Bangladesh protests: West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee offers shelter to ‘helpless people’

The chief minister of India's eastern state of West Bengal has declared she will not shy away from offering refuge to people from violence-hit Bangladesh "if they come knocking on our doors". CM Mamata Banerjee refused to comment on the situation, citing that the matter was related to a foreign country, but said she was open to welcoming refugees.

"I cannot speak anything about Bangladesh as it is another country. The Indian government will speak about that. But if helpless people (from Bangladesh) knock on Bengal's door, we will give them shelter. There is a resolution of the UN. Neighbours will respect refugees," Banerjee said.

The Trinamool Congress leader was addressing a 'Martyrs' Day' rally in Kolkata, the state's capital.

Bangladesh shares its largest land border with West Bengal of all Indian states: 2,217km long.

Bangladesh is reeling under intense student protests over the controversial government job quota system. Bangladesh's Supreme Court on Sunday (July 21) dismissed a previous High Court order, directing that 93 per cent of government jobs will be open to candidates on merit, without quotas.

Students welcomed the top court ruling but declined to call off the protests.

"We won’t call off our protests until the government issues an order reflecting our demands,” a spokesman for Students Against Discrimination, the main group responsible for organising the protests, was quoted as saying by news agency AFP on condition of anonymity.

Earlier, Bangladesh deployed the army throughout the capital, Dhaka, and streets outside the top court were clear. Local media earlier reported scattered clashes between police and protesters.