Even as Hindu minorities in Bangladesh face the wrath of the Islamists, Hindus living in India also recently witnessed the Islamic supremacism currently gripping the neighbouring country. In a highly outrageous incident that violates international laws, a few personnel from Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) sneaked into India to stop the renovation of a Hindu temple, claiming that the sight of the temple would offend Bangladesh’s Muslims and touch off violence there.
The incident took place at a temple near the Kushiyara River along the India-Bangladesh border in Assam’s Sribhumi district on Thursday.
The Assam government had recently sanctioned Rs 3 lakhs for the renovation and restoration of the Manasa Temple located at the immersion ghat at Kushiyara in Sribhumi.
According to a report published in Swarajya, some personnel belonging to the Zakinganj border outpost of the BGB crossed the river in a speedboat and confronted the workers at the temple over the restoration work, demanding an immediate halt to the construction. They also reportedly threatened the workers and local Hindu residents who had gathered at the place due to commotion. The BGB personnel also threatened to open fire from across the border if they saw the work resuming, stating that the temple’s visibility from across the river was offensive to their country’s Muslims and seeing a temple after namaz or from a mosque is “haram” as per Islam.
The BSF had reportedly reached the place before the situation escalated and defused the tension between the villagers and the BGB team. The BSF team firmly told the BGB personnel that they had no authority to enter into the Indian territory and threaten Indian citizens for restoration work going on in the Indian territory. The BSF informed their BGB counterparts that the work over the temple would continue as per plan. Outnumbered and facing strong resistance from the BSF and locals, the BGB team retreated.
Nevertheless, this action violated international laws and established border protocols, which mandate that the BGB must notify and obtain permission from the Border Security Force (BSF) before entering Indian territory. Additionally, these protocols prohibit both the BGB and BSF from carrying weapons while crossing into each other’s territory.
Following their retreat, locals raised slogans against Bangladesh and warned against interloping in the Indian territories. The BSF extended protection to the workers undertaking restoration work of the temple, and additional police personnel were deployed in the area.
The BGB team’s intrusion in India not only underscores the grave violation of international laws but the reasoning offered by them—the sight of the temple would be offensive to Muslims in Bangladesh—demonstrates the extent of radicalisation that has crept into the border forces of the neighbouring country and the sense of entitlement they feel to snuck into India armed and threaten Indians with dire consequences for being involved in activities on their territory.
