Ravneet Singh Bittu appeals to EAM Jaishankar to safeguard Gurdwaras, temples in Bangladesh

New Delhi [India], August 6 : Amid ongoing unrest in Bangladesh, Union Minister of State for Railways and Food Processing expressed concern over attacks on religious places in Bangladesh and sought the protection of Sikh Gurdwaras located in Dhaka and Hindu temples in the country.
Bittu wrote an official letter to the External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar and urged him to take up with the Army authorities in Bangladesh to protect two historical Sikh shrines, Gurdwara Nanak Shahi and Gurdwara Sangat Tola situated in Dhaka.
He said that Guru Nanak Dev ji and Guru Teg Bahadur Sahib had visited Dhaka and these Gurdwaras were built in their memory.
Bittu in his letter said that the population of Sikhs in Bangladesh is very small and certain anti-India elements were indulging in rampage of religious places. He said that the Sikh community was worried about the safety of Sikh shrines. He assured the Sikh community in Bangladesh and in India that the Indian Government would take steps to protect the Sikh shrines.
Meanwhile, S Jaishankar on Tuesday said that there are an estimated 19,000 Indian nationals of which about 9000 are students while ensuring the country that the government is in close contact with the Indian community in Dhaka.
Jaishankar informed the Lok Sabha that the bulk of the students returned to India in July.
"We are in close and continuous touch with the Indian community in Bangladesh through our diplomatic missions. There are an estimated 19,000 Indian nationals there of which about 9000 are students. The bulk of the students returned in July," he said.
He also said that Bangladesh's former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina requested approval from India to come at very short notice and she arrived on the evening of Monday.
"On August 5, demonstrators converged in Dhaka despite the curfew. Our understanding is that after a meeting with leaders of the security establishment, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina apparently made the decision to resign. At very short notice, she requested approval to come for the moment to India. We simultaneously received a request for flight clearance from Bangladesh authorities. She arrived yesterday evening in Delhi," he said.
The External Affairs Minister also mentioned that the government is monitoring the situation with regard to the minorities living in Bangladesh.
"Since the election in January 2024, there has been considerable tensions, deep divides and growing polarization in Bangladesh politics and this underlying foundation aggravated a student agitation that started in June this year," he said.
"There was growing violence including attacks on public buildings and violence continued in July. We counselled restraint and urged the situation be resolved by dialogue, Jaishankar said in his statement in Rajya Sabha.