On December 7, ten members of a Hindu family from Bangladesh crossed into Tripura by trekking through dense forests overnight without stopping to rest. Indian security forces apprehended them at the Ambassa Railway Station in the Dhalai district. The family fled their home in Dhanpur village, Kishorganj district, Bangladesh, due to escalating anti-Hindu violence and unrest in the region, seeking safety in India.
Image via IANS
The group included three women (a mother-in-law and her daughters-in-law), three minors (two boys and a girl), and an elderly man. They were intercepted while attempting to board a train to Silchar in southern Assam. During preliminary questioning, the family reportedly said they were compelled to cross the border due to increasing persecution of the Hindu minority in Bangladesh following the collapse of the Awami League government led by Sheikh Hasina in August.
“After trekking through forested hills along a difficult route overnight, we entered India on Saturday through Kamalpur in Tripura’s Dhalai district. We were trying to reach Silchar in Assam to rent a house. We have no intention of returning to Bangladesh under any circumstances. The situation there is dire, with attacks on the lives and properties of Hindus becoming a daily occurrence,” explained Shankar Chandra Sarkar, one of the detained Bangladeshi Hindus.
“We had to take cover of the darkness and jungles and walk throughout the night. We eventually managed to cross into India through the Srimangal area of Bangladesh. We started on Friday and reached Tripura on Saturday,” he went on to describe their arduous journey to India. As he recounted, they traveled from Kamalpur to the Ambassa railway station, where they planned to board a train bound for Silchar, Assam.
He added, “We have come from Bangladesh. We came to India because we can’t stay there (Bangladesh) anymore in the face of atrocities. I worked as a driver at Dhanpur in Kishorganj district. People tried to assault me. Our women are not safe there. I shall not go back from India even if I am jailed,” he expressed the details of their harrowing experience.
“We will not go back. We will not go back to Bangladesh at any cost. We have sold whatever we could before coming here. We can’t get justice there, we are assaulted, we are unsafe in Bangladesh,” the victim of the Islamist attacks emphasized once again, highlighting that they were forced to leave behind numerous properties, household items, and assets.
Sarkar stated that hundreds of Hindus, including himself, are contemplating fleeing to India due to the unrest in Bangladesh, but many have been hesitant to do so for various reasons. “It is not a petty matter to leave behind your house, and belongings, and come to another country. My father also walked through the jungle. He is a senior citizen and could have died,” he highlighted their miserable situation.
“During the Awami League government headed by then Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, we were happy and there was no enmity between the Hindus and Muslims in our areas. But after the caretaker government headed by Muhammad Yunus assumed office, we were continuously harassed and threatened,” he emphasized the intense attacks on minorities, particularly targeting Hindus, their temples, religious institutions, and properties.
On December 8th, seven members of a Hindu family were remanded to 14 days of judicial custody by a local court in Tripura's Dhalai district for violating the Indian Passport Act by illegally entering the country. The seven adults were sent to Chailengta subdivisional jail, while three minor children were placed in the Narsingarh juvenile home in Agartala.
The family’s patriarch, 70-year-old Sudhir Sarkar, hopes to gain Indian citizenship under the Citizenship (Amendment) Act, 2019. This law provides a pathway to Indian nationality for undocumented non-Muslim migrants from Pakistan, Bangladesh, and Afghanistan who arrived in India before December 31, 2014, including Hindus, Sikhs, Jains, Buddhists, Parsis, and Christians. “Nobody wants to leave his or her birthplace and fights to stay back till the end. But if a situation has arisen where a Hindu family from Bangladesh is forced to seek refuge in India, the Indian administration should deal with it sympathetically,” he told the media before going to jail.
Describing his terrifying ordeal at home, he revealed that following the removal of the former prime minister Sheikh Hasina, his sons, Shankar and Adhir, had endured brutal treatment from anti-Hasina factions. Their means of living were taken from them, women were confined to the house, and their children were barred from attending school. “Our Muslim neighbours, with whom our families lived peacefully for generations, became our sworn enemies overnight. They would torture us, not allow us to go to the market. They simply wanted us to die either by suicide or starvation. We had no option but to leave our country,” he disclosed.
