B'desh summons Indian envoy over vandalism of diplomatic mission in Tripura

Guwahati, Dec 4: Bangladesh summoned Indian High Commissioner Pranay Verma to its Foreign Affairs Ministry On Tuesday, following a strong protest lodged by Dhaka over the alleged vandalism of its mission in the Indian state of Tripura.

Meanwhile, Asif Nazrul, the law affairs adviser to the interim government, called the vandalism at Bangladesh's diplomatic mission a "failure" on India's part. He urged New Delhi to reconsider its approach towards its neighbor following the overthrow of the Sheikh Hasina regime.

He alleged that an outfit called Hindu Sangharsh Samiti was behind "the disgraceful act" in which "Bangladesh's national flag was set on fire" and the Bangladesh assistant high commission in Agartala was vandalised.

 Following the vandalism incident, the Indian envoy was invited to visit the foreign office, according to Mohammad Touhid Hossain, adviser for foreign affairs. Verma, on the other hand, said Delhi wants to build a "constant, stable, constructive relationship" with Bangladesh, saying no single issue should stand as a barrier to bilateral ties. "We are willing to engage with the interim government of Bangladesh," he told reporters.

India on Monday described as "deeply regrettable" the incident of the breach of the premises of the Bangladesh consulate in Agartala, Tripura, bordering Bangladesh, by a group of people protesting the arrest of Hindu monk Chinmoy Krishna Das here.

The comments by the Ministry of External Affairs came hours after the protesters reportedly barged into the assistant high commission of Bangladesh and allegedly resorted to vandalism.

With Inputs from news agency