Tripura erupts in protests against persecution of minorities in Bangladesh

By Our Correspondent

Agartala, December 25, 2025

Protests erupted across Tripura on Wednesday against alleged persecution of religious and ethnic minorities in neighbouring Bangladesh, with demonstrations held in the state capital Agartala as well as in Kailashahar of Unakoti district.

In Agartala, hundreds of activists affiliated to the Vishva Hindu Parishad (VHP) and Bajrang Dal staged a protest rally condemning what they described as atrocities on minorities, particularly Hindus, in Bangladesh. The rally began in front of Anandamayee Ashram on Laxmi Narayan Bari Road and was scheduled to proceed towards the Akhaura Integrated Check Post (ICP).

However, police stopped the rally near the police headquarters by erecting barricades, citing security concerns. A brief scuffle broke out between protesters and the police, but the situation was brought under control within a short time.

Addressing the media, VHP and Bajrang Dal activists alleged that minorities in Bangladesh were facing systematic persecution under what they termed a fundamentalist dispensation led by Md Yunus. They claimed that attacks on Hindus had become frequent and targeted.

Referring to the killing of Dipu Chandra Das, a protester alleged that the victim was brutally assaulted and his body later set on fire on the pretext of blasphemy. “So far, neither the perpetrators nor the Bangladesh authorities have produced any evidence to support such claims. Hindus are being targeted solely because of their religious identity,” he said.

The protesters also raised slogans against Md Yunus and alleged radical Islamic groups, accusing them of playing an instrumental role in the attacks. They claimed that the situation had worsened after the fall of the Sheikh Hasina government, with anti-Hindu forces allegedly gaining encouragement.

Superintendent of Police, West Tripura, Namit Pathak said adequate security arrangements were in place from the beginning of the rally. “Given the prevailing security situation, the rally was stopped near the police headquarters,” he said.

Meanwhile, in Kailashahar of Unakoti district, large-scale protests were organised by the Hindu Oikya Manch against alleged attacks on minorities in Bangladesh, including the killing of Dipu Chandra Das and incidents such as arson at newspaper offices, which protesters claimed were aimed at stifling freedom of expression.

Thousands of people participated in the protest march, which began from Paitur Bazar New Motor Stand and passed through key areas of Kailashahar town before culminating at the RKI ground. The town reverberated with slogans demanding an end to minority persecution in Bangladesh, justice for Dipu Chandra Das, and accountability from the Yunus government.

After the march, a section of protesters moved towards the barbed-wire fencing along the India-Bangladesh border near the RKI ground and began demonstrating, briefly creating a tense situation. Personnel from the BSF, CRPF, state police and TSR jointly intervened and dispersed the protesters from the sensitive border area.

Later, a protest meeting was held at the RKI ground, where speakers alleged that attacks on minority Hindus in Bangladesh had increased sharply under the interim Yunus administration. Social activist Sandeep Debroy said the killing of Dipu Chandra Das was not an isolated incident but a “deliberate message of intimidation” to the minority community. He also alleged that attacks on media establishments reflected attempts to silence dissent.

Other speakers expressed concern over what they described as the silence of international human rights organisations. They warned that if the situation in Bangladesh did not improve, people in India’s border areas would be compelled to intensify their agitation.

The protesters urged the Government of India, the United Nations and international human rights bodies to intervene diplomatically to ensure the safety and rights of minorities in Bangladesh.

Despite heightened tension throughout the day in Kailashahar town and adjoining border areas, no major untoward incident was reported due to strict vigilance by the administration.

more news...