India calls for firm action against 'disturbing pattern of recurring attacks' on minorities in Bangladesh

India calls for firm action against 'disturbing pattern of recurring attacks' on minorities in Bangladesh

New Delhi, Jan 9 (IANS) Expressing deep concerns over the several recent attacks on minorities, especially Hindus, across Bangladesh, India on Friday said that it continues to monitor the situation in the neighbouring country and hopes that such acts of communal violence are addressed decisively.

“We continue to witness a disturbing pattern of recurring attacks on minorities, as well as their homes and establishments, business establishments by extremists in Bangladesh. Such communal incidents need to be dealt with swiftly and firmly,” the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said during a weekly media briefing in New Delhi on Friday, while responding to a question on escalating attacks on minorities in Bangladesh.

India highlighted a troubling tendency to downplay attacks on minorities by attributing them to personal rivalries or other unrelated factors, warning that such narratives only embolden the extremist elements across Bangladesh.

“We have observed, also observed a troubling tendency to attribute such incidents to personal rivalries, personal vendettas, political differences, and other extraneous reasons. Such disregard only emboldens the extremists and the perpetrators of such crimes and deepens the sense of fear and insecurity among the minorities,” said Jaiswal.

Amid escalating attacks on minorities in Bangladesh, another Hindu man died after jumping into a canal in a bid to save his life from a mob that accused him of robbery in Mohadevpur upazila of Naogaon district, Bangladesh's Bengali newspaper Daily Manobkantha reported.

The victim, identified as 25-year-old Mithun Sarkar, lost his life in the disturbing incident, which unfolded on Tuesday afternoon in the Chakgori area of the upazila.

This marked the seventh incident in 19 days and the third incident this week, highlighting a disturbing surge in violence targeting Hindu communities throughout Bangladesh.

On Monday, two Hindu men were killed in separate incidents within 24 hours in Bangladesh.

The first victim, identified as 40-year-old Sarat Chakraborty Mani, was fatally attacked in Narsingdi district on Monday night, in Dhaka, with sharp weapons allegedly by an extremist armed religious group.

In the second incident, a Hindu businessman, 38-year-old Rana Pratap Bairagi, was shot dead in public in Monirampur Upazila of Jashore district.

Earlier, on January 3, another Hindu man, Khokon Chandra Das, died after being brutally attacked by a mob of miscreants in Damudya Upazila of Shariatpur district.

Last week, 40-year-old Bajendra Biswas was shot dead by a colleague in Bhaluka Upazila of Mymensingh district.

On December 24 last year, Bangladeshi media reported the killing of another Hindu youth, identified as 29-year-old Amrit Mondal, who was allegedly lynched by a mob in the Hossaindanga area of Kalimohar Union in Bangladesh.

Also on December 18 last year, a 25-year-old Hindu youth, Dipu Chandra Das, was brutally killed in a mob lynching incident over false blasphemy accusations by a Muslim coworker at his factory in Bhaluka Upazila of Mymensingh.

The mob killed Das and then hung his body from a tree before setting it on fire.

Earlier on December 26,2025, India voiced grave concern over the "unremitting hostility" against minorities in Bangladesh -- including Hindus, Christians, and Buddhists -- and asserted that it was keeping a close watch on the ongoing developments in its neighbourhood.

Bangladesh has witnessed escalating violence against minorities, including Hindus, under the Muhammad Yunus-led interim government, sparking outrage among people and several human rights organisations across the globe.

--IANS

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