India asks Bangladesh to protect minorities, hopes monk will get fair treatment

India on Friday urged Bangladesh’s interim government to protect Hindus and other minority communities.

In the face of threats and targeted attacks and called for the case of a Bangladeshi monk arrested on a charge of sedition to be dealt with fairly and transparently. Relations between the two countries have nosedived since former premier Sheikh Hasina stepped down in August following weeks of protests spearheaded by student groups and a caretaker administration led by Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus assumed office. The Indian side has repeatedly raised the issue of harassment and attacks on the Hindu minority since then.

“India has consistently and strongly raised with the Bangladesh government the threats and targeted attacks on Hindus and other minorities. Our position on the matter is very clear – the interim government must live up to its responsibility of protecting all minorities,” external affairs ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal told a weekly media briefing.

“We are concerned at the surge of extremist rhetoric, increasing incidents of violence and provocation. These developments cannot be dismissed only as media exaggerations. We once again call upon Bangladesh to take all the steps for the protection of minorities,” Jaiswal said, in an apparent reference to comments by Yunus and other Bangladeshi leaders, who have contended the Indian media exaggerated reports of the Hindu minority being targeted by extremist elements.

Responding to a question regarding the recent arrest of Bangladeshi Hindu monk Chinmoy Krishna Das on a charge of sedition, Jaiswal said New Delhi expects that his case will be handled in a fair and transparent manner by authorities in the neighbouring country.

“We see Iskcon (International Society for Krishna Consciousness) as a globally well-regarded organisation with a strong record of social service. As far as the question of the arrest of Shri Chinmoy Das is concerned… these legal processes are underway and we hope and we expect that these processes will be dealt with in a fair, just and transparent manner, ensuring full respect of the legal rights of these individuals and all those who are concerned,” he said.

Jaiswal added that New Delhi has made its position regarding the situation of Hindus and other minorities in Bangladesh very clear to Dhaka. “They must take responsibility of protecting the minorities and safeguarding their interests, [and] providing for their safety and security,” he said.

Chinmoy Krishna Das was detained by police officials at Dhaka’s Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport on Monday and charged with sedition for allegedly raising a saffron flag above Bangladesh’s national flag in Chittagong on October 25. Das was reportedly expelled from the Bangladesh chapter of Iskcon in 2023 in connection with a separate matter.

However, a statement issued by Iskcon on Thursday said the organisation had not distanced itself from supporting Das’s rights for peacefully calling for the protection of Hindus and their places of worship. Iskcon also said it supports the protection and safety of Hindus, and the re-establishment of an “atmosphere of peaceful coexistence” for minorities in Bangladesh.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi raised the issue of protecting Bangladesh’s Hindus and minorities during his phone conversation with Yunus on August 16. The Bangladeshi side, on the other hand, has spoken of the possibility of seeking the extradition of Hasina, who fled to India after stepping down, and said most of the reports of attacks on the country’s minorities were exaggerated.