Bangladesh objects to Mamata Banerjee’s ‘shelter for refugees’ remark

The Bangladesh government on Tuesday officially registered its protest over West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee’s recent statement on offering “shelter to helpless people” from violence-hit Bangladesh.

The neighbouring country has sent an official note to New Delhi regarding the matter.

“With due respect to the West Bengal Chief Minister, with whom we share a very close relationship, we want to make it clear that her comments have a lot of scope for confusion. Therefore, we have given a note to the Government of India,” Hasan Mahmud, Bangladesh Foreign Minister, said.

On July 21, in the wake of the escalating violence and protests in Bangladesh, Mamata Banerjee stated that the state would keep its doors open for “people in distress” from the neighbouring country and offer them shelter.

Also noting that commenting on foreign issues is a subject of the Centre, she said at a rally, “if helpless people come knocking on the doors of West Bengal, we will surely provide them shelter”.

Banerjee referred to the United Nations resolution on refugees as justification for her stand.

“That’s because there is a United Nations resolution to accommodate refugees in regions adjacent to those in turmoil,” the Chief Minister added.

Meanwhile, West Bengal Governor, CV Ananda Bose, has sought a report from Banerjee on her comment. The Raj Bhavan said that it is the Centre’s prerogative to handle anything that is part of external affairs.

“Public statement by a Chief Minister undertaking the responsibility to provide shelter to people who may be coming in from a foreign nation implies Constitutional transgression of a very serious nature,” the Governor’s office said in a statement on Monday.

Violence escalated in Bangladesh, especially in the capital Dhaka and elsewhere, killing scores as students launched protests demanding reforms of the quota system for government jobs. A counter-protest of students supporting the Sheikh Hasina government also hit the streets, and protesters clashed with police. The protests have been ongoing for over a month but escalated last week after police action at Dhaka University.

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