Bangladesh summons Indian envoy after vandalism at diplomatic mission in Agartala

Bangladesh on Tuesday summoned the Indian envoy in Dhaka to register its concerns about the vandalism and breach of security of its Assistant High Commission in Agartala a day earlier, reported The Hindu.

The Assistant High Commission in Agartala suspended all visa and consular services till further notice, citing security concerns.

In Dhaka, Indian High Commissioner Pranay Verma met Acting Foreign Secretary Riaz Hamidullah on Tuesday after being summoned. After the meeting, Verma said that India and Bangladesh have a multi-faceted relationship that cannot be reduced to one agenda.

“A number of positive developments in the relationship in the last few months, like trade, power transmission, supply of essential commodities have taken place,” he said. “We are interested in working with the Government of Bangladesh to fulfil our shared aspirations for peace, security and development.”

The developments came after protestors from a group called the Hindu Sangharsh Samiti on Monday breached the security arrangements at the Assistant High Commission in Agartala, pulled down Bangladesh’s national flag and damaged property.

Seven persons were arrested for the vandalism, while three police officials were suspended for neglecting their duties.

On Monday, Bangladesh’s foreign ministry urged New Delhi to thoroughly investigate the attack, and said it violated the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations, which requires that diplomatic missions be protected.

The Bangladeshi foreign ministry...

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