Bangladesh citizens' safety Dhaka's duty: EAM S Jaishankar in Lok Sabha

New Delhi: External affairs minister S Jaishankar on Friday said in Parliament that the Muhammad Yunus-led interim regime in Bangladesh is responsible for protecting its citizens, including minorities.

"The primary responsibility for the protection of life and liberty of all citizens of Bangladesh, including minorities, rests with the government of Bangladesh," he said in a statement in response to a question in the Lok Sabha about violence against minorities, including Hindus, in Bangladesh.

He said Indian government has seen several reports of incidents of violence against Hindus and other minorities since August 2024, when the then PM Sheikh Hasina was forced to flee Bangladesh. Reports of attacks on temples and puja mandaps also emerged during the recent Durga Puja festival, he said.


"Government has taken a serious note of these incidents and shared its concerns with the government of Bangladesh," he said, adding Indian high commission in Dhaka continues to monitor the situation.

Addressing the media, MEA spokesperson Randheer Jaiswal said, "India has consistently and strongly raised with the Bangladesh government the threats and targeted attacks on Hindus and other minorities... The interim government must live up to its responsibility of protecting all minorities. We are concerned at the surge of extremist rhetoric, increasing incidents of violence and provocation."

On the arrest of Chinmoy Krishna Das, Iskcon's former spokesperson in Bangladesh, Jaiswal said, "We have noted that legal processes are underway. We expect that these processes will deal with the case in a just, fair and transparent manner."

Meanwhile, Bangladesh's interim regime in a statement asked India to ensure safety and security of Bangladeshi diplomatic missions after protests outside the deputy high commission in Kolkata. It "strongly condemned" desecration of Bangladesh's flag and burning of an effigy of Yunus in Kolkata.