New Delhi, Dec 19 Bangladesh is on the edge following the killing of Sharif Osman Hadi, a top leader of the Bangladesh student uprising last year. While more information on the killers is yet to be revealed, Indian agencies are of the opinion that the killing may be an internal hit.
The murder led to widespread violence in Dhaka, and those targeted included pro-India individuals, the neutral media, Hindus, and Awami League supporters and properties belonging to the party.
If one looks at the pattern in which the events have unfolded, it is clear that all this has been engineered with two intentions.
One, an attempt is being made to delay the elections. Secondly, it is a clear intention to engineer anti-India sentiments.
The opinion polls currently show that the Jamaat-e-Islami is inching closer to the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), while the experts believe that if the elections are conducted in a proper manner, then the BNP would come out tops.
This is something that neither the ISI-controlled Jamaat nor the interim government chief, Muhammad Yunus, would want.
Post the uprising by the students, which ousted the Sheikh Hasina government, the National Citizens Party (NCP) was formed. The students who led the uprising are the ones who formed the party, and today they realise that they stand no chance in the elections.
The NCP has the complete backing of Yunus, and hence, he too would want the elections delayed so that the party that he backs gets the time to gain ground.
An official said that the narrative that is being built up currently is that it is not safe to hold elections in Bangladesh. This also suits the ISI’s narrative as it gets to meddle at will in the country for longer.
Everything that has unfolded in Bangladesh in the last 24 hours looks completely managed, the official also added.
Every incident is being given a political colour, and this has led to violence at the drop of a hat.
One also has to look at the manner in which an anti-India sentiment is being built up using such violent incidents.
Hadi was openly anti-India in his stance, and he never made any bones about it. Attempts are being made in Bangladesh to pass off the murder as one which was carried out by pro-India elements. This would automatically anger a large majority. If the people are angered, then it becomes easier for the radicals to instigate and fan violence across the country, officials pointed out.
In Chattogram, stone pelting was reported at the Deputy High Commission’s office as well as the residence. Videos are in circulation that show the radical and militant elements at work.
In Dhaka, a radical group attempted to march to the Indian High Commission. They broke through the barricades, raised anti-India slogans and issued threats. They were, however, contained by the police.
Agency officials say that there is a deliberate attempt to internalise the issue and portray India in a poor light. The aim is to make it look as though India is the focal point of this public anger.
Disclaimer: This post has been auto-published from an agency feed without any modifications to the text and has not been reviewed by an editor