Professor Asif Nazrul, legal advisor to the interim government, has strongly criticized the Indian government for its failure to ensure the security of Bangladesh's Assistant High Commission in Agartala, the capital of Tripura, following an attack on the premises. He condemned the incident, stating that India must understand that this is not Sheikh Hasina's personal Bangladesh.
In a verified Facebook post on Monday night, he made these remarks.
Members of the Hindu Sangharsa Samiti, a Hindu nationalist organization, along with activists from other groups, stormed the premises of Bangladesh's Assistant High Commission in Agartala. During the attack, the national flag of Bangladesh was set on fire. On the same day, several hundred people staged a protest near the Bangladesh Deputy High Commission in Mumbai, organized by the Vishva Hindu Parishad (VHP).
India's Ministry of External Affairs described the incident as "unfortunate" in a statement and emphasized that diplomatic properties should never be targeted. The ministry added that measures were being taken to strengthen the security of Bangladesh's embassies and consular offices in India. However, the Bangladesh government labeled the attack as premeditated, condemned it strongly, and called it a blatant violation of the Vienna Convention.
In his Facebook post, Asif Nazrul wrote, "Today, the premises of Bangladesh's Assistant High Commission in Agartala were vandalized, and the national flag was set on fire. This is a severe breach of international law." He further questioned, "If an organization called 'Muslim Sangharsa Samiti' had carried out such an incident in Bangladesh, what would have been India's reaction?"
He also criticized recent comments by West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, stating, "India should feel ashamed of the incidents involving minorities and Dalits in various parts of the country."