The Bangladesh Government has lodged a protest with the High Commission of India, labelling West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee’s remarks on providing shelter to ‘helpless people from Bangladesh’ as ‘provocative’ and containing ‘inaccuracies’, according to reports.
In its communication to the High Commission, the Bangladesh Government stressed that Banerjee’s comments on Bangladesh’s ‘internal affairs’ were misleading. The authorities in Dhaka and other regions are actively working to restore ‘normalcy.’
This reaction follows comments made by Dr Mohammed Hasan Mahmud, Bangladesh’s Foreign Minister and a senior member of the ruling Awami League party. He expressed concerns that Banerjee’s statements, given her State’s border proximity to Bangladesh, could cause ‘confusion’ and ‘mislead’ the public.
“With due respect to Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, I would like to say we have excellent relations with her. However, her comments created some confusion and have the potential to mislead,” Mahmud remarked during a press interaction.
Banerjee made her controversial statement while addressing the violent student-led anti-quota movement in Bangladesh. She declared that West Bengal would offer shelter to ‘helpless people who come knocking on our doors,’ referencing a UN resolution to support her stance.
“This is due to a United Nations resolution to accommodate refugees in regions adjacent to those experiencing turmoil,” Banerjee asserted during her speech at the Trinamool Congress’ (TMC) annual July 21 Martyrs’ Day rally in Kolkata.
Her comments coincided with a significant ruling by the Supreme Court of Bangladesh, which in an urgent session, refused to abolish the quota in civil services jobs but drastically reduced the reservation for descendants of the 1971 Liberation War veterans from 30 per cent to 5 per cent.
The revised system now allocates 93 per cent of jobs (up from 44 per cent) based on merit, with the remaining 2 per cent (down from 26 per cent) reserved for specific groups, including ethnic minorities, transgenders, and the disabled.
The quota system was initially withdrawn in 2018 following mass student protests but was reinstated by a high court in June this year, sparking the latest wave of unrest. The situation escalated after Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s ‘Razakar’ comment, further fueling the students’ protests.
