Bangladesh has strongly responded to recent remarks by India’s Ministry of External Affairs regarding the treatment of minority communities in the country. Dhaka says the comments “do not reflect the facts” and rejects exaggerated narratives that misrepresent Bangladesh’s long-standing tradition of communal harmony
Bangladesh has strongly rejected recent remarks by India’s Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) on the treatment of minority communities in the country, calling the comments inaccurate, exaggerated and damaging to bilateral trust.
In a press statement issued on Sunday, Bangladesh’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs SM Mahbubul Alam said it had taken note of comments made by the MEA spokesperson regarding the situation of minorities, particularly Hindus, in Bangladesh, and said the claims did not reflect the ground reality.
The government said it “categorically rejects any inaccurate, exaggerated, or motivated narratives” that misrepresent Bangladesh’s long-standing tradition of communal harmony. It added that such portrayals overlook the country’s history of coexistence among communities.
The statement expressed concern over what it described as “systematic attempts” to frame isolated criminal incidents as evidence of widespread or systemic persecution of Hindus in Bangladesh. According to the ministry, such incidents are being “maliciously used to propagate anti-Bangladesh sentiments” in parts of India.
Dhaka also flagged what it called a selective and unfair bias in certain quarters, alleging that isolated events were being amplified, distorted and circulated to incite hostility against Bangladesh, including against its diplomatic missions and establishments in India.
Addressing a specific case cited by the Indian MEA spokesperson, the ministry said the individual referred to was a “listed criminal” who died while committing an act of extortion. The statement added that the individual had a Muslim accomplice, who was later arrested. Presenting the incident as an example of minority persecution, the ministry said, was “not factual but misleading.”
Bangladesh stressed that criminal acts should not be viewed through a communal lens and warned against narratives that blur the distinction between law-and-order cases and minority rights.
The foreign ministry concluded by urging “different quarters in India” to refrain from spreading misleading narratives, saying such actions undermine the spirit of good-neighbourly relations and mutual trust between the two countries.
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