Agartala, Oct 21: In view of the violence targeting minorities in Bangladesh, a three-day film festival of the Bangladesh government, scheduled to be held in Tripura capital Agartala from October 21, has been postponed due to the alleged communal tensions in the neighbouring country. As per reports, Assistant high commissioner of Bangladesh in Agartala, Jubayed Hassan on October 19 said that the decision was taken due to “unavoidable circumstances”.
“Keeping in mind the current tensed situation caused due to attack on the Hindu community in Bangladesh and the consecutive discontentment among people in Tripura, the Bangladesh government has decided to delay the festival until things get better,” Hassan said.
“In the proposed film festival, 34 films, mostly on ‘Mukti Yuddha’ (1971 Liberation War of Bangladesh), were planned to be screened from October 21 to 23 in the Rabindra Satabarshiki Auditorium,” Assistant Commissioner Jubayed Hassan said on Wednesday.
Meanwhile, Tripura Chief Minister Biplab Kumar Deb has urged the Bangladesh government to protect the lives, properties and religious places of the minorities in that country.
On the other hand, many organisations, intellectuals, political parties and NGOs in Assam and Tripura have condemned the recent attacks on people belonging to the Hindu community in Bangladesh, besides organising protest rallies against the communal violence in the neighbouring country.
As per sources, the organisation met the Bangladesh Assistant High Commissioners in Agartala and Guwahati and have urged them to request their government to ensure action against those who attacked the minorities, vandalised Durga Puja pandals and properties belonging to the non-Muslim families.
According to Bangladesh media, at least 450 people have been arrested as on last Tuesday.
As precautionary measures, Dhaka — Bangladesh capital — has strengthened police presence in a number of districts like Chittagong, Narsingdi, Comilla and Munshiganj that are known for historic Durga puja celebrations
It may be mentioned, a communal clash broke out on October 15 after a rumoured video of a Durga Puja in Cumilla of Bangladesh, where the deity was shown standing over Islam’s Holy book, The Quran, made rounds that allegedly irked the Muslims — majority there — to attack Durga Pujas and commit arson in several parts of the country in which six, from both sides died, while several others were injured. Though no attacks, but social media is seething with condemnation of the incidents from several sections of people in India.
