Thousands of people have hit the streets across Bangladesh to protest against Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to the country on 17 March.
The huge numbers of Bangladeshi nationals are lodging a strong protest against Modi over communal clashes in Delhi that left 51 people dead and against the controversial Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA).
The mass gathering started off from the Baitul Mukarram National Mosque in Dhaka and blocked several roads in the capital city, leading to hours of traffic jams on the roads.
Sea of people protests in #Dhaka to prevent #Modi's arrival in #Bangladesh.
— Sakibul Hoque 🇧🇩 (@SakibulHoque8) March 6, 2020
They said, 'we won’t let him come here; If govt doesn’t withdraw Modi's invitation, the airport will be cordoned off on March 17.#GetOutModi #GoBackModi #DelhiRiots2020 #AntiMuslimRiot pic.twitter.com/zLYNJsdwLY
Modi is set to visit neighbouring Bangladesh on 17 March as a chief guest for the 100th anniversary of Bangladesh's founding leader Mujibur Rahman, confirmed External Affairs Ministry spokesman Raveesh Kumar on Thursday.
The protesters threw stones at posters of Modi and burned his portraits with many of them shouting slogans and carrying banners reading: “Stop killing Muslims in Delhi and Kashmir” and “Save Indian Muslims”.
The protesters demanded Bangladeshi Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina to cancel the visit by Modi to commemorate the birthday of independence leader Sheikh Mujibur Rahman.
Countrywide protests against #Delhi #AntiMuslimRiot, #GenocideInDelhi and to prevent #Modi's arrival in Bangladesh.
— Sakibul Hoque 🇧🇩 (@SakibulHoque8) March 6, 2020
Protesters wave their shoes to Modi at the rally.#GetOutModi #GoBackModi#Bangladesh #DelhiRiots pic.twitter.com/Jq2MTdu5KA
According to reports, the Islamist parties have announced a countrywide protest for 12 March and a human chain will be formed. The protesters have been asked to join the rally wearing black shrouds, carrying black flags, and shoes.
The protesters are also planning to cordon off the airport route on 17 March.
The three-day clashes between Hindus and Muslims in Delhi from 23-25 February has become a reason for condemnation of India with politicians in the US, Pakistan, Iran and, Turkey raising concerns over the large scale of violence, which left 51 people dead.
Combined Islamic parties have announced nationwide protest on March 12 to prevent #Modi's arrival in Bangladesh.
— Sakibul Hoque 🇧🇩 (@SakibulHoque8) March 6, 2020
Angry protesters wave their shoes to #Modi 🤭#GoBackModi #GetOutModi #TerroristModi #DelhiRiots pic.twitter.com/ci1QiyrR5d
Addressing the criticism, Indian Foreign Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar said: “India is getting to know who our friends really are”. At the sixth edition of the Global Business Summit in Delhi, Jaishankar stated that India cannot play on the back foot like earlier when the country was very defensive, our capabilities were less, risks were more and threats were higher.
“There was a time when India was very defensive...We can't do that anymore, we are 5th largest economy in the world. Now the nature of the world has changed", Jaishankar said adding the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) has been misunderstood.
Clarifying the CAA law, which was passed to grant citizenship to non-Muslim illegal immigrants from three neighbouring countries, Jaishankar said that the government is trying to reduce a large number of stateless people in the country.
