As many as 23 Hindus have been killed and there were attacks on at least 152 Hindu temples in Bangladesh since August 5 last year, the government told Parliament on Friday reiterating that the government has taken note of the violence against minorities.
Replying to a question in the Lok Sabha, Kirti Vardhan Singh, minister of state (MoS) in the Ministry of External Affairs, said, “During the last two months (November 26, 2024, till January 25, 2025), 76 cases of incidents of attacks against Hindus have been reported in Bangladesh. Since August reports have cited deaths of 23 Hindus and 152 incidents of attack on Hindu temples in Bangladesh.”
Singh said that the Centre has taken note of the incidents of violence against Hindus and other minorities in Bangladesh and shared its concerns with the Government of Bangladesh.
“India’s expectations regarding the protection of Hindus and other minorities were reiterated during the visit of the Foreign Secretary to Bangladesh on December 09, 2024. On December 10, 2024, Government of Bangladesh announced in a press briefing that 70 people had been arrested in 88 cases related to attacks against minorities in Bangladesh; police investigations subsequently verified 1254 incidents”, Singh said.
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The minister reiterated that while the primary responsibility for the protection of life and liberty of all citizens of Bangladesh, including minorities, rests with the Government of Bangladesh, the “High Commission of India in Dhaka continues to monitor the situation related to minorities closely.”
Since August 5, the day former Bangladesh PM Sheikh Hasina fled Bangladesh after the political turmoil, tens of thousands of members of minority communities have tried to enter India fearing persecution by the new government.
The border guarding forces too have been locked in an impasse over different issues including construction work by India, which Bangladesh earlier approved during Hasina’s governance.
The disputes at different places along the border comes against the backdrop of strained bilateral relations following Bangladesh’s formation of a caretaker government led by Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus last August. India has also expressed concerns about the targeting of Bangladesh’s Hindu minority amid emerging differences on several issues.