Agartala: A tense situation unfolded in Agartala’s Joynagar area on the night of April 25 after locals detained two rickshaw pullers for allegedly displaying the national flag of Bangladesh on the back of a rickshaw.
The incident quickly escalated, drawing public outrage before police intervened and took the individuals in for questioning.
The rickshaw in question is owned by Dulal Mia, a 62-year-old tea seller at Battala Market who also rents out two rickshaws. Facing a crowd of angry residents, Mia publicly apologised, stating that the flag had been painted mistakenly by a hired painter and that he was unaware of the error until it was brought to his attention. “I have made a big mistake. I sincerely apologise. The flag was drawn by mistake by a painter—I didn’t realize it. Please forgive me,” he said.
The rickshaw was being operated by Mangal Mia, who had rented the vehicle a week prior. Defending himself, he claimed he had no knowledge of the flag’s presence when he started using the rickshaw. “I sold my own rickshaw and was planning to buy an electric auto-rickshaw. But due to state restrictions, I rented this rickshaw from Dulal Mia. I’ve been using it for the past seven days,” he explained. He further added that some locals had pointed out the flag earlier, and he had informed the owner, requesting a change that never materialised.
Eyewitnesses said they were shocked to see a foreign flag displayed so openly. “When we confronted the rickshaw puller, he said he wasn’t responsible and the owner would know about it. Dulal Mia later admitted the flag had been painted unknowingly,” a local said. The situation became more volatile as some residents expressed anger over what they described as the repeated dishonouring of Indian symbols in Bangladesh, further fuelling their reaction.
Following the uproar, Battala Outpost police detained both Dulal Mia and Mangal Mia for questioning. A police official confirmed, “Two persons were detained after locals reported a suspected Bangladeshi flag painted on a rickshaw. The matter is under investigation.”
Authorities are now working to determine if the act was indeed accidental or involved any intent to provoke unrest, while urging the public to remain calm and allow the investigation to proceed.
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