NEW DELHI: The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) on Friday issued a strong-worded response to the recent incidents of violence in Bangladesh against Hindus and other minorities, warning that these could not be brushed aside as mere “media exaggerations or dismissed as political violence.“Responding to the recent developments in Bangladesh, MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said, “In the last few days, we have issued more than a couple of statements rejecting the false narrative being projected in Bangladesh.”On the killing of another Hindu man, Amrit Mondal, he said, “We are aware of the recent developments in Bangladesh and are closely monitoring the situation.”
“The unremitting hostilities against minorities in Bangladesh, including Hindus, Christians and Buddhists, at the hands of extremists are a matter of grave concern. We condemn the recent gruesome killing of a Hindu youth in Mymensingh and expect the perpetrators of the crime to be brought to justice,” the spokesperson said.“Over 2,900 incidents of violence against minorities, including cases of killings, arson and land grabbing, have been documented by independent sources during the tenure of the interim government,” he added.“These incidents cannot be brushed aside as mere media exaggerations or dismissed as political violence,” the MEA spokesperson said.Also read: Hindu group protests in Dhaka; demand action over minority lynchings in BangladeshA day after another Mondal was lynched in Bangladesh’s Rajbari district, Yunus-led interim government claimed the incident was not related to communal violence. It said Mondal was “accused” in several serious criminal cases.In the statement, the Bangladeshi government said that it has taken note of the spread of what it termed “misleading information” on social media regarding the killing.On the return of BNP leader Tarique Rahman after 17 years, the MEA spokesperson said, “India supports free and fair elections in Bangladesh, and this development should be seen in that context.”