He stated that they left their home with only a few belongings before dawn on December 6th and reached the town of Sri Mangal in Bangladesh by evening. Although they managed to reach the international border, they had to wait to avoid detection by the Border Security Force (BSF) and Bangladesh's Border Guard. The entire family spent the night in the jungle between Ambassa and Kamalpur, and the following morning, they took an autorickshaw to the train station, where they were arrested.
Bangladesh: A Chronology of Unrest as PM Sheikh Hasina Resigns and Leaves the Country
On Monday, August 5th, Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina resigned and departed the country after 15 years in power. Her resignation came after weeks of widespread anti-government unrest, resulting in the deaths of more than 300 people.
Thousands of Bangladeshi protesters stormed Sheikh Hasina's official residence, Ganabhaban, in Dhaka, following reports that Hasina and her sister, Sheikh Rehana, had sought refuge in a "safe shelter." General Waker-Uz-Zaman, Bangladesh's army chief, declared the formation of an interim government, pledging to withdraw troops and investigate the crackdown on student protesters.
A large group of jubilant protesters, waving flags and celebrating, some even dancing on top of tanks, breached the gates of Ganabhaban after Hasina left the country amidst ongoing protests.
As Bangladesh faces significant political turmoil, let’s explore the timeline of events—the various stages of the student protests, which were entangled in political struggles and ultimately led to Sheikh Hasina’s resignation.
The unrest in Bangladesh began in early 2024, primarily centered on a controversial quota system for government jobs. The High Court's decision to reserve a substantial proportion of positions for specific groups, particularly descendants of freedom fighters and women, sparked immense anger among university students.
The protests ignited over the High Court's ruling to reinstate a 30% reservation in government jobs for the descendants of those who fought in the 1971 Liberation War. What began as peaceful demonstrations soon escalated into violence.
Phase One of Protests in Bangladesh
During the initial phase of the protests, over 32 people were reported dead, and nearly 1,000 others were injured, as the country faced high inflation, dwindling foreign reserves, and rising unemployment. On July 18, anti-quota demonstrators set fire to the headquarters of Bangladesh Television (BTV) in Dhaka. In response, police used rubber bullets and other non-lethal force to disperse the student protesters, resulting in more deaths and injuries.
Until 2018, 56% of government positions in Bangladesh were reserved for specific groups, including people with disabilities (1%), indigenous communities (5%), women (10%), individuals from underdeveloped districts (10%), and families of freedom fighters from the 1971 Bangladesh Liberation War (30%). This left only 44% of positions open to merit-based selection. In 2018, widespread protests by student groups led the government, under Sheikh Hasina, to abolish the entire quota system.
In June of this year, the High Court of Bangladesh overturned the government's decision, sparking new protests by student groups. On July 4, the Supreme Court's Appellate Division upheld the High Court’s ruling, which led to further demonstrations. After an appeal from Sheikh Hasina, the Bangladeshi apex court instructed all petitioners to maintain the status quo until August 7, 2024.
Phase Two of the Protests
During the second phase of the nationwide protests, over 150 people were reported injured, and two fatalities occurred. This followed a decision by the country’s Supreme Court, which had reduced the quota for reserved government jobs from 56% to 7% just two weeks earlier. Initially, the anti-quota protestors demanded the revocation of reservations for the families of freedom fighters, but their demands evolved to include “justice” for the roughly 200 people killed during the first phase of the violent protests, as well as the immediate release of detained protestors.
In cities such as Dhaka, Khulna, Sylhet, Narsingdi, Chattogram, and Noakhali, incidents of violence broke out after Jumma Namaz. Protestors set a police box on fire at the Wasa intersection in Chattogram and engaged in stone-throwing and brickbat hurling. In response, law enforcement used lathi-charges, rubber bullets, firearms, stun grenades, and teargas. Several injured protestors were hospitalized after sustaining rubber bullet wounds.
On July 18, Prime Minister Hasina called in the army to manage the escalating violence. In a bid to suppress the unrest, the authorities suspended all internet services, including broadband, banned all Meta platforms (Facebook, WhatsApp, Messenger, and Instagram), and declared a three-day holiday.
