Bangladesh dismisses India’s concern over Minority rights
Dhaka, on Sunday, rejected recent comments by India’s Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) on the situation of minority communities in Bangladesh, saying the remarks are misleading and do not reflect realities on the ground.
India’s Ministry of External Affairs on Friday said the “unremitting hostilities” against minorities in Bangladesh are a matter of “grave concern”. It demanded punishment for the perpetrators involved in the lynching of a Hindu youth in the Mymensingh area last week.
“The unremitting host-ilities against the minorities in Bangladesh, including Hindus, Christians and Buddhists, at the hands of extremists is a matter of grave concern,”External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal had said.
In an official statement released on Sunday, Bangladesh’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs said it had taken note of observations made by the MEA spokesperson, particularly concerning the safety of Hindu minorities. The ministry maintained that the assertions were inaccurate and portrayed an exaggerated picture of the situation in the country.
Bangladesh spokesperson SM Mahbubul Alam claimed that there were “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.Alam said that the Indian spokesman’s comments “do not reflect the facts”.
Bangladesh emphasised its long history of communal coexistence, stating that claims suggesting systematic discrimination against minorities undermine the nation’s tradition of harmony among different religious and ethnic groups. It said the Government “unequivocally rejects” narratives that distort this record or present Bangladesh in a negative light.
The statement also expressed concern that isolated criminal incidents were being repeatedly highlighted and framed as evidence of widespread persecution. According to Dhaka, such incidents are being selectively amplified to fuel anti-Bangladesh sentiment in certain sections of Indian media and political discourse.Responding to a specific case mentioned by the Indian MEA, the ministry clarified that the individual concerned had a criminal background and died during an act of extortion. It added that the incident involved an accomplice from a different religious community who was subsequently arrested.
