External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar drew to the attention of the interim government headed by Muhammad Yunus the responsibility to secure all its citizens, including the minority communities in Bangladesh. He was speaking during a session in the Lok Sabha, where he replied to concerns over rising violence against minorities, especially Hindus, in Bangladesh.
Jaishankar further elaborated that since August 2024, after the defeat of Sheikh Hasina, various incidents of violence against Hindus and other minorities in Bangladesh have been reported. During the recent Durga Puja festival, he added, there were attacks on temples and puja mandaps, which has given rise to apprehensions over the security of observing religion in the country.
“The government has taken these incidents seriously and communicated its concerns to the Government of Bangladesh,” Jaishankar said, underlining that India is watching the situation closely. The High Commission of India in Dhaka is watching out for the welfare of minorities in Bangladesh.
These remarks come amid widespread protests and unrest after the arrest of Chinmoy Krishna Das Brahmachari, the former priest of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON) in Bangladesh, on charges of sedition. Das has been accused of hoisting a saffron flag above the national flag during an October rally, an act highly in controversy.
Political leaders from the Opposition camp in India have raised very strong resentment over Das’s arrest, asking the Narendra Modi-led central government to do something in this regard. Former Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has also reacted, calling the arrest “unjust” and demanding that Das be freed immediately. She calls for the Bangladeshi government to protect its minority religion and ethnicity who have seen heightened violence since her overthrow last August.
