DHAKA: Bangladesh has firmly rejected India’s characterization of a protest outside the Bangladesh High Commission in New Delhi as “misleading propaganda,” describing the incident as “highly regrettable” and unacceptable. The diplomatic exchange has added strain to bilateral relations, with Dhaka insisting that the demonstration created panic among mission staff and amounted to a breach of diplomatic norms.
According to Bangladeshi media reports, around 20 to 25 protesters gathered outside the Bangladesh High Commission on Saturday evening, raising anti-Bangladesh slogans and allegedly issuing threats against the Bangladeshi high commissioner. Mission officials said the protest unfolded without prior notification, leaving staff inside the compound alarmed by the sudden gathering just outside the perimeter.
India’s External Affairs Ministry responded on Sunday by dismissing what it called “misleading propaganda” in sections of the Bangladeshi media. Spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said the protesters were demonstrating against the killing of Dipu Chandra Das in Bangladesh and were calling for the protection of minorities. He maintained that the protest was brief, that there was no attempt to breach security, and that police dispersed the group within minutes.
Jaiswal said visual evidence of the incident was publicly available and reiterated India’s commitment to ensuring the safety of foreign diplomatic missions in line with the Vienna Convention. He added that India was closely monitoring developments in Bangladesh and had conveyed concerns to Dhaka over attacks on minorities, urging authorities to ensure justice in the killing of Das.
Das, a garment factory worker, was beaten to death in Mymensingh on December 18 on allegations of blasphemy, according to Bangladeshi daily Prothom Alo. The report said his body was later set on fire and that at least 10 people had been arrested in connection with the killing, which sparked outrage and condemnation.
In a strongly worded response, Bangladesh’s foreign ministry said the incident outside its high commission residence on December 20 could not be brushed aside as propaganda. “The miscreants were allowed to carry out their activities right outside the perimeters of the high commission, creating panic among the personnel inside the complex,” the statement said, adding that the mission had not been informed in advance about the protest.
While acknowledging India’s stated commitment to protecting Bangladeshi diplomatic missions, Dhaka rejected what it described as an attempt by Indian authorities to portray an isolated criminal act against a Bangladeshi Hindu citizen as a broader pattern of attacks on minorities. The foreign ministry stressed that the suspects in the Das killing were promptly arrested and that the government was taking the matter seriously.
The statement further asserted that Bangladesh’s intercommunal situation was “better than in many other parts of South Asia,” while emphasizing that safeguarding minority rights was a shared regional responsibility. “Bangladesh believes that it is the duty of all governments in the region to ensure protection of minorities in their respective countries,” the ministry said, underscoring Dhaka’s position amid the diplomatic back-and-forth.
Leave a comment