India’s Foreign Affairs Minister S Jaishankar Friday (Dec 13) reiterated that the government of Bangladesh was responsible for the safety of religious minorities in the country. While speaking in Lok Sabha, the lower house of the Indian Parliament, Jaishankar said the treatment of Hindus in neighboring Bangladesh was a matter of concern, referring to a series of attacks on Hindu temples by mobs.
It is our hope that with the new dispensation in Bangladesh, we will settle down to a mutually beneficial and stable relationship,” Jaishankar said, responding to a question. Jaishankar said New Delhi has been continuously raising concerns with Dhaka through a spate of measures, such as dispatching India’s Foreign Secretary to Dhaka and highlighting the issue.
The foreign secretary recently visited Dhaka. This subject came up during his meeting, and it is our expectation that Bangladesh will take measures to ensure the safety of its minorities,” Jaishankar said.
Since the removal of former prime minister Sheikh Hasina, Hindus have increasingly faced attacks in Bangladesh. The interim government, headed by Muhammad Yunus, earlier this week acknowledged that at least 88 incidents of violence had occurred against the Hindu community over the last few months.
