Bangladeshi Hindus flee to India in fear of persecution

Alisha Rahaman Sarkar speaks to those crossing the border

- Alisha Rahaman Sarkar

There is visible relief on the faces of passengers aboard the buses from Bangladesh as they are waved through into India’s Haridaspur by border guards, some heaving sighs of relief as others break down into tears over the violence and arson they have left behind. South Asia’s largest land port was crowded on Thursday with anxious people waiting on both sides of the border between India and Bangladesh, a country thrust into uncertainty by the dramatic resignation of long-time leader Sheikh Hasina earlier in the week.

“I ran,” says Sheeba Pal*, 46, after arriving at Haridaspur, about 83km from the eastern city of Kolkata, following days of targeted attacks on members of the Hindu religious minority in the wake of the mass uprising against the prime minister. While Pal made it out on an existing visa, her brother had to stay back because he could not obtain a new travel permit.

Killings and arson continued in Bangladesh this week even after Hasina fled to India after millions of people, led by students, thronged the streets of Dhaka in protest against her regime. “We appreciate the interim government, but how long will it last before the radicals take over?” Pal asks. The continued violence sparked fears among minorities, prompting authorities in India to beef up security along the border.

With train services halted and several fights cancelled, the only option for Bangladeshis looking to cross over into India legally is through the land ports. On the Bangladesh side of the border, the mural of founding father Sheikh Mujibur Rahman disappeared overnight as protesters destroyed his statues across the country after the end of his daughter Hasina’s 15-year rule.