&imwidth=800&imheight=600&format=webp&quality=medium "Despite killing of Hindu men, Bangladesh turns focus on communal violence in India, asks New Delhi to 'conduct impartial probe'")
Amid massive unrest in Bangladesh, Muhammad Yunus-led interim government has rejected India’s claims of minority violence in the country. According to the Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha (BSS), the country’s official news agency, foreign ministry spokesperson SM Mahbubul Alam expressed concern about disruption of religious events targeting Muslims, Christians and other minorities in India. In a statement on Sunday (Dec 28), the government also dismissed India's concern as exaggerated despite the killing of two Hindu men - Dipu Chandra Das and Amrit Mandal. The Bangladeshi government called the killings “isolated incidents” and accused India of “selective and unfair bias.”
In a press statement, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Bangladesh called the remarks by New Delhi “inaccurate, exaggerated and misleading." Referring to disruption of various Christmas events in several parts of India, Alam said, “Dhaka is deeply concerned over incidents of brutal killings, mob violence, obstruction of elections, and disruption of religious events targeting Muslims, Christians, and other minority communities in India.
Last week, incidents of violence against Christians were also reported across India during the celebration of the major religious festival Christmas.
Alam said that Bangladesh is also deeply concerned about the communal violence committed against these communities. These incidents are viewed as hate crimes and targeted violence. We expect the concerned authorities in India to conduct impartial investigations into these incidents and bring the perpetrators to justice."
The statement further added, "We note that there are systematic attempts to portray the isolated incidents of criminal acts as systemic persecution of the Hindus and maliciously used to propagate anti-Bangladesh sentiments in different parts of India. We observe a selective and unfair bias in certain quarters, where isolated incidents are amplified, misrepresented and propagated to incite common Indians against Bangladesh, its diplomatic missions and other establishments in India," the press statement said.
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New Delhi had earlier called out the violence on minorities in Bangladesh stating that “unremitting hostilities" carried out by extremist elements against minority communities, including Hindus, Christians and Buddhists, are condemnable. According to the MEA, around 2,900 incidents of violence against minorities have been reported during the tenure of Bangladesh’s interim government. “We have issued statements earlier as well, rejecting the false narrative put out by Bangladesh," Jaiswal said.
Bangladesh in chaos
Bangladesh is engulfed in renewed clashes after the killing of radical student leader Sharif Osman Hadi. Violence erupted in several cities, with his party Inqilab Moncho blaming Yunus-led government for his murder. Two Hindu men, Dipu Chandra Das and Amrit Mondal, have also been killed in the violence. Hadi, the founder of Inqilab Mancha, a radical student group of Dhaka University, was known for his anti-India views and was reportedly part of 2024 student uprising that led to the ouster of Sheikh Hasina.
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Elections are scheduled in February 2026 in Bangladesh. Former PM Khaleda Zia's son Tarique Rahman has returned to the country after 17 years in self-imposed exile. Rahman arrived in Dhaka on Dec 25 with his wife Dr Zubaid, daughter Zaima and pet cat Zeebu. The BNP is widely seen as an election frontrunner. His election pitch for a united Bangladesh comes amid pressure on Yunus government for killing of Hadi. Sheikh Hasina's Awami League has boycotted the polls.
