DHAKA, Bangladesh (AP) – Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi arrived in the Bangladeshi capital on Friday to join the country’s 50th anniversary celebrations.
His visit sparked violent protests at the Dhaka main mosque which were dispersed by police with tear gas and rubber bullets (injuring dozens of people) after clashes broke out between groups of protesters, officials and witnesses.
Critics accuse Modi’s Hindu-nationalist party of provoking religious polarization in India and discriminating against minorities, especially Muslims.
Modi’s two-day visit, the first abroad since the coronavirus pandemic began last year, will include the commemoration of the 100th anniversary of the birth of Bangladesh’s pro-independence leader Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, the father of the current Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.
Hasina, India’s key partner in maintaining regional stability, welcomed Modi to Dhaka’s Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport on Friday morning.
On Friday afternoon, hundreds of protesters had gathered in front of the Baitul Mokarram Mosque. Witnesses said violent clashes erupted after a faction of protesters began waving their shoes in disrespect at Modi and another group tried to stop them.
Local media said protesters who tried to stop the shoes are aligned with the ruling Awami League party. The party criticized the other protest faction for trying to create chaos in the country during Modi’s visit.
Local television showed protesters throwing stones at police, very present on the streets near the mosque. Somoy TV reported that at least 40 people were injured, including journalists, and were taken to Dhaka Medical College Hospital for treatment.
Abdul Mazid, a businessman who joined the prayer, told The Associated Press that he was trapped in the mosque after trying to flee when violence erupted during the prayer.
“It simply came to our notice then. I’m still inside the mosque, “he said by telephone. “There’s a huge amount of violence, I see it from here.”
A police officer said members of various Islamist groups had joined the protests, but it was not immediately known which groups they represented. The officer spoke on condition of anonymity in accordance with regulations. He did not want to give any figures on how many people were injured.
While Modi’s trip focuses mainly on Bangladesh’s birthday celebrations, the visit also has a political agenda at home, as voting begins on Saturday in several state-level elections, including West Bengal, which borders Bangladesh. .
Aiming to galvanize Hindu support into the key state of the battlefield, Modi is destined to visit a Hindu temple outside Dhaka which is sacred to the Matua community in West Bengal. The vote of the matua sect is expected to determine the winner of at least seven seats in a narrow race for control of the state assembly.
Modi, in a tweet Thursday afternoon before his trip, said the two countries share a vital relationship.
“Our partnership with Bangladesh is an important pillar of our Neighborhood First policy and we are committed to deepening and diversifying it further. We will continue to support Bangladesh’s remarkable development journey, under the dynamic leadership of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.” , he said.
In recent weeks, protesters have urged the Indian leader not to come to Bangladesh and chanted anti-India and anti-Modi slogans. Student protesters called Modi “the butcher of Gujarat.” Others carried signs that read “Go Back Modi, Go Back India” and “Go Back Killer Modi.”
Modi was chief minister in the western state of Gujarat in 2002, when Hindu-Muslim riots left more than 1,000 people dead. The accusations that the authorities allowed and even encouraged the bloodshed have long followed Modi, who has repeatedly denied any role. The Supreme Court of India has said it has found no evidence to prosecute him.
Protesters also criticized Hasina for inviting Modi, saying the two countries have many unresolved disputes. Protesters accuse Modi and his Hindu nationalist party of discriminating against Muslims, such as a controversial 2019 amendment to the law of citizenship.
They have also criticized the killing of Bangladeshis by Indian border guards. India says these casualties occur when Bangladeshis engage in cross-border smuggling and attempt to cross the border illegally.