In a diplomatically significant development, Bangladesh High Commissioner to India, M. Riaz Hamidullah, is scheduled to meet West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee at Nabanna on Monday. This marks the first such meeting in nine years, amid rising concerns over a cultural heritage dispute and border-related tensions between the two neighbors.
🏛️ Cultural Flashpoint: Vandalism of Tagore-Linked Site
The meeting comes in the wake of the vandalism of the historic Kachari House in Sirajganj, Bangladesh—a site closely associated with Rabindranath Tagore. CM Banerjee had earlier written to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, urging diplomatic engagement with Dhaka, calling the incident a matter of “international cultural sensitivity”.
Bangladesh has maintained that the vandalism was a local law and order issue, unrelated to politics or religion. High Commissioner Hamidullah is expected to present the “real picture” behind the incident during his meeting with Banerjee.
🌐 Border Tensions and Deportation Concerns
The dialogue is also expected to address ongoing border tensions, particularly the identification and deportation of undocumented Bangladeshi nationals. The 2,217-kilometre shared border with West Bengal remains a focal point of bilateral cooperation and friction.
Recent reports of Bengali-speaking Indian citizens being mistakenly deported have sparked political backlash in Bengal, with Banerjee accusing the Centre of targeting people based on language. The High Commissioner may propose a “more humane, peaceful, and economically productive” approach to border management.
🗣️ Political Undercurrents
The meeting has drawn sharp reactions from the BJP, which alleges that the Trinamool Congress is aligning with Dhaka to resist the Centre’s immigration policies. TMC leaders, however, argue that the meeting is a diplomatic necessity to protect cultural ties and regional harmony.
Stay tuned for updates on the outcomes of this high-level diplomatic engagement.