Phase Three of the Protests
Amid the violence and chaos, protesters called for the resignation of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina. By August 4th, more than 100 people had lost their lives in clashes between Awami League supporters and the demonstrators, including 14 police officers. In response to the unrest in Bangladesh, the Interior Ministry imposed a nationwide curfew in an attempt to restore order. Additionally, the government declared a holiday from August 5th to 7th to ease tensions.
On August 5th, Asif Mahmud, leader of the ‘Student Movements Against Discrimination,’ urged protesters to gather in Dhaka. A large crowd followed, beginning their "Long March to Dhaka" with a single goal: to remove Sheikh Hasina from office.
Jamaat-e-Islami, BNP, and the Intensification of Violent Protests
As protests grew more violent and clashes between demonstrators and police became increasingly frequent, the situation escalated further when the Jamaat-e-Islami (JeI) and Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) began amplifying the protests, using them to weaken the ruling Awami League government. The involvement of these opposition parties intensified the protests, as their supporters joined in.
The influence of JeI and BNP on the uprising was significant. Both parties saw the protests as a key opportunity to challenge Prime Minister Hasina’s government. They were accused of providing logistical support and mobilizing their followers, which led to larger and more coordinated protests. Their participation transformed what had begun as a student-led movement into a broader anti-government campaign. Notably, the BNP had been at the forefront of a harsh anti-India "India Out" campaign, calling for a boycott of Indian goods, which Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina had strongly opposed during her tenure.
In an effort to calm the unrest, Bangladesh’s Supreme Court issued a critical ruling, overturning the controversial quota system. However, the court's intervention failed to resolve the crisis. With continued backing from the JeI and BNP, the protesters kept demanding deeper reforms, accusing the Hasina government of corruption and authoritarianism.
Sheikh Hasina's Resignation: The Conclusion of an Era
On Monday, August 5, Sheikh Hasina resigned as Prime Minister, ending her 15-year rule. After stepping down, she left for New Delhi aboard a military helicopter. Ironically, Sheikh Hasina, who had once liberated Bangladesh from military rule, was forced to resign after the army gave her just 45 minutes to vacate her position.
Soon after her departure, waves of violent protests erupted. Jubilant demonstrators, waving flags and even dancing atop tanks, breached the gates of Hasina’s official residence, celebrating her flight from the country amid ongoing unrest.
In 1975, rebel military forces assassinated Sheikh Hasina’s father, Prime Minister Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, along with her mother and three brothers. After six years in exile, Hasina returned to lead her father’s Awami League party, beginning a decade-long struggle that included multiple periods of house arrest.
In 1990, Hasina joined forces with Khaleda Zia’s Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) to overthrow military dictator Hussain Muhammad Ershad. However, their alliance quickly deteriorated, creating a lasting political rivalry that continues to influence Bangladeshi politics. Even during the current anti-quota protests, the opposing BNP played a significant role in her downfall.
Hasina first became Prime Minister in 1996, only to be defeated by Zia five years later. In 2007, both women were imprisoned on corruption charges, though those charges were later dropped, allowing them to contest elections again. Hasina won a decisive victory in 2008, securing 263 of 300 seats. She remained in power until her resignation on August 5, 2024.
Amid the political turmoil, Bangladesh’s Army Chief Waker-uz-Zaman announced his intention to oversee the formation of an interim government. In a televised speech, he confirmed Hasina’s departure and stated that the army was taking control. He also emphasized that political leaders from both the Awami League and the opposition BNP would be consulted in the process.
In recent months, Hasina had claimed that the United States was attempting to orchestrate a regime change in Bangladesh, collaborating with the BNP and Jamaat-e-Islami. Last year, the US had supported the BNP and its ally, Jamaat-e-Islami, in their protests against Hasina’s government. Hasina had also suggested that the US was attempting to create a Christian state spanning parts of Myanmar’s Sagaing Division, India’s Mizoram, and Manipur, as well as areas in Bangladesh’s Chittagong Division.
Whether there is any truth to these claims about a Christian nation, the US-backed effort to remove Sheikh Hasina from power has become a reality, regardless of its direct involvement.
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