Bangladesh shocked by Indian politician’s call for UN peacekeepers

DHAKA: Bangladesh´s interim government expressed shock on Monday at a politician in neighbouring India´s call to deploy UN peacekeeping forces in the country to protect Hindus and other minorities from violent attacks.

Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee of India´s West Bengal state -- which shares close cultural and linguistic ties with Bangladesh -- urged New Delhi on Monday to petition the UN to address their concerns. “They can send the peacekeeping force to Bangladesh and rescue our people,” Banerjee said.

Bangladesh´s de facto foreign minister Touhid Hossain expressed dismay over what amounted to one of the biggest censures of his country´s leadership by India since Hasina´s ouster. “I don´t know, I can´t understand why Mamata Banerjee made such a statement. I know her personally, I have visited her home several times,” he told reporters.

Touhid accused Indian media of spreading disinformation about the status of Hindus in Bangladesh but offered a more conciliatory note to the neighbouring government. “Problems can be solved,” he said. “Mutual interests must be preserved, and Bangladesh seeks a friendly relationship with India.”

Touhid, part of a caretaker cabinet tasked with imposing democratic reforms following Hasina´s ouster, said he had also spoken to other foreign diplomats to “dispel misunderstandings over minority issues”. Hefazat-e-Islam, an association of Islamic seminaries, has led public protests against India and accused New Delhi of running a campaign aimed at “propagating hate” against Bangladesh.