New Delhi:
India has issued a strong diplomatic rebuke to Bangladesh following the kidnapping and killing of Bhabesh Chandra Roy, a prominent Hindu minority leader in northern Bangladesh. In a sharply worded statement, New Delhi condemned the incident and accused the Muhammad Yunus-led Bangladeshi interim government of failing to protect its minority communities.
“We have noted with distress the abduction and brutal killing of Shri Bhabesh Chandra Roy, a Hindu minority leader in Bangladesh,” the Ministry of External Affairs said in a statement. “This killing follows a pattern of systematic persecution of Hindu minorities under the interim government even as the perpetrators of previous such events roam with impunity.”
The statement continued: “We condemn this incident and once again remind the interim government to live up to its responsibility of protecting all minorities, including Hindus, without inventing excuses or making distinctions.”
Mr Roy, 58, was kidnapped from his home in Basudebpur village in Dinajpur district – located about 330 kilometres northwest of Dhaka -and later found dead. According to local media reports citing police and family members, Mr Roy received a phone call around 4:30 pm on Wednesday, believed to be from the men who would later attack him.
According to a The Daily Star report, roughly thirty minutes after the call, four individuals arrived at Mr Roy’s home on two motorcycles. They reportedly kidnapped him and took him to Narabari village, where he was assaulted. Family members told The Daily Star that Mr Roy was returned to his home in an unconscious state. He was transported to a hospital in Dinajpur, where he was declared dead on arrival.
Congress vs BJP over Minority Rights
Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge described Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s recent meeting with Muhammad Yunus as “ineffective” in securing protections for minorities.
“In Bangladesh, religious minorities, especially our Hindu brothers and sisters, are continuously facing atrocities,” Mr Kharge said in a statement. “The brutal murder of a prominent Hindu community leader, Mr Bhabesh Chandra Roy, is evidence that Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s cordial meeting with Bangladesh’s Chief Advisor has failed.”
बांग्लादेश में लगातार धार्मिक अल्पसंख्यकों, ख़ासकर हमारे हिंदू भाई-बहनों पर अत्याचार हो रहा है।
हिन्दू समुदाय के एक बड़े नेता श्री भाबेश चंद्र रॉय की क्रूरतापूर्ण हत्या इस बात का सबूत है कि @narendramodi जी की बांग्लादेश के चीफ़ एडवाइज़र के साथ मुस्कुराने वाली बैठक विफ़ल रही।…
— Mallikarjun Kharge (@kharge) April 19, 2025
Mr Kharge further cited Indian parliamentary data, stating that there had been 76 attacks on Hindus in Bangladesh in the past two months alone, resulting in 23 deaths. He also alleged that similar attacks on other religious minorities were ongoing.
Responding to Mr Kharge’s remarks, the BJP questioned why the Congress is silent on alleged attacks on Hindus in West Bengal, adding that foreign policy cannot be dictated by grudges but through diplomacy.
“The first thing Congress should do is realise that targeting PM Modi for his cordial ties with a global figure like Muhammad Yunus is absolutely absurd,” BJP spokesperson Charu Pragya told NDTV. “These connections serve India’s interests in trade and regional security. You cannot define foreign policy on grudges. India’s relationship is with the country of Bangladesh. Regimes can change. It is a bit childish of Congress to make irresponsible statements like that.”
“Let me ask a question to Mr Kharge, why are you always silent on the plight of Hindus in your own country?” she added.
US Travel Advisory For Bangladesh
With the country continuing to witness sporadic incidents of violence since former prime minister Sheikh Hasina’s ouster last year, the United States reissued a travel advisory to its citizens urging them to reconsider their plans to visit Bangladesh.
“Kidnappings have occurred in the region, including those motivated by domestic or familial disputes, and those targeting members of religious minorities. Separatist organisations and political violence also pose additional threats to visitors to the region, and there have been instances of IED explosions and active shooting,” the advisory read.
“Prior approval from the Government of Bangladesh’s Ministry of Home Affairs Office of Public Safety is required if you plan to travel to these areas. Due to the risks, US government employees working in Bangladesh are prohibited from traveling to the region,” it added.
