Hotels and restaurants in Assam’s Barak Valley announced on Friday that they would not serve Bangladeshi guests in protest against alleged attacks on Hindus and other minorities in Bangladesh. The Barak Valley Hotel and Restaurant Association, led by chief Babul Rai, said the decision would remain until the situation in Bangladesh improved.
“The situation of Hindus and other minorities in Bangladesh is concerning,” Rai told PTI. “This is our form of protest, and we urge citizens of Bangladesh to restore stability in their country.”
Barak Valley, comprising Cachar, Sribhumi (formerly Karimganj), and Hailakandi districts, shares a 129-km border with Bangladesh’s Sylhet region.
A similar ban has been implemented by the All Tripura Hotel and Restaurant Owners’ Association and a hospital in Kolkata, West Bengal, following recent incidents of violence against minorities in Bangladesh and alleged disrespect toward the Indian flag.
The situation in Bangladesh escalated after the Sheikh Hasina-led Awami League government was replaced by an interim administration in August. Several regions reported violence targeting religious minorities, including Hindus.
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi had earlier urged Muhammad Yunus, the head of Bangladesh’s interim government, to ensure the safety of minorities. Yunus, however, claimed the reports were exaggerated.
On Saturday, the International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON) reported that a temple and a center in Dhaka were set on fire by miscreants. Radharamn Das, ISKCON’s vice-president in Kolkata, described the incident as deeply painful.
“Early morning today, between 2-3 AM, miscreants set fire to the Shri Shri Radha Krishna Temple and the Shri Shri Mahabhagya Lakshmi Narayan Temple in Dhaka,” Das stated on social media.
The attack follows the recent arrest of three Hindu monks in Bangladesh on sedition charges, further escalating fears of continued persecution of minorities in the country.
Das called for greater attention to the plight of religious minorities in Bangladesh, expressing concern over ongoing violence. “It seems that atrocities against minorities in Bangladesh are continuing unabated,” he said.
