Open letter from 685 eminent Indian citizens to people of Bangladesh

A group of 685 eminent personalities, including former judges, academicians, bureaucrats and ambassadors, have written an open letter to the people of Bangladesh, urging to follow the path of peace and friendship.

The signatories to the letter say, “Long-term close and trusting bilateral relations are necessary in the interests of the citizens of both countries. Being influenced by malicious propaganda weakens the foundation of mutual cooperation.”

The letter urges not to fall into that trap.

Mentioning that the people of India are expressing concern about the situation in Bangladesh, the letter said, “A continuous process of forced resignations is going on across the country, both in the government and the private sector. The judiciary, the executive branch (including the police), academia and even the media are not exempt from this. The police are still not back to duty in full force and despite the military being given the magistracy, normalcy has not yet returned.”

The letter said, “Any instability in Bangladesh is of concern to India, as India shares a long border with Bangladesh. The unstable situation in Bangladesh could spill over the border, disrupt communal harmony and create serious law and order problems in India.”

The 685 signatories include 19 retired judges, 34 former ambassadors, 300 academicians including vice chancellors of universities and directors of IITs and IIMs. The list of signatories also includes 139 former bureaucrats, 192 retired officers of the armed forces and 35 civil society figures.