The Ministry of External Affairs on Sunday rejected reports in sections of the Bangladesh media that claimed Indian nationals had threatened Bangladesh’s diplomats in New Delhi, describing them as “misleading propaganda”.
Responding to queries about a reported demonstration outside the Bangladesh High Commission on Saturday, ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said that a group of 20-25 youths had gathered outside the mission to protest the killing of Dipu Chandra Das, a member of Bangladesh’s Hindu minority, and to demand protection for minorities in the country.
“There was no attempt to breach the fence or create a security situation at any time,” Jaiswal said, adding that the police stationed at the spot dispersed the group within minutes. “Visual evidence of these events is available publicly for all to see,” he said.
Jaiswal reiterated that India was committed to ensuring the safety of foreign missions and diplomatic personnel in accordance with the Vienna Convention.
The statement came after Amar Desh, a Bangladesh daily edited by Mahmudur Rahman, published a report alleging that members of a Hindutva group had staged an “aggressive” protest at the Bangladesh High Commission in Chanakyapuri and threatened to kill the country’s High Commissioner to India, Riaz Hamidullah, The Hindu reported.
The report claimed that demonstrators had crossed security barricades and issued violent threats while the High Commissioner and his family were present at the residence.
The ministry of external affairs rejected these claims, saying the gathering did not pose any security threat.
In its statement, the ministry also expressed concern over the killing of Das in Bangladesh’s Mymensingh district, describing it as “horrendous” and “barbaric”.
“India continues to keep a close watch on the evolving situation in Bangladesh,” Jaiswal said. “Our officials remain in touch with Bangladesh authorities and have conveyed to them our strong concerns at the attacks on minorities. We have also urged that the perpetrators of the barbaric killing of Das be brought to justice.”
Das, 25, was lynched by a mob in Mymensingh on Thursday night after being accused of blasphemy. He was beaten to death, after which his body was allegedly tied to a tree and set on fire, according to police. Das was a factory worker living in the area.
The killing took place amid widespread unrest in Bangladesh following the death of student leader Sharif Osman Bin Hadi, who succumbed to gunshot injuries at a hospital in Singapore on Thursday. Hadi was a prominent figure in the 2024 student protests that led to the ouster of the Sheikh Hasina government.
Following his death, protests erupted in Dhaka and several other cities, during which offices of newspapers and properties linked to the Awami League were attacked. Security was heightened outside the Bangladesh High Commission in New Delhi as the situation in Bangladesh remained tense.
Also Read: Opinion: What India must do to help restore stability in Bangladesh
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