Law enforcement officers use batons to disperse a crowd of followers who had gathered to demand the release of Hindu leader Chinmoy Krishna Das. Photo: Reuters

Bangladesh called on India on Monday to take immediate action against protesters who stormed its consulate in the northeastern Indian state of Tripura, even as India assured that security measures were being enhanced at Bangladeshi diplomatic missions. Hindu groups staged protests in several parts of India on Monday over Bangladesh's arrest of Hindu leader Chinmoy Krishna Das last week. According to local media, more than 50 protesters breached the Bangladeshi consulate in Tripura's capital, Agartala.

Bangladesh's interim government reported that the protesters had forced open the mission's main gate, damaged property inside, vandalized the flagpole, and desecrated the national flag, leaving staff feeling deeply insecure. "The government of Bangladesh urges the government of India to take immediate action to address this incident, to conduct a thorough investigation... to prevent any further acts of violence against the diplomatic missions of Bangladesh," it stated in a release.

India, on the other hand, described the incident as "deeply regrettable" and emphasized that diplomatic and consular properties should not be targeted under any circumstances. "The government is taking measures to increase security arrangements for the Bangladesh High Commission in New Delhi and their Deputy/Assistant High Commissions across the country," the Indian foreign ministry noted.

Das' arrest at Dhaka airport on multiple charges, including sedition, led to protests in Bangladesh's capital and the port city of Chittagong, where a lawyer was killed as demonstrators clashed with security forces. Hindu-majority India also condemned Das' arrest, who is associated with the International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON), and expressed concerns over attacks on Hindus and other minorities in Muslim-majority Bangladesh.

In response, the Bangladeshi foreign ministry stated that the country's government does not interfere with the judiciary's work, and the matter is being handled by a court of law. Hindus make up about 8 percent of Bangladesh's population of 170 million people.

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