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NEW DELHI: External affairs minister S Jaishankar on Friday said that the Indian government has taken the incidents of attacks on minorities seriously and communicated its concerns to Bangladesh authorities.
“The government has seen several reports of incidents of violence against Hindus and other minorities, their homes and business establishments, and of attacks on temples/ religious places, including in the month of August 2024, across Bangladesh,” he said adding that the “government has taken a serious note of these incidents and shared its concerns with the Government of Bangladesh.”
He added that the Indian high commission in Dhaka continues to monitor the situation closely.
Jaishankar noted, “The primary responsibility for the protection of life and liberty of all citizens of Bangladesh, including minorities, rests with the Government of Bangladesh”
During this year’s Durga Puja festivities, a series of incidents raised alarm. Puja Mandap in Dhaka’s Tantibazar area was attacked by a crude bomb. A crown from the Jeshoreshwari Kali temple in Satkhira’s Shyamnagar district—a symbolic artifact gifted by PM Narendra Modi during his 2021 visit was stolen.
The rise in attacks coincides with Bangladesh’s growing political instability following Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s resignation earlier this year. Reports of mob violence targeting temples and other religious sites have increased, intensifying fears among the Hindu minority community.
The arrest of prominent Iskcon priest Chinmoy Krishna Das has added to the concerns. Das, a vocal advocate for minority rights, was detained at Dhaka airport in October on charges of allegedly disrespecting the Bangladeshi flag during a rally. The specifics of the accusations remain unclear, and Das has been denied bail.
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