'Shelter us...or kill us': 500 refugees stuck on Bangladesh-Bengal border
What's the story
Over 500 refugees are stuck at the West Bengal-Bangladesh border with hopes that India will grant them entry.
Bangladesh has been rocked by violent protests since July after a court reinstated a job quota scheme that had been canceled in 2018.
The protest quelled this week after Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina resigned and fled the country amid fears for her safety after protesters, demanding her resignation, stormed her residence.
Details
Refugees cross Nagar River, reach no-man's land
While her resignation initially sparked joy among protesters, reports of targeted violence against minorities, including Hindus and Awami League members, have now raised concerns.
Left with no option, the refugees stuck at the border are pleading with the Border Security Force (BSF) to either "shelter us in India or kill us right here."
"If we go back, they will also kill us," the Bangladeshi refugees stranded in the Uttar Dinajpur district of West Bengal said.
Background
Unrest in Bangladesh
According to a report by Uttarbanga Sambad, a Bangla newspaper, hundreds of refugees from Bangladesh swam across the Nagar River to reach the no-man's land near the Uttar Dinajpur border.
But the BSF has been refusing them entry and asking them to return.
The reports of targeted attacks on minority institutions and places of worship surfaced after Hasina fled the country.
On Monday night, protesters in the Baliadangi Upazila reportedly raided the Radhakrishna market and burnt down shops.
Violence
Targeted attacks on minority institutions
Other reports also claimed that 24 people, including an Indonesian national, were burnt alive by a mob on Monday night.
The victims were primarily boarders at the Zabir International Hotel, owned by district Awami League general secretary Shahin Chakkladar.
The Bangladesh Hindu Buddhist Christian Unity Council (BHBCUC) reported that between 200 and 300 primarily Hindu homes and businesses have been damaged since Monday.
Additionally, 15 to 20 Hindu temples were also targeted.