amid widespread protests and civil unrest. Hasina later traveled to India seeking refuge, while Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus was appointed to lead a caretaker government.
Yunus’s administration soon requested Hasina’s extradition over her conviction in Bangladeshi courts. India acknowledged receiving the request but offered no commitment, emphasising close monitoring and hopes for stability.
Quick Reads
View AllBilateral strains deepened after remarks by some Bangladeshi leaders about India’s northeastern states drew sharp reactions from New Delhi. Rising attacks on minority communities in Bangladesh also alarmed India, which urged Dhaka to protect vulnerable groups.
Relations were further tested following the killing of Bangladeshi political figure Osman Hadi during an election campaign; Bangladeshi officials claimed the perpetrators fled to India, a charge New Delhi rejected.
Targeted violence against Hindus
A series of violent attacks against minority communities has sparked concern domestically and internationally. In January alone, Ripon Saha was run over in Rajbari after confronting a customer, Birendra Kumar Dey’s house was torched in Sylhet, and Samir Das was found dead in Feni. Earlier in the month, Sarat Mani Chakraborty, Rana Pratap, and a Hindu businessman in Gazipur were killed in separate incidents.
December saw similar brutality. Factory worker Dipu Chandra Das was lynched over a false blasphemy claim, reportedly hanged and set on fire. Violence following a student leader’s death also targeted media outlets, including Prothom Alo and The Daily Star, alongside assaults on Hindu homes and cultural institutions.
With inputs from agencies
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