Staff Reporter:
Bangladesh yesterday categorically rejects the recent comments made by the Spokesperson of the Indian Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) regarding the situation of the minority communities in Bangladesh.
“The Government of Bangladesh categorically rejects any inaccurate, exaggerated, or motivated narra-tives that misrepresent Bangladesh’s longstanding tradition of communal harmony,” Bangladesh foreign ministry’s Spokesperson and Director General of Public Diplomacy Wing S M Mahbubul Alam told reporters at the ministry yesterday afternoon.
He added, “His (Indian Spokesperson) comments do not reflect the facts”.
With much regret, Alam said, Dhaka noted that there are systematic attempts to portray the isolated inci-dents of criminal acts as systemic persecution of the Hindus and maliciously used to propagate anti-Bangladesh sentiments in different parts of India.
“We observe a selective and unfair bias in certain quarters, where isolated incidents are amplified, mis-represented and propagated to incite common Indians against Bangladesh, its diplomatic missions and other establishments in India,” he said.
Alam said that one of the individuals cited by the MEA’s Spokesperson was a listed criminal whose un-fortunate death happened when he was committing extortion with his Muslim accomplice, who was later arrested.
“To portray this criminal act in the lens of minority treatment is not factual but misleading,” he added.
The Director General said that Bangladesh called upon different quarters in India to refrain from spread-ing misleading narratives that undermines the spirit of good-neighborly relations and mutual trust.
Responding to a question, Bangladesh Spokesperson Alam said that Dhaka is deeply concerned over in-cidents of brutal killings, mob violence, obstruction of elections, and disruption of religious events tar-geting Muslims, Christians, and other minority communities in India.
Last week, incidents of violence against Christians were also reported across India during the celebration of the major religious festival Christmas.
Alam said that Bangladesh is also deeply concerned about the communal violence committed against these communities.
He said the Dhaka believed that every country had the responsibility to protect its minority communities, ensure their safety and dignity, and uphold these obligations without discrimination.
