Prime Minister Narendra Modi met with External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar on Thursday afternoon to discuss the growing tensions in Bangladesh following the arrest of ISKCON priest Chinmoy Krishna Das and the escalating attacks on religious minorities, including Hindus, in the neighboring country.
Sources told CNN-News18 that Jaishankar is likely to address both houses of Parliament on Friday (November 29), provided the proceedings are not disrupted by the Opposition.
File photo of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar. Source: PTI.
Protests in Bangladesh intensified this week after the arrest of Hindu priest Chinmoy Krishna Das Prabhu on November 25 at Dhaka airport. He faces sedition charges for allegedly disrespecting Bangladesh's national flag during an October rally. On Tuesday, a day after his arrest, he was presented before a court in Chittagong, which denied him bail.
The denial of bail has further fueled protests by Bangladesh’s Hindu community, which makes up around 8% of the country’s 170 million population. Protesters have raised concerns about increasing violence under the interim government led by Muhammad Yunus.
India has condemned the arrest of Chinmoy Krishna Das and expressed concern over the attacks on Hindus and other minorities in Bangladesh. The Ministry of External Affairs has urged the Bangladeshi authorities to bring those responsible for the violence to justice.
Additionally, officials from the Ministry of External Affairs are scheduled to brief the Parliamentary Standing Committee on External Affairs about the situation in Bangladesh on December 11, according to committee chairperson Shashi Tharoor.
“It is not only the foreign ministry that is keeping an eye on the situation, all concerned Indians are worried about some of the reports coming in from Bangladesh. So, we will follow it very closely,” Tharoor, who was a former of state for external affairs told reporters outside Parliament.
Union Minister Urges UN to Intervene
On Wednesday, Union Minister Giriraj Singh stated that the attacks on Hindus in Bangladesh indicate that the Yunus-led interim government is under the influence of fundamentalists. He called for the United Nations to intervene in the issue.
“The caretaker ‘prime minister’ of Bangladesh is in the clutches of fundamentalists. The way Hindus are being attacked is against humanity. The United Nations should intervene in this matter,” the minister told reporters in the Parliament complex.
Government in Parliament: Key Highlights and Opposition Reactions
MEA MOS Kirti Vardhan Singh informed Parliament that the Indian government has urged the Bangladesh government to guarantee the safety and security of Hindus, other minority communities, and their places of worship.
As the House proceedings resumed on the fourth day of the Parliament's Winter Session, TMC chief and West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee called for the Centre to take action on the matter, stating, “Since this is a matter of another country, the Central government should take relevant action on this. We are with them (Central government) on this issue."
Congress MP Shashi Tharoor said, “It seems very grave and troubling. All Indians are concerned because this is a next-door neighbour, whose well-being we are concerned about. It is not only the foreign ministry who is keeping an eye on the situation but all the concerned Indian citizens are worried about the reports that are coming in."
Hindu American Groups Call for Sanctions on Bangladesh
Criticizing the attacks on minorities in Bangladesh, several Hindu American organizations have urged that U.S. aid to the South Asian nation be tied to the government taking concrete steps to safeguard these communities.
Minority Hindus in Bangladesh, who make up about 8% of the country's 170 million population, have experienced over 200 incidents of violence across more than 50 districts since the fall of Sheikh Hasina’s Awami League government on August 5.
Ajay Shah, president of Vishva Hindu Parishad America (VHPA), expressed concern over the arrest of Das, the vandalism of the Kali Mandir in Chittagong, and the increasing attacks on Hindus across the country.
“Is this the human rights legacy the Biden administration wants to be remembered for," he asked.
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