GUWAHATI, Jan 7: Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma expressed deep concern over reports of increasing attacks on Hindus in neighbouring Bangladesh, warning that the situation could have security implications for Assam.
Speaking to reporters in Guwahati, Sarma said the developments in Bangladesh required close monitoring, noting that unrest across the border could have repercussions in the state.
“It is deeply worrying for us what is happening in Bangladesh. The incidents of attacks on Hindus may have their effects in Assam. We will have to remain cautious and closely monitor the situation,” the Chief Minister said.
He added that the deteriorating situation in Bangladesh, combined with evidence of growing jihadist activities in Assam over the past decade, pointed to a potential security threat unless the broader geopolitical situation in the neighbourhood improves.
Meanwhile, immigrant Bangladeshi Hindus and Buddhists staged a protest at the historic Republic Square in Paris, France, against the alleged persecution of Hindus in Bangladesh.
The demonstration was jointly organised by the Bangladesh Hindu-Buddhist-Christian Unity Council, Paris, and the Bureau of Human Rights and Justice (BHRJ). Protesters demanded exemplary punishment for those responsible for the killing of Hindu man Dipu Chandra Das, who was allegedly murdered on false charges of blasphemy.
In a statement, the BHRJ claimed that at least 187 Hindus were killed over the past year, 221 Hindu women were raped, and thousands of Hindu homes and businesses were attacked, vandalised, or set on fire. The organisation further alleged that attacks on Hindus on charges of blasphemy, as well as the occupation of Hindu monasteries and temples, have become increasingly frequent in Bangladesh.
The protesters called for justice for persecuted minorities and urged an immediate end to all forms of atrocities against Hindus in Bangladesh.
Developments in India-Bangladesh relations are being closely watched, particularly in the northeastern states, where cross-border migration and security concerns remain politically sensitive issues.
