Bangladesh's interim government rebuts India's explanation of an attack on the Bangladesh mission in Delhi and says the host country failed to ensure adequate diplomatic security.
Also, the government raised concerns over reported death threats against the Bangladesh High Commissioner.
Speaking to journalists Sunday, foreign affairs adviser Md Touhid Hossain said New Delhi's official account of the incident was "completely unacceptable", arguing that the breach could not have occurred without serious lapses in security.
"The mission is located well inside the diplomatic zone," Hossain notes. "This was not a casual gathering outside in a public area. The question is how a group of extremist protesters was able to reach such a secure location at all."
Indian authorities have said a group of around 20 to 25 protesters were involved. Hossain questions how members of what he describes as a Hindu extremist group were able to enter a protected diplomatic area. The protest went far beyond slogan-shouting.
"This is not only an office. The high commissioner and his family live in there. They felt threatened and terrified."
Bangladesh has also raised alarm over reports that threats were made to kill its high commissioner, Riaz Hamidullah. While Hossain said he did not personally possess documentary proof of the threats, he stressed that such reports could not be dismissed lightly.
"The core issue is not whether a threat can be formally verified, but how such threats could be issued in a diplomatic zone," he said.
Dhaka criticised what it described as inadequate security arrangements, noting that only two security personnel were present and failed to intervene.
"Ensuring the safety of diplomatic missions is the responsibility of the host country," Hossain reminds, adding that established diplomatic norms had not been properly followed.
The adviser also rejects Indian claims that Bangladeshi media had misrepresented the incident, insisting that local media reporting was broadly accurate.
Addressing broader regional tensions, Hossain cautions against linking the recent killing of a Bangladeshi citizen, Dipu Chandra Das, to minority security narratives. He mentions that arrests have already been made and Bangladesh is fulfilling its duty to uphold the rule of law.
Asked whether Bangladesh would formally summon India's envoy or scale down its diplomatic presence in New Delhi, Hossain said Dhaka would act according to circumstances. "For now, we still trust that India will take appropriate measures," he said -- a statement that underscores both restraint and unease in an increasingly strained relationship.
Earlier in the day, India rejected reports of the Bangladesh media as "misleading propaganda" over a protest that took place outside the Bangladesh High Commission in New Delhi following the killing of Dipu Chandra Das in Mymensingh.
The ministry of external affairs (MEA) has said India is closely monitoring the situation in the neighbouring country and has voiced strong concerns over what they call continuing atrocities against minorities.
The MEA also clarifies that the small group that gathered outside the high commission of Bangladesh was dispersed by police shortly afterwards.
In an official statement, MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said, "We have noted misleading propaganda in sections of the Bangladesh media on the incident. The fact is that about 20-25 youths gathered in front of the Bangladesh High Commission in New Delhi on 20 December and raised slogans in protest against the horrendous killing of Dipu Chandra Das in Mymensingh, while also calling for the protection of all minorities in Bangladesh.
"There was no attempt to breach the fence or create a security situation at any time. The police stationed at the spot dispersed the group after a few minutes. Visual evidence of these events is available publicly for all to see."
Delhi says, "India is committed to ensuring the safety of foreign Missions/Posts in its territory in accordance with the Vienna Convention."
mirmostafiz@yahoo.com
© 2025 - All Rights with The Financial Express
