New Delhi: India has expressed concern over incidents of violence against Hindus and other minorities in Bangladesh. India said Thursday that the primary responsibility to protect their life and liberty rests with the interim government in Dhaka. Minister of State for External Affairs Kirti Vardhan Singh's reply in the Rajya Sabha comes days after Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri visited Dhaka and conveyed New Delhi's concerns over the matter to top political officials of Bangladesh's interim government.
Kirti Vardhan Singh said that India is closely monitoring the situation of minorities in Bangladesh. He said the government of that country has reportedly arrested 70 people in connection with violence against minorities. Also 88 cases have been registered.
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Singh said India's concerns regarding ensuring the safety of Hindus and all other minority communities in Bangladesh have been raised and reiterated on several occasions, even at the highest levels, with officials of the interim government of Bangladesh. The minister made this comment while answering different questions on the situation in Bangladesh.
The minister said the High Commission of India in Dhaka is in regular touch with the Bangladesh authorities regarding the welfare of minorities. He said that the primary responsibility for the protection of life and liberty of all citizens of Bangladesh, including minorities, rests with the Government of Bangladesh.
Minister of State for External Affairs Kirtivardhan Singh
Singh also cited examples of attacks on Hindus and other minorities and their homes, businesses and temples in Bangladesh. He said there were also reports of attacks on temples and puja pavilions during the recent Durga Puja festival in Bangladesh.
Singh said the government has expressed its grave concern over the attack on the puja pavilion in Dhaka's Tanti Bazaar and the incident of theft at the Jeshoreshwari Kali temple in Satkhira during Durga Puja. He said that following these attacks, the Bangladesh government has issued instructions to provide special security, including deployment of army and border guards, to ensure peaceful celebration of Durga Puja.
The minister said Bangladesh is expected to take all necessary measures to ensure the safety and welfare of Hindus and other minorities. Singh said the same point was reiterated during the Foreign Secretary's visit to Bangladesh on December 9. Relations between India and Bangladesh came under severe strain in August when then Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina was forced to leave the country due to massive anti-government protests.
Nobel Peace Prize winner Mohammad Yunus took power in Bangladesh just days after Hasina took refuge in India. Relations between the two countries deteriorated further in recent weeks due to attacks on Hindus and the arrest of Hindu saint Chinmoy Krishna Das of ISKCON. (agency)
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