India today termed as a matter of great concern the “unremitting hostility” against minorities in Bangladesh at the hands of Islamist extremists, and condemned the horrific lynching of a factory worker Dipu Chandra Das from Mymensingh, and demanded that the culprits be brought to justice.
The Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal, at a media briefing today, also took pot shots at the Mohammed Yunus-led interim government on the issue of violence against minorities.
The spokesperson said that over 2,900 incidents of violence against minorities, including cases of killings, arson, land grab have been documented by independent sources during the tenure of the interim government, which began on August 8, 2024.
“These incidents cannot be brushed aside as mere media exaggerations, or dismissed as political violence,” the spokesperson said, in the backdrop of Yunus and his advisors repeatedly dismissing reports of attacks on minorities as media exaggerations and cases of political violence.
Answering questions on the situation of minorities, he said: “We are all aware of the recent developments in Bangladesh. We have been closely following them.”
“The unremitting hostility against minorities in Bangladesh, including Hindus, Christians, Buddhists, at the hands of extremists is a matter of great concern,” the spokesperson said.
Bangladesh has been witnessing mob violence, attacks on political opponents and minorities since its August 2024 change of government. Elections have been announced by the interim administration.
However, violence has continued unabated according to observers.
“We condemn the recent gruesome killing of a Hindu youth in Mymensingh, and expect that the perpetrators of the crime would be brought to justice,” in reference to the horrific lynching and burning of 25-year-old Dipu Chandra Das in Mymensingh over allegations of blasphemy on December 18.
Asked about the lynching of another Hindu youth, 29-year-old Amrit Mondal who was beaten to death on December 24 by a mob in Rajbari’s Pangsha upazila, the spokesperson said India is concerned about the treatment of minorities under the Yunus government.
He also dismissed the sharp anti-India rhetoric emanating in Bangladesh, especially from the so-called student leaders of the National Students Party (NCP), notably Hasnat Abdullah, where an attempt was being made to allege that the killers of Inqilab Moncho leader Osman Hadi had fled to India.
“We have rejected the false narrative that has been projected in Bangladesh,” he said, adding that law and order and the security situation of Bangladesh is the responsibility of the government there. “And to portray a narrative where things go in some other direction is false, and we reject that,” Jaiswal said.
Asked about the return of Bangladesh Nationalist Party leader Tarique Rahman to Dhaka after 17 years, Jaiswal said: “We support free, fair and inclusive elections in Bangladesh, and the return of the BNP leader from London should be seen in that context.”
He also reiterated India wants free, fair, inclusive and participatory elections in Bangladesh, amid the banning of Sheikh Hasina’s Awami League, the oldest and largest political party in Bangladesh.
Notwithstanding the souring of relations with the Yunus government, the spokesperson very clearly spelt out India’s relations with the people of Bangladesh – stating that “India wants close and friendly relations with the people of Bangladesh, which is rooted in the Liberation struggle and strengthened through various development and people to people initiatives.”
He also said that India’s Line of Credit and development cooperation with Bangladesh stand as before.
“We want to have strong and vibrant ties with the people of Bangladesh, and our development assistance should be seen in that regard.”
To a question on the extradition of former prime minister Sheikh Hasina, who has taken refuge in India since her ouster on August 5 last year, the spokesperson said that India’s stand on the issue is as it was before. Since the time the interim government wrote to India to extradite Hasina, India has maintained that it is “examining” the request, and left it at that.
“With Bangladesh we have broad-based relations. However, circumstances are a little different now, but we stand for peace and stability and we want to have strong ties with the people of Bangladesh,“ Jaiswal said.
On the visa related issues with the US, Jaiswal said that India is “actively engaged” with the United States to address significant delays and cancellations of H-1B visa appointments for thousands of Indian nationals. He said the Indian government has expressed its serious concerns to US authorities in New Delhi and Washington D.C., acknowledging the hardships faced by affected Indian nationals and their families due to disruptions to education.
On the fatal shooting of 20-year-old Shivank Avasthi, an Indian doctoral student at the University of Toronto on December 23, the spokesperson termed the incident as “extremely unfortunate” and said that the Indian Consulate is in touch with the bereaved family to extend all possible support.
