Don't let petty politics hurt Indo-Bangla relations
During the British regime, thousands of Muslims settled in what now is known as Assam from the then-Bengal province. They made the area habitable, bringing prosperity to Assam, now an Indian state after partition in 1947, by their hard work and labour.
During the Liberation War in 1971, many Bengalis crossed the border to Assam to seek refuge. They may not be migrants, but they fled to save their lives from the brutality of the Pakistani Army. Therefore, they were listed as refugees. After Bangladesh became an independent state, the refugees returned to their homeland.
The four million mostly Muslims, indentified wrongly as intruders by the Assam government, are apparently heirs of those who had migrated to Assam during the British regime. The idea that they are Bangladeshi intruders is not only disturbing but also ridiculous. They are, in fact, subjected to hate politics by some politicians who want to exploit the majority's fear for their petty political gain.
Excellent bilateral relations exist between the governments of Bangladesh and India. Fear-mongering politicians must not be allowed to harm the ties.
Md Nasirullah Khan, Fakirapool, Dhaka
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