'Bangladesh govt committed to safety and security of religious minorities'

Bangladesh Information Minister Hasan Mahmud Saturday said the Sheikh Hasina government is committed to the safety of Hindus and other religious minorities and the recent peaceful Durga Puja celebrations in that country are a testimony to it.

Mahamud, who is in the city to inaugurate the Bangladesh Film Festival, spoke on Indo-Bangla relations but said it is not dependent on the Teesta water sharing agreement between the two countries.

"The Sheikh Hasina government is committed to protecting the rights of Hindus and other religious minorities in Bangladesh. Our country's recent peaceful Durga Puja celebration is a testimony," he told a media conference at the Press Club here.

"This year the number of Durga Pujas held in our country was much higher than that of last year. There were altogether 33000 puja marquees, 700 more than in 2021, he said.

"Why were so many Durga Pujas held in Bangladesh? The answer is it is safe and secure there. There was specific instructions from the top brass of the Awami League to the local level leaders to keep an eye on all puja pandals so that no untoward incidents take place," he said.

The Bangladesh government had been "extra cautious" to avoid any untoward incident in view of the communal violence during Durga Puja last year.

Violence had erupted in pockets of Bangladesh in 2021 over an alleged incident of blasphemy at a Durga Puja pavilion at Cumilla, around 100 km from Dhaka, following which paramilitary forces were deployed in many affected areas.

"Those who had tried to create problems during Durga Puja stand exposed. We have taken special measures to ensure no untoward incident takes place," Mahamud said.

Hitting out at the opposition in his country - the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), the minister said, "BNP's politics revolves around hatred towards religious minorities and India. People associated with BNP were involved in an incident (of violence) that took place (after Durga Puja in Bangladesh) last year,"

Speaking on Indo-Bangla relations, he said more than government-to-government relations, it is the people-to-people associations that have helped strengthen the diplomatic ties between the two countries.

"Our bilateral relations depend not only on Teesta (water sharing) agreement. Whenever I come to India, I am asked this question. There has been progress in this matter. Our relationship is diverse," he said.

India and Bangladesh were set to ink a deal on Teesta water sharing during the then prime Minister Manmohan Singh's Dhaka visit in 2011, but West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee had declined to endorse it citing scarcity of water in her state.

Mahamud declined to comment when asked to comment on newspaper reports that the Bangladesh premier had wanted to meet Banerjee during her New Delhi visit last month.

"I don't want to comment on newspaper reports. If Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina wanted to meet Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, then the meeting would have taken place," he said.

Banerjee had slammed the Centre for not inviting her to be a part of Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina's India visit. The Centre said had said that chief ministers are not invited to attend the events of a visiting head of another country's government.

On the Bangladesh general election slated to be held in 2023, Mahmud said both the government and the ruling party - Awami League expects the opposition to participate in the polls.

"We (Awami League) expect all political parties to participate in the election. It is not the job of just the ruling party to strengthen democracy, but also that of the opposition parties. We want all political parties, including BNP, to participate in the election. Any political party which believes in people's power cannot boycott elections," he added.