Bangladesh on Sunday rejected India’s concerns over the safety of religious minorities in the country, asserting that recent incidents involving members of the Hindu community were "isolated criminal acts" and not reflective of any systematic persecution.
In a statement issued by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Dhaka said remarks made by India on “unremitting hostilities” against minorities "was not only inaccurate but also misleading”.
“The Government of Bangladesh categorically rejects any inaccurate, exaggerated or motivated narratives that misrepresent Bangladesh’s longstanding tradition of communal harmony,” the statement said.
The response followed comments by India’s Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), which had described continuing violence against minorities in Bangladesh as a matter of grave concern.
New Delhi had condemned the December 18 lynching of Hindu youth Dipu Chandra Das in Mymensingh, who was beaten to death by a mob over allegations of blasphemy, and called for those responsible to be brought to justice.
Bangladesh’s foreign ministry said there were “systematic attempts” to project isolated criminal incidents as evidence of organised persecution of Hindus. It alleged that such narratives were being selectively amplified and misused in parts of India to spread anti-Bangladesh sentiment and undermine bilateral relations.
The ministry also disputed India’s reference to another recent death of a Hindu man in Rajbari district, stating that the individual was a listed criminal who died while allegedly committing extortion along with a Muslim accomplice, who was later arrested. Presenting the case as minority persecution was “not factual”, it said.