‘Attempt of the Indian authorities to…’

Although India has rejected allegations by sections of the Bangladeshi media about the events at the Bangladesh High Commission in New Delhi on December 20, Bangladesh’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Sunday issued a statement rejecting any broader pattern of attacks on minorities following the lynching of a Hindu youth in Mymensingh.

The statement claimed that the protesters carried out their activities right outside the High Commission and that the High Commission was not informed in advance about the event. The statement also noted New Delhi’s determination to ensure the safety and security of all Bangladeshi diplomatic missions in the country.

These remarks from the Bangladeshi side came minutes after the Ministry of External Affairs responded to media questions about the reported demonstrations outside the Bangladesh High Commission in New Delhi, stating that the Bangladeshi media was spreading a “misleading” narrative.

According to MEA Spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal, 20-25 youth in Bangladesh had gathered outside the High Commission to protest the killing of Hindu Youth Dipu Chandra Das and call for protection of minorities, but no attempt was made to violate the campus or threaten security. Jaiswal added that the protesters were dispersed by the police within minutes and visual evidence of the events was publicly available.

However, Bangladesh’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs rejected “an attempt by Indian authorities to portray an isolated attack on a Bangladeshi citizen belonging to the Hindu community as an attack on minorities”, stressing that the government had already apprehended the suspects and stressing that the inter-communal situation in Bangladesh was relatively stable. The statement also stated that all governments in the region have the duty to protect minorities. “The Government of Bangladesh immediately arrested the suspects in this case. The inter-communal situation in Bangladesh is better than in many parts of South Asia. Bangladesh believes that it is the duty of all governments in the region to ensure the protection of minorities in their countries.”

In his statement, Jaiswal also affirmed his commitment to the security of foreign missions under the Vienna Convention and stated that the authorities continue to monitor the developing situation in Bangladesh and call on Bangladeshi authorities to bring the perpetrators of Das’s murder to justice. The MEA statement said, “We have strong concerns about attacks against minorities. We also called for the perpetrators of the barbaric murder of Das to be brought to justice.”

(Except the headline, the story has not been edited by DNA staff but is published directly from ANI)