STATE TIMES NEWS
NEW DELHI: India on Friday pressed Bangladesh to “swiftly and firmly” deal with attacks on minorities in that country and described as “troubling” the attempts to attribute the incidents to extraneous reasons.
New Delhi’s reaction came against the backdrop of the killing of several Hindu men in Bangladesh in the last few weeks.
“We continue to witness a disturbing pattern of recurring attacks on minorities as well as their homes and businesses by extremists,” External Affairs Ministry Spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said.
Such communal incidents need to be dealt with swiftly and firmly, he said.
“We have observed a troubling tendency to attribute such incidents to personal rivalries, political differences, or extraneous reasons,” he said.
“Such disregard only emboldens the perpetrators and deepens the sense of fear and insecurity among minorities,” he added.
There have been a series of attacks on minorities, including Hindus, in Bangladesh after the killing of radical youth leader Sharif Osman Hadi in December.
Bangladesh Hindu Buddhist Christian Unity Council (BHBCUC) recorded 51 incidents of communal violence last month alone. These included 10 murders, 10 cases of theft and robbery, 23 incidents involving the occupation of homes, business establishments, temples, looting and arson.
In addition, four more Hindu persons have been killed in January so far, taking the total number of casualties to 14 since December, it said.
Last month, India said the “unremitting hostilities” against minorities in Bangladesh are a matter of “grave concern” as it demanded punishment for the perpetrators involved in the lynching of Hindu youth Dipu Chandra Das in Mymensingh.
The relations between India and Bangladesh were strained after the interim government headed by Muhammad Yunus assumed charge following the collapse of the Sheikh Hasina government.
India has been expressing concerns over attacks on minorities, especially Hindus, in that country.
