Bangladesh Protests: West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee Sunday reacted to the crisis in Bangladesh where dozens have been killed in violent protests, suggesting that the doors of her state are open for distressed people from the neighbouring country and shelter would be offered to them if they seek refuge.
Justifying her stand on the issue, Mamata cited the United Nations Resolution on refugees, and asserted that Bangladesh stands on the brink of a possible humanitarian crisis that may emerge in the country due to the severe breakdown of law and order which has been witnessed there since protests erupted over the quota row.
“I should not be speaking on the affairs of Bangladesh since that is a sovereign nation and whatever needs to be said on the issue is a subject matter of the Centre. But I can tell you this, if helpless people come knocking on the doors of Bengal, we will surely provide them shelter,” Banerjee said at the ‘Martyrs Day’ rally of the TMC in Kolkata.
The Trinamool Congress (TMC) supremo cited United Nations Resolution which mandates adjacent regions to accommodate refugees from turmoil-hit areas.
“That’s because there is a United Nations Resolution to accommodate refugees in regions adjacent to those under turmoil,” Banerjee said while drawing an example from Assamese people who were allowed to live in the Alipurduars area of north Bengal for a considerable period during the Bodo strife in the northeastern state.
Banerjee assured all cooperation to Bengal residents whose relatives may have remained stuck on account of the escalating violence on the eastern side of the international border, and also extended assistance to Bangladeshis who came to Bengal but were facing difficulty in returning home.
The West Bengal CM also appealed to the people of her state to not get provoked over matters concerning the current situation in Bangladesh.
“We should exercise restraint and not walk into any provocation or excitement on the issue,” she stated.
The Trinamool supremo also expressed her solidarity with the people who have remained at the receiving end of the ongoing violence in the neighbouring country.
“We are sad to see blood getting spilt and my heart goes out to those students who were killed,” she said.
(With PTI inputs)
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