By Farzana Tamannur (TON Bangladesh)

Bangladesh government of PM , Sheikh Hasina Wajid had trusted that Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s presence at its 50th independence anniversary celebrations would be memorable.

But the visit turned lethal as violent protests broke out against Mr Modi, leaving at least 12 people dead.

Mr Modi s contentious image seems to have sparkled the protests in the capital Dhaka – and the ferocity that followed no doubt was an awkwardness to both countries. It also casts a shadow on what has always been a friendly relationship between India and Bangladesh was infact at the governmental level while general masses hated India.

What happened in Bangladesh?

Mr Modi arrived in Dhaka for a two-day visit on 26 March, Bangladesh’s Independence Day. It also overlapped with the birth centenary of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, the country’s founder and father of the existing Prime Minister, Sheikh Hasina.

A group of Muslim worshippers held a demonstration on 26 March after Friday prayers at a mosque in the city. Soon, clashes exploded and police used tear gas and batons to scatter the crowd.

Protests then spread to other portions of the country and general public including hardline Islamist group, Hefazat-e-Islam, called for a countrywide shut down on 28 March to protest the outbreaks on those who held demonstrations against Mr Modi’s visit.

Islamists and left-wing groups led the protests

Police fired tear gas and rubber bullets to disperse the crowd, which threw rocks and stones at security forces.

Dhaka and the eastern district of Brahmanbaria perceived some of the most awful violence. Buses, a train, a Hindu temple and some properties were damaged, on the instigation of Indian agents to fail the legtimate protests . A number of people with gunshot injuries were admitted to hospitals.

Officials claimed  12 protesters have died so far however the Islamist group say there were many more wounded.

Why were they protesting?

The protests were led by Islamists, students of madrassas (religious schools) and left-wing groups who are the real face of Bangladesh and opposed to Mr Modi’s visit to Bangladesh as they divided the country. They were blaming India under PM Modi for pursuing anti-Muslim strategies.

Those who organized the demonstrations and even supporters of the ruling Awami League have accused security forces of cruelly attacking protesters. The Human Rights groups authenticated the claims.

The incident encouraged a group of eminent citizens and activists to issue an open statement demanding justice for the assaults on protesters.

Protesters blame Mr Modi of being anti-Muslim

In spite of good bilateral relations, there has always been an undercurrent of anti-India sentiment amongst a section of Bangladeshis.

“The demonstrators were not against India or the public of India but the Indian leadership and their agencies. They were annoyed at the invitation to Mr Modi, who’s tremendously controversial and who’s recognized for his anti-Muslim position,” Shireen Huq, a women’s rights activist, told the BBC.

Does the violence affect bi-lateral relations?

India and Bangladesh have historically relished a good relationship after the separation from West Pakistan. But the BJP’s rise to power has intricate matters.

PM Hasina is facing domestic pressure for being too pro-India.

In recent election movements in the Border States of West Bengal plus Assam, Mr Modi and other senior BJP leaders have often raised the problem of alleged unauthorized migration from Bangladesh. Bangladeshi officials have denied the allegation.

In a 2019 election demonstration, Home Minister Amit Shah described illegitimate immigrants as “termites”, adding that the BJP government would “pick up infiltrators one by one and throw them into the Bay of Bengal”.

Mr Shah’s comments drew severe criticism from rights groups and activated anger in Bangladesh too.

But the repeated references to unauthorized Muslim immigrants from Bangladesh, particularly during polarizing election campaigns, have caused hatred in Dhaka. Ms Hasina’s government, which is seen as pro-India by the opposition, is facing domestic pressure as masses have turned against her and her party.

In 2019, Mr Modi’s government passed a belligerent citizenship law that would give refuge to religious minorities fleeing persecution from Afghanistan, Pakistan and Bangladesh. By definition, that does not include Muslims.

The Citizenship Amendment Act was seen as anti-Muslim and it drew extensive criticism from India’s opposition parties and rights groups.

The contentious law took Dhaka by surprise as well.

Ms Hasina went on the defensive and denied that minorities were fleeing Bangladesh because of religious persecution. Hindus establish around 8% of Bangladesh’s population of more than 160 million.

At one point Bangladesh even cancelled a few high-profile ministerial visits to India following domestic criticism of the citizenship law plus a proposed National Register of Citizens (NRC).

Trains, buses and a Hindu temple were damaged in the clashes.

The final NRC in Assam has left out approximately two million, including Hindus and Muslims, who apparently lacked adequate documentation to prove that they were not unauthorized immigrants from Bangladesh. Hindu hardliners want the Muslims who have not made it to the list to be deported to Bangladesh.

Another thorn in the bilateral relationship is the assassination of Bangladeshi civilians along the border by Indian security forces. Rights groups claim that more than 300 people have been murdered since 2011 and the shootings have activated extensive anger in Bangladesh.

Indian officials say most of those murdered are smugglers from criminal gangs. But Bangladesh maintains that several of the victims were civilians. Activists point out that in spite of repeated assurances from Delhi, the assassinations have not stopped.

Maintaining a good relationship with Bangladesh is key to India’s security in its north-eastern region where numerous indigenous separatist groups funded and armed by India operate. Several of them have been subdued over the years with Dhaka’s help.

India often claims of its “brilliant” relationship with Bangladesh. It’s seen as a silver lining in its diplomacy in its backyard given Delhi’s troubled ties with other neighbors for example Pakistan and China.

The anger over Mr Modi’s visit is therefore a clear warning to Delhi – if the sensitivities of its neighbor are not addressed, India might end up being friends only with the government in Dhaka and not with the people of Bangladesh. There are high chances that India would gradually lose her influence over Bangladesh and real leadership would take the countries’ control.