'Misleading, Inaccurate, Exaggerated': Bangladesh Pushes Back After India Flags Minority Violence, Says Communal Harmony Intact

Bangladesh on Sunday strongly rejected India’s concerns over alleged violence against minority communities, calling New Delhi’s remarks “inaccurate, exaggerated and misleading.” Dhaka stated that the statements made by India’s Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) do not reflect the ground reality and risk undermining bilateral trust between the two neighbors.

In an official press release, Bangladesh’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MoFA) said it had taken note of comments by the MEA spokesperson regarding the treatment of minorities, particularly Hindus, in Bangladesh. The ministry asserted that the portrayal ignored the country’s long-standing tradition of communal harmony and coexistence.

‘Isolated Crimes Being Given Communal Colour’: MoFA

The MoFA alleged that certain quarters were deliberately projecting isolated criminal incidents as evidence of systemic persecution of Hindus. According to the statement, such narratives were being “maliciously used” to spread anti-Bangladesh sentiment in parts of India. “We observe systematic attempts to portray isolated incidents of criminal acts as institutionalised persecution of the Hindu community,” the ministry said, adding that selective amplification and distortion of events was inciting hostility against Bangladesh, including against its diplomatic missions and establishments in India.

Dhaka maintained that criminal acts should be viewed strictly as law-and-order issues and not through a communal lens, warning that such misrepresentation blurs the line between crime and minority rights.

Clarification On Lynching Case

Responding to a specific case mentioned by the MEA, Bangladesh said the individual referred to was a “listed criminal” who died during an extortion attempt. The MoFA stated that the man had a Muslim accomplice, who was later arrested, and said projecting the incident as an example of minority persecution was “not factual but misleading.” The ministry stressed that linking such crimes to religious identity distorts facts and fuels unnecessary tension between the two countries.

The response from Dhaka came after India expressed grave concern over what it described as continuing violence against minorities in Bangladesh. MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal had said that “unremitting hostilities” by extremist elements against Hindus, Christians, and Buddhists were condemnable and could not be dismissed as political violence or media exaggeration.

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India also condemned the lynching of Hindu garment worker Dipu Chandra Das, who was allegedly killed over blasphemy allegations, and said it expected the perpetrators to be brought to justice. The MEA claimed that nearly 2,900 incidents involving minorities had been reported during the tenure of Bangladesh’s interim government.

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In its statement, Bangladesh also urged “different quarters in India” to refrain from spreading what it termed misleading narratives. Such actions, it said, harm the spirit of good-neighbourly relations and mutual trust that underpin ties between the two countries. TheMoFA concluded by reaffirming Bangladesh’s commitment to communal harmony and rule of law, while cautioning against narratives that could inflame public sentiment and strain diplomatic relations at a sensitive time.