DIPLOMATIC CRISIS: India Summons Bangladesh Envoy Over ‘Seven Sisters’ Threat and Embassy Security
New Delhi Flags ‘Deteriorating Security’ as National Citizen Party Leader Hasnat Abdullah Targets India’s North East
NEW DELHI — In a significant escalation of diplomatic tensions, India’s Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) on Wednesday summoned Bangladesh High Commissioner M. Riaz Hamidullah to lodge a “strong protest” over a series of provocative anti-India remarks and specific security threats directed at the Indian High Commission in Dhaka.
Direct Threat to India’s North East
The diplomatic row was triggered by a vitriolic speech delivered by Hasnat Abdullah, a senior leader of Bangladesh’s newly formed National Citizen Party (NCP). Addressing a rally in Dhaka, Abdullah threatened to “isolate the Seven Sisters” — a reference to India’s seven North Eastern states — and suggested providing refuge to separatist elements if he perceived India as “destabilizing” the current interim administration in Bangladesh.
Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma reacted sharply to the remarks, labeling the threat to sever the North East as “irresponsible and dangerous,” asserting that India would not remain silent in the face of such hostile rhetoric.
Security Breach Concerns at the High Commission
Parallel to the political threats, the MEA expressed deep concern over the “deteriorating security environment” in Dhaka. Reports indicate that radical groups, including the July Oikyo Mancho, had planned marches to the Indian High Commission. India has demanded that the interim government in Bangladesh fulfill its international obligations under the Vienna Convention to ensure the safety of diplomatic personnel and premises.
India Rejects ‘False Narratives’
The MEA issued a strongly worded statement rejecting “false narratives” created by extremist elements who seek to link recent domestic turmoil in Bangladesh to Indian authorities. New Delhi criticized the interim government for failing to conduct thorough investigations into recent attacks on student leaders or sharing meaningful evidence before pointing fingers at India.