Mamata wants UN peacekeeping mission in Bangladesh, demands Centre’s statement in Parliament

Kolkata: Concerned over the prevailing situation in Bangladesh, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Monday urged the Centre to move the UN in deploying a peacekeeping mission in the neighbouring country, besides seeking Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s intervention in bringing back persecuted Indians from foreign soil.

Banerjee also demanded that the Union external affairs minister should appraise Parliament on India’s stand on the current situation in Bangladesh. “The statement from the EAM should come during the ongoing winter session, if PM Modi is unavailable to do the job himself,” she stated.

Addressing the assembly during the first half of the day’s session, Banerjee said it was beyond her purview to comment on bilateral issues between the two nations, as Bengal is only a state in the country’s federal set up.

"However, in the wake of the recent developments and the experience narrated by many people here having relatives and base in Bangladesh, the arrests of people coming over to our side and my conversations with the ISKCON representatives here, has forced me to make this statement on the floor of this House," she said.

The CM, while clarifying that she was out of jurisdiction to officially comment on the matter, urged the Ministry of External Affairs to take the issue up with the Bangladesh authorities and, if necessary, with the UN.

"If required, let an international peacekeeping force be sent to Bangladesh after talking to the (interim) government there to help them restore normalcy," she said.

Stating that there was an urgent need to rescue persecuted Indians and rehabilitate them on this side of the border, the chief minister said, “If required we can rehabilitate the Indians attacked in Bangladesh. We have no problem sharing our ‘one roti’ with them if the need arises. There will be no shortage of food for them.” Banerjee stressed she wished for harmony, fraternal ties and cordial relationship to remain between all communities living in Bangladesh and elsewhere.

Talking about the arrest of 79 Indian fishermen sometime back for straying into Bangladesh waters, she said "our fishermen still remain in their captivity and are yet to be released”.

"When the Bangladesh fishermen had entered into our waters, we ensured their safe return," she recalled.

Accusing the central government of “remaining mum for the past 10 days” despite the escalating law and order situation on the other side of the border, Banerjee, in an indirect reference to the BJP, said, "Why don’t they ask their central leadership to pursue the Centre to proactively intervene in the Bangladesh situation? Instead, their leaders are demanding closure of goods movement along our land borders.

“They should know that as per international border agreements, stoppage of commodity movement is not in our hands. We can act only as per guidelines issued by the Centre."