The Ministry of External Affairs on Sunday firmly rejected what it described as “misleading propaganda” carried by sections of the Bangladesh media regarding a small protest held outside the Bangladesh High Commission in New Delhi on December 20.

Responding to media queries, MEA Official Spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal clarified that the incident involved a limited gathering and did not pose any security threat to the diplomatic mission.

MEA Clarifies Nature Of Protest

Jaiswal said that around 20 to 25 youths briefly gathered outside the Bangladesh High Commission to raise slogans condemning the killing of Dipu Chandra Das in Mymensingh, Bangladesh. He noted that the protesters were also demanding protection for minorities in the neighbouring country. “There was no attempt to breach the fence or create a security situation at any time,” the spokesperson said, adding that the Delhi Police personnel deployed at the spot dispersed the group within minutes.

He underlined that visual evidence of the protest is publicly available and clearly shows the peaceful nature of the gathering. India, he stressed, remains fully committed to ensuring the safety and security of all foreign missions and posts in line with its obligations under the Vienna Convention.

The MEA further added that India continues to closely monitor the evolving situation in Bangladesh amid widespread unrest following the death of student leader Sharif Osman Hadi. Jaiswal confirmed that Indian officials remain in regular touch with Bangladeshi authorities. “We have conveyed our strong concerns at the attacks on minorities and urged that the perpetrators of the barbaric killing of Dipu Chandra Das be brought to justice,” he said.

Bangladesh Issues Press Release

Meanwhile, the Bangladesh Ministry of Foreign Affairs, in a press release issued in Dhaka on December 21, said the incident outside the High Commission residence in New Delhi was “highly regrettable” and rejected any suggestion that its concerns amounted to misleading propaganda.

The statement claimed that the demonstrators were allowed to carry out activities “right outside the perimeters” of the High Commission, creating panic among staff inside the complex. Dhaka also said that it had not received advance information about the protest. While acknowledging India’s stated commitment to the security of diplomatic missions, Bangladesh rejected what it described as an attempt to portray the killing of a Bangladeshi citizen “who happens to belong to the Hindu community” as an attack on minorities.

The Bangladesh government further claimed that suspects in the killing had been promptly apprehended and asserted that the inter-communal situation in the country was better than in many parts of South Asia. It added that protecting minorities was the responsibility of all governments in the region.

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The exchange comes amid heightened tensions following widespread unrest in Bangladesh after the death of student leader Sharif Osman Hadi, who succumbed to injuries sustained in an assassination attempt earlier this month. Protests and violence across several Bangladeshi cities have led to attacks on media houses, political offices and diplomatic-linked establishments.

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Amid the unrest, protesters in Bangladesh targeted Indian diplomatic premises, including the Assistant High Commission in Chittagong, prompting India to temporarily suspend visa operations there. New Delhi has lodged formal diplomatic protests over threats to its missions and anti-India rhetoric. India has maintained that it has never allowed its territory to be used for activities hostile to Bangladesh and has called for restraint and accountability.