'Shelter Us In India Or Kill Us': Refugee Crisis Deepens On Bengal Border Amid Bangladesh Protest


(MENAFN- Live Mint) Bangladesh Protest: "Either shelter us in India or kill us right here. If we go back, they will also kill us", Bangladeshi refugees in the Uttar Dinajpur district of West Bengal have pleaded with the Border Security Forces (BSF). As over 500 refugees wait on no man's land seeking shelter in India amid Bangladesh protests, ghosts of partition past rekindle fear of more significant implications of the turmoil in South Asian nations.

Also Read | sheikh Hasina news LIVE: India vacates non-essential staff from Bangladesh

Sheikh Hasina resigned as the Prime Minister of Bangladesh and fled Dhaka due to a grave crisis resulting from a student-led rebellion. The student protest started with the demand to reform job quotas for public sector companies in Bangladesh.

The Bangladesh protesters revelled in joy when Hasina resigned. However, reports of targeted violence against minorities, including Hindus and Awami League members, have now caused concern.

Also Read | India evacuates families and non-essential staff from Dhaka

Further, implications of Bangladesh's protests and turmoil have resulted in the dramatic escalation of a refugee crisis in borderlands.

A Bangla newspaper, Uttarbanga Sambad, reported that hundreds of refugees have turned up on the no-man's land near the Uttar Dinajpur border with Bangladesh and West Bengal . The report further added that refugees from strife-torn Bangladesh swam across the Nagar River to reach the no-man's land, seeking shelter in India.

BSF has been vigilant in refusing shelter and asking them to return.

Also Read | Khaleda Zia vs Sheikh Hasina: All you need to know about 'Battle of Begums'

The Uttarbanga Sambad reports that over 500 refugees, including older people and children stand with at the no-man's lands with one plea-“Shelter from India”. As India navigates the diplomatic throes of giving asylum to former Bangladesh PM Sheikh Hasina , the BSF has been aggressively turning the refugees away.

The report added, that on Monday night, Bangladesh protesters in the Baliadangi Upazila raided the Radhakrishna market and burnt down shops.

Also Read | Bangladesh protests: Sheikh Hasina's exit could be a migration call

As Bangladesh pins its hopes on one of the nation's most acclaimed intellectuals – Nobel laureate Mohammad Yunus – to bring stability to a country scarred by coups and political upheaval, the deaths resulting from the turmoil refuse to cease.

Muhammad Yunus, whose work alleviating poverty won him a Nobel Peace Prize, was named the head of a new interim government on Tuesday.

MENAFN07082024007365015876ID1108525879


Live Mint

Legal Disclaimer:
MENAFN provides the information “as is” without warranty of any kind. We do not accept any responsibility or liability for the accuracy, content, images, videos, licenses, completeness, legality, or reliability of the information contained in this article. If you have any complaints or copyright issues related to this article, kindly contact the provider above.