Bangladesh has expressed “deep concern” over violence targeting religious minorities in India, including Muslims and Christians, and has called for impartial investigations and accountability for those responsible.
The remarks were made on Sunday by SM Mahbubul Alam, spokesperson for Bangladesh’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, during a regular media briefing in Dhaka, amid heightened diplomatic exchanges between the two neighbours over the treatment of minority communities.
“We are deeply concerned about brutal killings, mob lynchings, arbitrary detentions and obstruction of religious observances committed against various minority communities in India, including Muslims and Christians,” Alam said.
India, home to more than 200 million Muslims and one of the world’s largest Christian populations, has witnessed a sharp rise in reports of mob violence and religious harassment in recent years. Rights groups say these incidents have intensified under governments led by prime minister Narendra Modi’s Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).
Killings and lynchings
Alam cited several recent incidents to underline Bangladesh’s concerns, including the killing of Jewel Rana, a Muslim migrant worker in the eastern Indian state of Odisha. Rana, originally from West Bengal, was allegedly lynched after being falsely accused of being a Bangladeshi national, a label increasingly used to target Bengali-speaking Muslims in India.
He also referred to the killing of Mohammad Azhar Hossain in Bihar, the death of a man in Kerala on suspicion of being Bangladeshi, and other incidents of mob violence against Muslims and Christians in different parts of the country.
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“These are not isolated events,” Alam said, adding that Bangladesh views them as part of a broader pattern of violence against minority communities.
Christmas attacks
The Bangladeshi spokesperson also highlighted attacks reported during Christmas celebrations last week, when Hindutva groups disrupted Christian prayers and gatherings in several Indian states.
“Bangladesh is deeply concerned about incidents of mob violence against Christians across India during Christmas celebrations,” Alam said. “We categorically reject these incidents and view them as hate crimes and targeted violence.”
He urged Indian authorities to conduct impartial investigations and ensure those responsible are held accountable, stressing that protecting minorities is a fundamental responsibility of all states.
Diplomatic exchange
Bangladesh’s statement came two days after India’s Ministry of External Affairs raised concerns about the situation of Hindus in Bangladesh.
At a press briefing in New Delhi last Friday, MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said India was worried about continued violence by “extremists” against minorities in Bangladesh, including Hindus, Christians and Buddhists, and condemned the killing of a Hindu youth in the city of Mymensingh.
Responding to India’s remarks, Alam rejected what he described as “motivated” narratives about Bangladesh’s minority situation and urged Indian officials and media outlets to refrain from spreading misleading claims.
Bangladesh said it remains committed to protecting all religious communities and that crimes against minorities are investigated under the law.
The exchange underscores growing regional tensions over human rights and religious freedom in South Asia.
Rights groups have documented a rise in communal violence in India, including lynchings linked to cow protection, attacks on churches, and the use of citizenship and immigration policies that critics say disproportionately affect Muslims.
