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The attack on the Bangladesh Assistant High Commission in Tripura's Agartala was the result of the "Indian government's failure" to take adequate security measures, according to two advisors of the interim government.
Law Advisor Asif Nazrul slammed India's role in the incident, while Youth and Sports Advisor Asif Mahmud Shojib Bhuyain, in an apparent retort to West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, called on India to seek "support from the UN peacekeeping mission" to maintain order.
The two advisors took to Facebook to air their grievances following the attack on the mission in India's northeastern state, reports bdnews24.com.
A group of protesters from a Hindu right-wing organisation carried out the attack after storming the high commission premises on Monday, according to reports in the Indian media. They then lowered the national flag of Bangladesh before police and other law enforcers dispersed the protesters.
Reports indicate that the protest was called to condemn the arrest and jail order against Chinmoy Krishna Das Brahmachari, a spokesperson of the Sammilita Sanatan Jagaran Jote.
In its response, India’s External Affairs Ministry expressed regret over the breach of the Bangladesh Assistant High Commission’s premises. However, the Bangladeshi interim government labelled the attack as ‘pre-planned’ and accused Indian law-enforcing agencies of failing to act.
"Today the Bangladesh Assistant High Commission in Agartala has been vandalised. The national flag of Bangladesh was torched. The members of an organisation called Hindu Sangharsha Samity carried out the condemnable attack," Nazrul wrote.
He further asked if India would tolerate such an attack if an Islamic group had done the same in Bangladesh.
The law advisor also reminded the Indian government that it was responsible for securing foreign diplomatic missions on its soil, as required by international law. "They failed to ensure it [the security of the mission]. We condemn this failure."
Nazrul also took issue with Mamata's suggestion that the United Nations should send peacekeepers to Bangladesh to protect religious minorities.
"India and Mamata should be ashamed of what is happening to minority groups and the Dalit community in different parts of the country."
"Let me say this to India: we believe in friendship based on mutual respect and equal rights. The Sheikh Hasina government believed in currying favour with India just to cling on to power without securing the people's votes. India must realise that this isn't Sheikh Hasina's Bangladesh. This is an independent, sovereign and self-respecting Bangladesh. This Bangladesh belongs to a fearless young generation," the law advisor said.
In his post, Asif Mahmud Shojib Bhuyain also expressed frustration with India’s failure to secure the assistant high commission, suggesting that the country could have "sought help" from the United Nations peacekeepers.
“In that case, Bangladesh could enhance cooperation by increasing the number of peacekeepers.”
Following the attack, security around the Indian High Commission in Dhaka and other assistant high commissions in Bangladesh was beefed up.
Leaders of the Anti-discrimination Student Movement staged a protest in Chattogram on Monday evening, condemning the attack as an example of “communal instigation”. Protests were also held on the Dhaka University campus and other districts.