New Delhi: India, on Thursday, reacted strongly to the demolition of the Durga Mandir in Dhaka and accused the Muhammad Yunus-led interim government in Bangladesh of allowing the destruction by falsely calling the structure illegal.
“We understand that extremists were clamouring for demolishing the Durga temple in Khilkhet, Dhaka. The interim government, instead of providing security to the temple, projected the episode as a case of illegal land use and allowed the destruction of the temple today,” Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said at a weekly media briefing in New Delhi.
“This has resulted in damage to the deity before it was shifted. We are dismayed that such incidents continue to recur in Bangladesh. Let me underline that it is the responsibility of the interim government of Bangladesh to protect Hindus, their properties, and their religious institutions,” he stated.
Hindu temples and shrines have come under attack across Bangladesh since the coup in August 2024 that led to Sk Hasina’s flight to India. A Mahastri Manasa and Durga Temple in Dinajpur district of Bangladesh was vandalised earlier this week.
“The attackers vandalised the temple, smashed idols, and severed the head of the Goddess Manasa’s idol – an act of deep sacrilege designed to humiliate the minority community and instill fear. As the attackers fled, they threatened local Hindus with further violence, vowing to kill community members at the next opportunity,” the Human Rights Congress for Bangladeshi Minorities (HRCMB) said.
“The institutionalised fear prevalent among Bangladesh’s Hindu community – fueled by years of targetted violence, social marginalization, and systemic failures was painfully evident in this case,” the statement by the organisation added.
In the last few months, India has regularly protested against the atrocities being committed against the minority Hindu community in Bangladesh. Even Prime Minister Narendra Modi is known to have brought up this issue with Yunus during their meeting on the sidelines of the BIMSTEC Summit in Bangkok earlier this year.
Yunus has maintained that such attacks have more to do with politics than religion. It is a known fact that most Hindus in Bangladesh are supporters of Hasina’s Awami League that has now been banned in the country.
Jaiswal was also asked about the trilateral meet between China, Pakistan and Bangladesh at Kunming, China, recently.
“We maintain a constant watch on developments in our neighbourhood that have a bearing on our interests and security. Our relations with individual countries, while standing on their own footing, also take into account the evolving context as well,” he mentioned.
The first trilateral meeting between these three countries was held in China’s southern Yunnan province on June 19 where all three countries vowed their commitment to a “shared” future. The three sides agreed to enhance their cooperation for greater regional connectivity and deepening cooperation in the near future.
While cash-strapped Bangladesh’s outreach to China is understandable, it is Yunus’ bonhomie with Pakistan that is irking India the most. In 1971, Indian troops shed their blood to liberate Bangladesh from the tyranny of Pakistan.
