‘Attack at Assistant High Commission in Agartala was pre-planned’

The Government of Bangladesh deeply resents the violent demonstration and attack by a large group of protesters of the Hindu Sangharsh Samity of Agartala on the premises of the Assistant High Commission of Bangladesh in Agartala on Monday.

The accounts conclusively attest that the protesters were allowed to aggress into the premises, by breaking down the main gate of Bangladesh Assistant High Commission in a pre-planned manner.

The foreign ministry of Bangladesh said this in a press release on Monday.

The press release further said in the process, in the presence of the members of the local law enforcement agencies, they vandalised the flag pole, desecrated the national flag of Bangladesh and also damaged properties inside the Assistant High Commission.

Regrettably, the local police persons present in charge of protecting the premises were found not to be active in containing the situation from the beginning, it added.

The press release further said all members of the Assistant High Commission are left with a deep sense of insecurity. The Government of Bangladesh would further like to underline that this heinous attack on a diplomatic mission of Bangladesh and desecration of the national flag of Bangladesh comes in a pattern, further to a similar violent demonstration in Kolkata on 28 November 2024.

This particular act in Agartala stands in violation of the inviolability of diplomatic missions, as the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations, 1961, asks for, it read.

It said as it is the responsibility of the host government to protect the diplomatic missions from any form of intrusion or damage, the Government of Bangladesh calls upon the Government of India to take immediate action to address this incident, to undertake a thorough investigation into the incident and to prevent any further acts of violence against the diplomatic missions of Bangladesh in India, including the safety and security of the diplomats and the non-diplomatic members of staff and members of their families.