Salman Khurshid: Bangladesh-like turmoil possible in India

People storm the Bangladesh PM’s residence in Dhaka. file pic/PTI

Congress leader Salman Khurshid on Tuesday said what is happening in Bangladesh can happen in the country though "everything may look normal on the surface". The former Union minister was speaking at the launch of academician Mujibur Rehman's book Shikwa-e-Hind: The Political Future of Indian Muslims.

"Everything may look normal in Kashmir. Everything may look normal here. We may be celebrating the victory, although of course some people believe that that victory or that success of 2024 was perhaps only marginal, perhaps a lot more needs to be done," he said.

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"The fact remains that under the surface there is something," he said. "What's happening in Bangladesh can happen here... the spread in our country prevents things blowing up in the manner in which they've blown up in Bangladesh," he said. Bangladesh was rocked by waves of violent anti-government protests since mid-July, following which Sheikh Hasina was forced to resign and flee the country.

BJP slams Khurshid

The BJP on Wednesday slammed as "anarchist" Congress leader Salman Khurshid's remarks that a Bangladesh-like situation could happen in India as well. At a book release function on Tuesday night, Khurshid said that though "everything may look normal on the surface", what is happening in Bangladesh could happen in India. Congress leader Shashi Tharoor, who was also present at the event, said on Wednesday that he could not explain what Khurshid meant but the larger message Bangladesh has given is the importance of democracy and free and fair elections.

Trade to normalise soon

Despite ongoing political turmoil in Bangladesh, trade between India and the neighbouring country through land ports in West Bengal is expected to normalise soon while some movements of goods via one of these facilities were reported on Wednesday, officials said. A meeting between the land port authorities of the two countries is scheduled on Wednesday at South Asia's largest land port Petrapole in West Bengal's North 24 Parganas district, which is "expected to provide clarity on the situation".

Airlines fly 400-plus to safety

Air India and IndiGo operated special flights to Dhaka, bringing more than 400 people amid a volatile situation in the Bangladesh capital. A special Air India flight brought 205 people, including 6 infants, from Dhaka to New Delhi on Wednesday morning, an official said. IndiGo's special flight flew from Dhaka to Kolkata on Tuesday to bring back Indian nationals from Bangladesh, the airline said in a statement.

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