Tripura CM urges B'desh govt to protect minorities

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Agartala/Guwahati, Oct 19 (IANS) Tripura Chief Minister Biplab Kumar Deb on Tuesday urged the Bangladesh government to protect the lives, properties and religious places of the minorities in that country.

While addressing the media, the Chief Minister said that it seems like the fundamentalist forces as part of their pre-planned conspiracies, have attacked the minorities and vandalised the idols and pandals of Durga Puja festivities, which ended last week.

"The recent incidents are very shameful. I trust the Bangladesh administration. They will deal with the situation effectively. The friendship between India and Bangladesh is very old. We should keep it up. Fundamentalist or any other forces should not be allowed to destroy these relations," he said.

Deb spoke to the Indian High Commissioner in Bangladesh, Vikram K. Doraiswami, last week.

Talking about their conversation, a source close to the CM told IANS, "Doraiswami informed Deb that he and other Indian officials in various diplomatic missions in Bangladesh have visited different places to know the details of the incidents at the ground level."

Many other organisations, intellectuals, political parties and NGOs in Assam and Tripura have condemned and organised protest rallies against the violent incidents in Bangladesh.

Different organisations and intellectuals met Bangladesh Assistant High Commissioners in Agartala and Guwahati and urged them to request their government to ensure action against those who attacked the minorities, vandalised Durga Puja pandals and properties belonging to the non-Muslim families.

As per media reports, the mob violence erupted in Comilla earlier last week, after unconfirmed posts went viral on social media about the alleged desecration of the Quran at a Durga Puja venue, following which Hindu temples were vandalised.

A large number of people have been detained in Chandpur, Chittagong and other places in connection with the cases filed over the attacks on Durga Puja pandals and clashes between the police and a mob in Chandpur's Hajiganj sub-district which left four persons dead.

Incidents of violence were also reported from Hajiganj, Chandpur, Noakhali, Cox's Bazaar, Chattogram, Chapainawabganj, Pabna, Moulvibazara, Kurigram and several other places.

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has promised strong action against those involved in provoking communal disturbances by spreading fake photos of the Quran being placed at the feet of a Hindu deity at a Comilla temple during Durga Puja.

--IANS

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