Bangladesh’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Sunday rejected India’s recent comments on “unremitting hostilities” against minorities in the country, saying the remarks “do not reflect reality.”
According to Dhaka Tribune, the ministry specifically dismissed India’s concerns over the lynching of Hindu youth Dipu Chandra Das in Mymensingh, saying “portraying the incident as a minority-related issue was not only inaccurate but also misleading.”
India’s Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) had on Friday flagged “unremitting hostilities” against minorities in Bangladesh, citing the December 18 killing of Dipu Chandra Das, who was lynched by a mob following allegations of blasphemy.
Responding to India, Dhaka described the remarks as a “systematic attempt to portray isolated criminal incidents as organised persecution of Hindus,” adding that such narratives were “being misused in various parts of India to spread anti-Bangladesh sentiment.” The statement was conveyed by SM Mahbubul Alam, spokesperson of Bangladesh’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, according to Prothomalo.
What India said
MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal, during the weekly briefing on Friday, expressed concern over attacks on minorities in Bangladesh, including Hindus, Christians and Buddhists. “The unremitting hostilities against minorities at the hands of extremists is a matter of grave concern,” he said.
Referring to the killing of Dipu Chandra Das, Jaiswal added, “We condemn the recent gruesome killing of a Hindu youth in Bangladesh and expect that the perpetrators will be brought to justice.”
India also pointed to a wider pattern of violence against minorities, noting that over 2,900 incidents—including killings, arson and land grab—have been documented by independent sources since the country entered a political crisis following the resignation of former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.