BNP wings submit memorandum at Indian High Commission after protest march

Jubo Dal, Chhatra Dal, and Swechchasebak Dal – three wings of the BNP – today submitted a memorandum to the Indian High Commission in Dhaka, protesting the recent attack on Bangladesh's Assistant High Commission in Agartala, the desecration of Bangladesh's national flag during protests in India, and alleged Indian conspiracies to incite communal violence in Bangladesh.

At around 1pm today, a six-member team of representatives from the BNP wings handed over the document to Narpat Singh, railway adviser and counsellor (education) at the Indian High Commission at Baridhara.

The mission's Defence Adviser Brig MS Sabarwal and security officers were present at the time.

The six leaders of the three BNP wings included Jubo Dal President Abdul Monayem Munna and General Secretary Nurul Islam Noyon, Chhatra Dal President Rakibul Islam Rakib and General Secretary Nasir Uddin, and Swechchhasebak Dal President SM Jilani and General Secretary Rajib Ahsan.

Photo: TBS

Earlier in the morning, the march – joined by a large number of BNP leaders and activists, along with members of its three associate bodies – started at around 11:30am from the BNP's central office at Nayapaltan, heading towards the Indian High Commission.

Before the march started, BNP Senior Joint Secretary General Ruhul Kabir Rizvi addressed a short rally where he warned that if India lays claim to Chattogram, it will have to return Bengal, Bihar, and Odisha to Bangladesh.

He accused India of "fostering aggression and meddling in Bangladesh's affairs to maintain its influence".

Supporters of Bangladesh Nationalist Party gathered at Nayapaltan to take part in a march towards the Indian High Commission on 8 December. Photo: TBS

"India's actions to bring back Sheikh Hasina to power are nothing short of aggression. Such examples are rare in the world's history," he said, alleging that India is engaging in false propaganda from Delhi to Kolkata to mislead the international community.

"India's hostility by closing borders and engaging in sabotage will backfire. If they lay claim on Chattogram, they will have to return to us Bengal, Bihar, and Odisha. People of Bangladesh are prepared to resist Delhi's aggression," Rizvi said.

He said India cannot tarnish the brotherhood and unity of Bangladesh with baseless accusations and propaganda.

The march organised by the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), including Chhatra Dal, Jubo Dal and Swechchasebak Dal was heading toward the Indian High Commission in Dhaka today (8 December). Photo: TBS

While forming a crowd outside the Nayapaltan office, BNP supporters chanted various slogans, including a call to boycott Indian products and a demand to the Indian government to send back ousted prime minister Sheikh Hasina to stand trial.

At the gathering, they also expressed their commitment to resisting any conspiracy by India to reinstate Sheikh Hasina to power.

At around 12:45pm, the march reached Rampura Bridge, where police blocked its progress. From there, the six-member delegation went to the Indian High Commission to submit the memorandum.

The three wings of BNP announced the protest march on Saturday hours after a section of India's civil society under the rightist Hindu nationalist organisation Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) declared they will organise a protest march to the Bangladesh High Commission in New Delhi on 10 December.