Tripura chief minister says Bangladesh political unrest temporary, hopes for stability

Tripura Chief Minister Manik Sarkar believes the current political turmoil in Bangladesh is a temporary phase which he expects to end soon.

A known well-wisher of Bangladesh, Sarkar has stated that any turmoil in Bangladesh also poses a threat to India’s peace and stability.

He was addressing a gathering on Bangladesh’s Independence Day celebrations organised by the Bangladesh diplomatic mission on Thursday night in state capital Agartala.

“We want peace to prevail in our neighbouring Bangladesh because if there is any chaos and trouble then it also has a cascading impact on our peace, stability and integrity,” said Sarkar.

“The small fraction of people who were opposed to creation of Bangladesh during the 1971 Liberation War is now trying to destabilise the normal democratic process of Bangladesh because of their vested interests,” he observed.

Sarkar, a politburo member of the Communist Party of India-Marxist, said despite an unfavourable situation, the Sheikh Hasina-led government was developing Bangladesh and maintaining a cordial relation among its people.

“We always want a peaceful and developed Bangladesh inthe interest of our country.”

The outgoing Bangladesh mission head Mohammad Obaidur Rahman remembered how the people of Tripura helped Bangladeshis during the Liberation War in 1971.

“We expect that people of Tripura will continue their support to build a violence-free, stable and peaceful Bangladesh,” Rahman said.

The Independence Day was celebrated in Tripura on Thursday with numerous colourful functions.

Tripura is surrounded by Bangladesh from three sides sharing 856 km border.

The main function was held at Agartala’s Bangladesh mission – only diplomatic mission and visa office of Bangladesh in northeast India.

Locals and various groups also organised functions in many places across the state.

Artists, including renowned singers, from both Bangladesh and India performed in the functions.