‘Can’t be brushed aside’: India on Bangladesh attacks

INdia on fri verbalised tomb worry at the “unremitting antagonism” against minority communities in Bangladesh and reiterated its call for those responsible for the lynching of a Hindu man named Dipu Chandra Das to be brought to justice, reflecting fresh tenions created by anti-India rhetoric from the neighbouring country.India-Bangladesh relations have cratered since the creation of the interim government led by Muhammad Yunus in August 2024, and tensions have flared up in recent days after protests in Bangladesh over the killing of radical student leader Sharif Osman Hadi took on an anti-India hue. Both sides have called in each other’s envoys to the foreign ministry to lodge formal protests over developments that have impacted bilateral ties.“The unremitting hostility against minorities in Bangladesh, including Hindus, Christians and Buddhists, at the hands of extremists is a matter of grave concern. 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,” external affairs ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal told a weekly media briefing.He was referring to the December 18 lynching of Das, who was beaten to death by a mob after being accused of blasphemy. The body of the 25-year-old Hindu garment factory worker was tied to a tree and burnt.The spiralling tensions come ahead of planned national elections in Bangladesh scheduled in February.Jaiswal replied to another question about the killing of a Hindu member of a criminal gang by a mob in Rajbari on Wednesday by saying that India’s position on the security of minorities in Bangladesh was well known.Jaiswal noted that more than 2,900 incidents of violence against minorities, including cases of killings, arson and land grab, were documented by independent sources during the tenure of the interim government in Dhaka. “These incidents cannot be brushed aside as mere media exaggerations or dismissed as political violence,” he said.Bangladesh’s interim government has often rejected India’s criticism of attacks on minorities by describing them as exaggerated media reports or cases of political violence directed against members of the Awami League, the party of former premier Sheikh Hasina, who is currently in self-exile in India.Jaiswal referred to instances of anti-India rhetoric witnessed in recent days during protests across Bangladesh over the murder of Hadi, whose killers are yet to be traced by law enforcement, and said: “We have rejected the false narrative that has been projected in Bangladesh.”Several Bangladeshi student leaders and politicians had claimed, without furnishing evidence, that Hadi’s killers had sneaked into India before police officials said they didn’t know the whereabouts of the assailants.The law and order and security situation in Bangladesh is “the responsibility of the government of Bangladesh and to portray a narrative where things go in some other direction is completely false and we reject that”, Jaiswal said.Jaiswal responded to another question on the return to Dhaka of Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) leader Tarique Rahman after 17 years in self-exile in the UK by saying that this development should be seen in the context of India’s call for free, fair and inclusive elections in the neighbouring country.“India stands for strengthening our ties with the people of Bangladesh. We favour peace and stability in Bangladesh and we…stand for free, fair, inclusive and participatory elections in Bangladesh, which [has] to be held in a peaceful atmosphere,” he said.Asked about the interim government’s ban on the activities of the Awami League, which has barred the party from taking part in the general election to be held on February 12, Jaiswal said: “India stands for free, fair and inclusive elections in Bangladesh. Obviously, that means all the elements, all the persuasions who are there, should participate in that.”Over the past week, protests have rocked both countries as India and Bangladesh brought in each other’s envoys to lodge protests. On Wednesday, Indian high commissioner Pranay Verma was summoned to the foreign ministry in Dhaka by foreign secretary Asad Alam Siam to protest against “regrettable incidents” outside the Bangladesh high commission in New Delhi and vandalism at a visa centre in Siliguri.Hours later, Bangladesh high commissioner Riaz Hamidullah was called in by B Shyam, the joint secretary heading the external affairs ministry’s Bangladesh-Myanmar division, and informed of the need for a proper investigation into the recent killing of Hadi.This was the second time in 10 days Verma was summoned in Dhaka, while Hamidullah was summoned to the external affairs ministry last week over the deteriorating security situation in Bangladesh.Bangladesh has suspended visa services at its missions in New Delhi and Agartala and at the centre in Siliguri, while India has suspended services only at the mission in Chittagong. Yunus has expressed “profound sorrow” over the killing of Das and extended condolences to his family.On Thursday, Rahman returned to Bangladesh, ending 17 years in self-imposed exile with a promise to deliver safety and justice if his party wins the general elections. “Today, I want to say that I have a plan for my country... A safe state that people have long hoped for,” Rahman said in his first speech after his homecoming. “It is time we build a country together. This country belongs to the people in the hills and the plains, to Muslims, Buddhists, Christians and Hindus.”With Hasina’s Awami League banned, the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) is widely seen as the frontrunner in the upcoming polls. Rahman is expected to take the reins from his ailing mother, former PM Khaleda Zia, who is currently in intensive care in a Dhaka hospital.Hours after Rahman’s speech, Hasina launched a scathing attack on the Yunus-led interim government. In a message marking Christmas, Hasina accused the current administration of seizing power illegally and perpetrating “unspeakable atrocities” against non-Muslims.