'Can't Be Brushed Aside': India Reacts To Killing Of Hindus In Bangladesh

The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) condemned vigilante violence happening in Bangladesh against minorities and said that the matter cannot be brushed aside during a press briefing on Friday.

MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal broke silence on the issue and stated, "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."

Further, the MEA outlined that there have been more than 2,900 incidents of violence against religious minorities in Bangladesh.

The ministry also spoke about the return of BNP's Tarique Rahman to Bangladesh and said that India supports free, fair polls in Bangladesh and that Rahman's return should be seen in that context.

On Thursday news came out that another Hindu youth was lynched by a mob in Bangladesh's Rajbari District over alleged extortion.

The gruesome incident had taken place on Wednesday night, according to a report by local daily The Daily Star. The report further stated that the man was lynched by a group of villagers over extortion allegations around 11 p.m.

The man, identified as Amrit Mondal, also known as Samrat, had suffered grave injuries by the time police reached the scene, the report added.

News of Mondal's killing came days after a Hindu man, Dipu Chandra Das, was lynched and his body was reportedly set ablaze.

Mondal's death has fanned fears surrounding mob justice in Bangladesh, where minorities have increasingly found themselves at the receiving end of targeted violence in the backdrop of political uncertainty and weak law enforcement.

Violence had first erupted on Thursday, Dec. 18, after news of the death of a student leader named Sharif Osman Hadi broke out. The 32-year-old was a senior leader of the student protest group Inqilab Mancha.

He had emerged as a popular face of the youth movement that ousted former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina. Hadi was also an outspoken critic of India, where Hasina remains in self-imposed exile.