BJP MP Biplab Deb urges Trinamool Congress to speak for minority rights in Bangladesh as violence escalates ahead of elections, linking political unrest, attacks on Hindus, and rising student-led extremism to regional instability.
West Tripura BJP Member of Parliament and former Chief Minister Biplab Kumar Deb on Monday launched a sharp attack on the Trinamool Congress (TMC), urging the party to raise its voice for the protection of religious minorities in neighbouring Bangladesh, where violence and political instability have intensified in recent weeks.
Addressing the media, Deb accused the Trinamool Congress of maintaining “conspicuous silence” over what he described as systematic attacks on Hindu minorities in Bangladesh. He alleged that Hindu Bengali communities were being targeted openly, with reports of homes being torched and individuals being killed in public spaces, even as political leaders across the border remained largely mute on the issue.
“Instead of staging dramas in India, the Trinamool Congress should speak for the rights and safety of Bangladeshi Hindus,” Deb said. He pointed out that Bangladesh shares close geographical and cultural ties with West Bengal, making it imperative for the ruling party in the state to express concern. “Bangladesh is burning, and Hindu Bengalis are under fire in broad daylight. Yet, Trinamool leaders have chosen silence,” he added.
Deb further alleged that religious freedoms were under strain even within West Bengal. He claimed that people faced difficulties in organising traditional Hindu festivals such as Durga Puja, Saraswati Puja, and Jagadhatri Puja. According to him, incidents of idol vandalism and mob violence reflected a growing atmosphere of intolerance.
“If the Trinamool Congress is truly concerned about Bengalis, its leaders should cross borders and stand for Hindu Bengalis in Bangladesh,” Deb remarked, adding that political rhetoric within India could not substitute for moral responsibility on international humanitarian issues.
Taking an oblique swipe at Trinamool Congress General Secretary Abhishek Banerjee, Deb said the party had ceased functioning like a democratic political organisation. “Trinamool is no longer a political party; it functions like a company,” he alleged. “Every company has a CEO with absolute control. In Trinamool, the nephew has been made the CEO, while the supreme leader holds the chairmanship. Even their MPs should be worried about their relevance,” he said.
Deb also criticised the Trinamool Congress for what he described as its failure to honour the intellectual and spiritual icons of Bengal. He said that despite ruling the state for over a decade, the party had done little to create prominent memorials or landmarks celebrating figures such as Swami Vivekananda, Rabindranath Tagore, Bankim Chandra Chatterjee, Raja Ram Mohan Roy, and Ramakrishna Paramhansa.
“These great sons of Bengal were born on this soil, yet I have not seen major landmark statues or initiatives to honour them adequately,” Deb claimed, contrasting this with Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s initiative to install the Statue of Unity in honour of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel.
Meanwhile, political tensions in Bangladesh have escalated sharply following a series of violent incidents linked to student politics. According to media reports from Dhaka, another student leader, Muhammad Motaleb Shikder of the National Citizen Party (NCP), was shot in the head on December 22 in Khulna by unidentified assailants. The attack occurred just days after the killing of Osman Haidi, a controversial student leader whose death triggered widespread unrest.
Shikder reportedly sustained a bullet injury that passed through one side of his ear and is currently undergoing treatment. Police officials said he was out of immediate danger, while investigations into the attack were ongoing. The shooting has added to fears of escalating lawlessness in Bangladesh amid rising political polarisation.
Osman Haidi, a radical student leader known for his anti-India rhetoric, was killed on December 12 after being shot by masked attackers outside a mosque in Dhaka. His death led to violent protests, during which extremist elements allegedly targeted minority communities, further worsening the security situation.
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The unrest comes at a sensitive time as Bangladesh prepares for national elections scheduled for February 2026. The National Citizen Party, formed last year as the country’s first student-led political party, is expected to contest the elections, challenging established forces such as Sheikh Hasina’s Awami League and Khaleda Zia’s Bangladesh Nationalist Party.
Observers warn that continued violence could deepen instability and increase risks for minority populations. In this context, Deb’s remarks have added a new political dimension to the unfolding crisis, placing cross-border minority rights and regional responsibility firmly in the spotlight.
