India has lodged a strong protest with Dhaka over certain controversial comments by a key aide of Bangladesh’s interim government Mahfuj Alam. In a now-deleted Facebook post, Alam said India should recognise the uprising that forced the then Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina to resign.

In a related issue, Lok Sabha was informed that a total of 2,200 cases of violence against Hindus and other minorities have been reported in Bangladesh this year till December 8, and India’s expectation is Dhaka will take necessary measures to ensure their safety, the government said on Friday.

As regards controversial comments, Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said “We have registered our strong protest on this issue with the Bangladesh side. We understand that the post being referred to has reportedly been taken down.We would like to remind all concerned to be mindful of their public comments.”

He said “While India has repeatedly signalled interest in fostering relations with the people and the interim government of Bangladesh, such comments underline the need for responsibility in public articulation.”

New Delhi on Thursday expressed concern at incidents of violence targeting Hindus and other minorities in Bangladesh and said the interim government in Dhaka has the primary responsibility of protecting their life and liberty.

Minister of state for external affairs, Kirti Vardhan Singh, made the comments in Rajya Sabha less than a fortnight after foreign secretary Vikram Misri visited Bangladesh and conveyed India’s concerns on the issue to members of the caretaker administration against minorities, Singh said.

“India’s concerns regarding the need to ensure the safety and protection of Hindus and all other minority communities in Bangladesh have been conveyed and reiterated to the authorities of the interim government of Bangladesh on various occasions, including at the highest level,” he added.

In a related issue, Rajya Sabha was informed that a total of 2,200 cases of violence against Hindus and other minorities have been reported in Bangladesh this year till December 8, and India’s expectation is Dhaka will take necessary measures to ensure their safety, the government said on Friday.

Minister of State for External Affairs Kirti Vardhan Singh gave the information in a written response to a query in Rajya Sabha, citing data from minority and human rights organisations.

In Pakistan, the number of cases of violence against Hindus and other minorities in Pakistan this year stood at “112 till October 2024,” he said.

The corresponding figures for 2022 were 47 in Bangladesh and 241 in Pakistan, while in 2023 the figures were 302 in Bangladesh and 103 in Pakistan, according to the data he shared.

The minister said the Indian government has urged “Pakistan to take steps to prevent religious intolerance, sectarian violence, systemic persecution and attacks on minority communities and ensure their safety, security, and well-being.”  He added, “India continues to highlight the plight of minorities in Pakistan at appropriate international fora.”

Cases of violence against Hindus and other minorities in other neighbouring countries (except Pakistan and Bangladesh) are “nil,” the minister said.

Singh was asked about the total number of cases of violence against Hindus and other minorities reported in neighbouring countries during the last three years, country-wise and year-wise; and the steps taken or proposed to be taken by the ministry to protect minorities, including diplomatic interventions and relief measures.

The Union minister in his response also said the “government has taken serious note of these incidents and shared its concerns with the government of Bangladesh.”

“India’s expectation is that Bangladesh will take all necessary measures to ensure safety and welfare of Hindus and other minorities. The same was also reiterated during the visit of the Foreign Secretary to Bangladesh on December 9, 2024,” he added.

The High Commission of India in Dhaka “continues to monitor the situation” related to the minorities in Bangladesh “closely”, the Minister of State for External Affairs said.

“The primary responsibility for the protection of life and liberty of all citizens, including minorities, rests with the government of the country concerned,” he said.

Ties between India and Bangladesh came under severe strain after deposed prime minister Sheikh Hasina was forced to leave the country in the face of a massive anti-government protest in August.  Nobel Peace laureate Muhammad Yunus came to power days after Hasina took shelter in India.  He heads Bangladesh’s interim government as its Chief Advisor.

Relations between the two nations deteriorated further in recent weeks over attacks on the Hindus and the arrest of Hindu monk Chinmoy Krishna Das.