But religious tensions are not new to the region and activists on both sides are worried that if inflammatory speeches and protests continue, the situation could spiral out of control. Hasina’s stay in India has already become a major irritant in bilateral ties and the escalating protests in both countries are likely to deteriorate the atmosphere.

Tensions are high between India and Bangladesh after the fall of Sheikh Hasina's government and her fleeing to India. Bangladeshis protested an attack on a consulate in India a day earlier, amid a Hindu leader's trial.

The latest trigger was the arrest of a Hindu monk last week, which set off protests in India by activists from Hindu organisations and politicians including members of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).

Indian High Commissioner to Bangladesh, Pranay Verma, met with Bangladesh's interim acting Foreign Secretary, Riaz Hamidullah, in Dhaka today, following heightened diplomatic tensions. The meeting came a day after protesters attacked the Bangladesh Assistant High Commission in Agartala,