‘Doesn’t reflect facts’: Dhaka on Delhi remarks over hostilities against minorities

“The unremitting hostilities against the minorities in Bangladesh including Hindus, Christians and Buddhists is a matter of grave concern. We condemn the recent killing of a Hindu youth in Bangladesh and expect that the perpetrators of the crime will be brought to justice,” Jaiswal had said, when asked about the killing of another Hindu youth in Bangladesh’s Rajbari, Amrit Mondal.

In a statement on Sunday, referring to Jaiswal’s comments, Bangladesh Ministry of Foreign Affairs said, “… His comments do not reflect the facts. The Government of Bangladesh categorically rejects any inaccurate, exaggerated, or motivated narratives that misrepresent Bangladesh’s longstanding tradition of communal harmony.”

“With much regret, 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,” the statement said. “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.”

Referring to Amrit Mondal, the statement said, “One of the individuals cited by the MEA spokesperson was a listed criminal whose unfortunate death happened when he was committing extortion with his Muslim accomplice, who was later arrested.” It added that to portray this criminal act in the lens of minority treatment is not factual but misleading.

The Foreign Affairs Ministry also called upon “different quarters in India to refrain from spreading misleading narratives that undermines the spirit of good-neighbourly relations and mutual trust”.

Ever since the overthrowing of the Sheikh Hasina government in Bangladesh late last year, India has repeatedly pointed out and underlined that there were several instances of desecration of Hindu temples and deities in Bangladesh over the past few months, and that it was Dhaka’s responsibility to protect the lives and liberty of all its citizens, including minorities.

On Saturday, during the CWC meeting in Delhi, Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge had also condemned the attacks on Hindu minorities in Bangladesh and said that the whole of India is concerned about it. Party MP Shashi Tharoor said the issue of attacks on Hindus in Bangladesh should not be equated with attacks on minorities in India.

Over 2,900 incidents of violence against minorities have been documented in Bangladesh by independent sources during the tenure of interim government, led by Chief Adviser Prof Muhammad Yunus, Jaiswal said Friday. “The incidents of violence against minorities in Bangladesh cannot be brushed aside as media exaggeration or dismissed as political violence.”

Tensions between India and Bangladesh have escalated following the death of political activist Sharif Osman Hadi, as both countries summoned each other’s envoys earlier this week to express concern over the situation.

While Dhaka summoned Indian High Commissioner Pranay Verma to convey “deep concern” over what it claimed were “violent protests” by “extremist elements” outside its missions in India over the lynching of a Hindu man, Bangladesh envoy was “called in” to South Block later in the day.

While Bangladesh High Commission has temporarily suspended visa and consular operations in the national capital as well as in Agartala citing “unavoidable circumstances”, India had suspended its visa operations in Chittagong indefinitely as unrest spread across Bangladesh over Hadi’s killing.

In April this year, a Hindu community leader in Bangladesh, Bhabesh Chandra Roy, 58, was killed. New Delhi had strongly condemned his alleged abduction and murder and said it follows a “pattern of systematic persecution” of Hindu minorities in Bangladesh. Jaiswal urged the interim government in Dhaka to “live up to its responsibility” of protecting minorities without “inventing excuses.”

The ties between the two countries have been adversely impacted after India has consistently raised the issue of the safety and security of minorities. On April 4, in their first meeting since Sheikh Hasina was ousted, PM Narendra Modi raised these concerns with Yunus.

In November, Bangladesh police had arrested Hindu monk Chinmoy Krishna Das on sedition charges, with India once again expressing “deep concern” and urging authorities “to ensure the safety and security of Hindus and all minorities” in the neighbouring country. Hours later, Dhaka had called the issue “internal affairs of Bangladesh”.