“What Happens In Our Neighbourhood Affects Us As Well”: Shashi Tharoor On Bangladesh Crisis
Congress MP and career diplomat Dr Shashi Tharoor has voiced deep concern over the escalating crisis in Bangladesh, stressing the critical importance of peace and stability in the neighbouring country. Tharoor highlighted that the ongoing violence, which has claimed over 300 lives since July 1, profoundly affects India due to its geographical proximity and close cultural ties with Bangladesh. He remarked that what happens in Bangladesh inevitably impacts India, given that the country is surrounded by Indian territory on three sides.
“It’s very worrying; first of all, as you know some 300 lives have been lost since July 1 when the trouble started, and that’s already been a matter of grave concern for all of us. Bangladesh is our neighbouring country, people there are our own brothers and sisters… what happens there affects our neighbourhood as well in a very intimate way. Bangladesh, on three sides, is surrounded by India, so that’s an important concern,” Dr Tharoor told news agency PTI.
In an X post, he added that India has a direct interest in peace and stability in Bangladesh as neighbours, friends and well-wishers. “After the loss of 300 lives in the violence of the last five weeks, I hope and pray for peace for all Bangladeshis. May the country soon return to the path of progress and economic development,” he added.
The crisis in Bangladesh intensified after Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina resigned and fled to India following violent protests over a government job quota system. The protests, which have seen hundreds of thousands of people take to the streets, were sparked by anger over a policy that reserved up to 30 percent of government jobs for the families of veterans from Bangladesh’s 1971 war against Pakistan. The situation escalated into widespread unrest, with violent clashes between protesters and police leading to numerous deaths and injuries.
India has responded to the turmoil by placing its Border Security Force on high alert along the 4,096 km border shared with Bangladesh. Indian Railways has suspended all train services to Bangladesh, and Air India has cancelled its daily flights to Dhaka.
