MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said New Delhi was alarmed by the recent killing and stressed that those responsible must be held accountable. “The continued hostility against minorities in Bangladesh is a matter of grave concern. We condemn the recent murder of a Hindu youth in Bangladesh and expect that the perpetrators of the crime will be brought to justice,” Jaiswal said.
The MEA said India has consistently raised concerns over attacks on minorities and rejected what it called a “false narrative” pushed by Bangladesh over such incidents. According to the MEA, around 2,900 incidents of violence against minorities took place during the tenure of the interim government of Bangladesh. “We condemn the gruesome murder of a Hindu in Bangladesh. We have also previously made statements rejecting the false narrative of Bangladesh,” the MEA said.
The comments come after two separate incidents of lynching of Hindu men in Bangladesh this month.
A Hindu man was beaten to death by a mob in Rajbari district late on Wednesday evening. Police identified the victim as 30-year-old Amrit Mondal, also known as Samrat. Local authorities said the violence was the result of alleged extortion activities.
Police said Samrat, described as a top-level local criminal, had allegedly arrived in the area to demand extortion money. A violent clash reportedly broke out after villagers confronted him. He was found in critical condition and taken to a local hospital, where he was pronounced dead. Police alleged that Samrat had several cases registered against him, including a murder case, and that he was the leader of a local group known as the ‘Samrat Bahini’, which allegedly extorted money by threatening villagers.
Villagers alleged that Samrat and his associates had gone to the house of a local resident, Shahidul Islam, on Wednesday evening to collect extortion money. When the family raised the alarm by shouting ‘robbers’, locals gathered and attacked Samrat.
The killing has attracted wider attention as it comes just days after another lynching of a Hindu man in Bangladesh’s Mymensingh district. In that case, 27-year-old garment factory worker Dipu Chandra Das was beaten to death by a mob over unverified blasphemy charges. Police said his body was tied to a tree and set on fire before it was recovered and sent for post-mortem examination.
That incident was condemned by Bangladesh’s interim government led by Muhammad Yunus, which said there was no place for communal hatred or mob violence in what it called a “New Bangladesh” and promised strict action against those responsible.
Both incidents have occurred against the backdrop of widespread unrest in Bangladesh, following the death of political activist Sharif Osman Hadi, whose death sparked protests, vandalism and attacks on political and diplomatic locations in several parts of the country.
ON THE RETURN OF TARIQUE RAHMAN
Responding to questions on Tarique Rahman’s return, MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal emphasized that India supports free, fair and inclusive elections in Bangladesh and that recent political developments there should be seen in that context.
He added that New Delhi is closely monitoring developments in Bangladesh.
Tarique Rahman, son of former Bangladesh Prime Minister Khaleda Zia and a senior leader of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party, returned to Bangladesh on Thursday after nearly two decades in self-imposed exile. His return comes ahead of February’s elections, which are seen as a crucial moment for the country.
His return comes amid political turmoil in Bangladesh, where India has emphasized the need for stability and security. Developments involving groups such as Jamaat-e-Islami, which have returned to politics after the ouster of former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, are being closely watched. The rise of anti-India narratives under the interim government led by Muhammad Yunus is another source of concern for New Delhi
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