Dhaka condemns burning of Bangladesh flag in Kolkata

The government urges India to ensure the security of diplomats and missions

The government has strongly condemned the burning of Bangladesh’s national flag outside its Deputy High Commission in India’s Kolkata.

The interim administration has also called on India to take immediate steps to guarantee the safety of Bangladesh’s diplomatic missions and personnel.

In a statement released on Friday the foreign ministry said while the situation seemed to be under control, the safety of the Deputy High Commission’s officials remained at risk.

"Bangladesh strongly condemns the disgraceful incident of desecrating the national flag and burning an effigy of the chief advisor," it reads.

The ministry provided details of the incident, saying: “On Thursday afternoon, a protest by a Hindu organisation called "Bongio Hindu Jagran" took place outside the Bangladesh Deputy High Commission in Kolkata. The protest, which grew in size, turned violent as demonstrators broke through police barricades and advanced towards the Bangladesh mission. They set fire to the national flag and burned an effigy of the chief advisor of Bangladesh.”

The Bangladesh government, while calling for an immediate end to such acts, appealed to India’s government to take necessary measures to prevent the recurrence of such incidents.