India withdraws transshipment facility for Bangladesh days after Yunus' 'landlocked' remarks
New Delhi, Apr 9 (PTI): India has withdrawn the transshipment facility it extended to Bangladesh for exporting various items to the Middle East, Europe and various other countries except Nepal and Bhutan.
The move came days after head of Dhaka's interim government Muhammad Yunus made a controversial statement in China saying India's northeastern states, which share a nearly 1,600-km border with Bangladesh, are landlocked and have no way to reach the ocean except through his country.
The comments did not go down well in New Delhi.
"The transshipment facility extended to Bangladesh had over a period of time resulted in significant congestion at our airports and ports," External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said.
"Logistical delays and higher costs were hindering our own exports and creating backlogs," he said.
Jaiswal said the transshipment facility has been withdrawn with effect from April 8.
Bangladesh has been using several Indian ports and airports for sending its exports to Middle East, Europe and many other countries.
"To clarify, these measures do not impact Bangladesh exports to Nepal or Bhutan transiting through Indian territory," Jaiswal said at his weekly media briefing.
Yunus and Prime Minister Narendra Modi held talks in Bangkok on the sidelines of the BIMSTEC summit on April 4.
However, the Indian side was upset over Dhaka's version of the meeting between Yunus and Modi, especially attacks on minorities and the extradition request for Hasina.
People familiar with the matter described the version as "mischievous and politically motivated", especially the aspects relating to attacks on minorities and Dhaka's request for extraditing former premier Sheikh Hasina.
Yunus' press secretary Shafiqul Alam, in a Facebook post, on Saturday said the chief adviser raised with Modi Bangladesh's request for the extradition of Hasina and the "response was not negative".
The characterisation of the Indian prime minister's remarks regarding the relationship with Yunus and the previous Bangladesh government were "inaccurate", the people said.
New Delhi has not so far responded to the request made by Bangladesh's interim government last year for the extradition of Hasina.
India-Bangladesh relations nosedived dramatically after Yunus failed to contain attacks on minorities, especially Hindus, in that country.
Hasina has been living in New Delhi since she fled Dhaka in August last year.
In the meeting in Bangkok on Friday, Modi conveyed to Yunus India's deep concerns about the safety of Bangladesh's Hindus and other minorities.
"The prime minister urged that rhetoric that vitiates the environment is best avoided," an Indian readout of the meeting said.
PM Modi underlined India's concerns related to the safety and security of minorities in Bangladesh, including Hindus, and expressed his expectation that the government of Bangladesh would ensure their security.
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Punjab: Blast near army cantt area in Amritsar, hours after explosion in Jalandhar
Chandigarh (PTI): An explosion occurred near the army cantonment area in Khasa late Tuesday night in Punjab's Amritsar, the second such incident which took place around three hours after a blast outside the headquarters of the Border Security Force's Punjab Frontier in Jalandhar.
According to the police, an investigation into both blast incidents is currently underway, and no injuries have been reported.
The first explosion happened around 8 pm in Jalandhar, while the second blast occurred at approximately 11 pm in Amritsar.
Amritsar (Rural) Senior Superintendent of Police Suhail Mir Qasim stated that police received reports of a loud sound at around 11 pm on a road in Khasa. "Our teams arrived on the scene immediately," he said.
Preliminary inspections indicated that someone had thrown an explosive device towards the boundary wall, leading to the explosion, according to the SSP.
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Police mentioned that a piece of a tin sheet covering the boundary wall had fallen as a result of the blast.
Following the explosion, a team of forensic and bomb disposal squad visited the site to collect samples.
Amritsar Rural Superintendent of Police Aditya S. Warrier, who also visited the scene, confirmed that further investigations are ongoing. Police added that a team of army officials also assessed the situation, after which the area was cordoned off.
CCTV footage from the vicinity shows the explosion occurring at night. A local villager reported that his family was awakened by the loud sound and came outside their home to see what had happened.
Before the Amritsar explosion, a blast took place outside the headquarters of the Border Security Force's Punjab Frontier in Jalandhar district around 8 pm on Tuesday, causing panic in the area.
CCTV footage captured the explosion, which resulted in a cloud of smoke. An unidentified man was seen running for cover following the blast.
The blast ripped apart a scooter, damaged a traffic signal pole and windowpanes of a nearby shop. Locals recounted that the scooter, which was parked outside the BSF headquarters, Punjab Frontier, caught fire shortly after a loud sound. It belonged to Gurpreet Singh, who regularly delivers parcels in the area.
Talking to reporters on Tuesday night, one of Gurpreet's relatives said that the scooter caught fire as he was approaching it. He immediately called his father and informed him about the incident.
Jalandhar Police Commissioner Dhanpreet Kaur confirmed to reporters late Tuesday that an Activa scooter parked near the gate caught fire suddenly. She stated that Gurpreet is fully cooperating with the investigation.
Witnesses nearby reported hearing a loud sound following the explosion.
On April 27, an explosion occurred at a freight corridor rail track in Shambhu in Patiala. Police had arrested four members of a pro-Khalistan terror module, backed by Pakistan's ISI, for the blast.
In light of these incidents, opposition parties have condemned the AAP government for its handling of the situation.
Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) President Sukhbir Singh Badal criticised Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann, who also holds the home portfolio, over the recent blasts.
"Three blasts in 10 days, two in a single day, May 5: Jalandhar outside BSF headquarters and Sri Amritsar Sahib Army area, April 27: Rajpura rail track. Continued intelligence failures and the collapse of law and order are a matter of grave concern. Chief Minister @BhagwantMann, who is also the state Home Minister, is busy with mimicry and cheap politics. He has forfeited the right to remain in office," Badal said in a post on X.
Punjab Congress chief Amrinder Singh Raja Warring also slammed the Mann government over the two blasts.
"Back-to-back blasts have shaken Punjab. Yesterday in Jalandhar, and now near Khasa Camp in Amritsar, this is deeply alarming. Who is trying to destabilise our state? Why has the Punjab Government failed to prevent such incidents? What is the Government of India doing? Repeated lapses point to a serious breakdown of intelligence and security. Punjab's peace cannot be compromised. We demand accountability and immediate action," Warring said in a post on X.
