New Delhi : India on Friday strongly condemned the recent incidents of lynching of two Hindu men in Bangladesh, with the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) expressing deep concern over what it described as “unremitting hostility” against minorities in the neighbouring country.
MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said New Delhi was disturbed by the recent killing and stressed that those responsible must be held accountable. “The unremitting hostility against minorities in Bangladesh is a matter of great concern. We condemn the recent killing of a Hindu youth in Bangladesh and expect that the perpetrators of the crime will be brought to justice,” Jaiswal said.
The remarks come after two separate incidents of lynching of Hindu men in Bangladesh this month.
A Hindu man was beaten to death by a mob in Rajbari district late on Wednesday night. Police identified the victim as 30-year-old Amrit Mondal, also known as Samrat. According to local authorities, the violence stemmed from alleged extortion-related activities.
The MEA said India has consistently raised concerns over attacks on minorities and rejected what it called a “false narrative” being pushed by Bangladesh on such incidents. According to the MEA, there have been around 2,900 incidents of violence against minorities during the tenure of Bangladesh’s interim government. “We condemn the gruesome killing of a Hindu in Bangladesh. We have given statements earlier as well, rejecting the false narrative put out by Bangladesh,” the MEA said.
Police said Samrat, described as a top-tier local criminal, had allegedly arrived in the area to demand extortion money. A violent clash reportedly broke out after villagers confronted him. He was found in critical condition and taken to a local hospital, where he was declared dead. Cops claimed Samrat had multiple cases registered against him, including a murder case, and was the leader of a local group known as the “Samrat Bahini,” which allegedly extorted money by threatening villagers.
Villagers alleged that on Wednesday night, Samrat and his associates went to the house of a local resident, Shahidul Islam, to collect extortion money. When the family raised an alarm by shouting “robbers,” locals gathered and assaulted Samrat.
The killing has drawn wider attention as it comes just days after another lynching of a Hindu man in Bangladesh’s Mymensingh district. In that case, 27-year-old garment factory worker Dipu Chandra Das was beaten to death by a mob over unverified allegations of blasphemy. Police said his body was tied to a tree and set on fire before being recovered and sent for post-mortem examination.
That incident was condemned by Bangladesh’s interim government led by Muhammad Yunus, which said there was no place for communal hatred or mob violence in what it termed a “New Bangladesh,” and promised strict action against those responsible.
Both incidents have taken place against the backdrop of widespread unrest in Bangladesh, following the death of political activist Sharif Osman Hadi, whose demise triggered protests, vandalism and attacks on political and diplomatic sites across several parts of the country.
