‘Isolated incidents’: Dhaka downplays India's concern over 'unremitting hostilities' against minorities

Head of interim government in Bangladesh.

• Bangladesh rejects India's claim of ongoing hostilities against minorities
• Dhaka says linking recent lynchings to minority persecution is misleading
• India urges justice for Hindu youth Dipu Chandra Das killed in Mymensingh

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The Bangladesh's Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Sunday responded to India's recent comment on the "unremitting hostilities" against minorities in the country, saying the remarks “does not reflect reality”.

Ministry of External Affairs on Friday had flagged "unremitting hostilities" against minorities, citing the recent killing of Hindu youth Dipu Chandra Das, who was lynched in Mymensingh last week.

The Bangladesh foreign ministry, as quoted by Dhaka Tribune, rejected India's position on the lynching of a Hindu youth in Mymensingh and claimed that “portraying the incident as a minority-related issue was not only inaccurate but also misleading”.

Responding to New Delhi's concerns over Dipu's lynching, Dhaka termed it as a “systematic attempt to portray isolated criminal incidents as organised persecution of Hindus”, according to The Dhaka Tribune.

MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal on Friday said India condemned the recent killing of Hindu youth Dipu Chandra Das and demanded action against those involved in the killing.

“The unremitting hostilities against the minorities in Bangladesh including Hindus, Christians and Buddhists at the hands of extremists is a matter of grave concern.” “We condemn the recent gruesome killing of a Hindu youth in Bangladesh and expect that the perpetrators of the crime would be brought to justice,” Jaiswal said at his weekly media briefing.

Bangladesh has witnessed a fresh wave of unrest and political instability following the killing of youth leader Sharif Osman Hadi, who was a prominent face in last year’s mass protests that forced the collapse of the Sheikh Hasina government.

His killing has also triggered some fresh strain in India-Bangladesh ties as certain elements in that country sought to link New Delhi to his death. India dismissed the charges.

On the killing of another Hindu man, Amrit Mondal alias Samrat, by a mob in Rajbari Town on Wednesday night, Jaiswal appeared to link it to deteriorating security situation and hostilities towards minorities in Bangladesh.