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Bangladesh summoned the senior Indian diplomat on Tuesday amid fresh protests outside its high commission in New Delhi, triggered by the mob lynching of a Hindu worker in Dhaka.
The garment worker was accused of blasphemy and killed on December 18, as anti-India feelings rise in the predominantly Muslim country next door. Authorities have detained seven individuals in connection with the murder.
That day, hundreds gathered near Bangladesh’s High Commission in New Delhi, waving saffron flags and banners, including one that read: “Stop Killing Hindus in Bangladesh.”
A protester and member of the right-wing Vishva Hindu Parishad (VHP), Puneet Gautam, 37, said, “Hindus are warning Bangladesh that it’s headed down the wrong path.”
Clashes erupted outside Dhaka’s diplomatic outpost when the crowd pushed past yellow barricades approximately 300 meters from the embassy, with VHP members and security forces involved.
Earlier, Bangladesh’s foreign ministry summoned Indian High Commissioner Pranay Verma to voice serious concern over previous protests outside its visa centers, which they labeled as “regrettable incidents” of vandalism last week in New Delhi and Siliguri. India rejected these claims as “misleading propaganda.”
Relations have strained since ex-Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina fled the pro-democracy movement last year and sought refuge in India. India is still considering Bangladesh’s requests to extradite Hasina, who was sentenced to death in absentia for allegedly leading a brutal crackdown during the uprising.
Bangladesh’s political landscape remains volatile, with violence surfacing ahead of upcoming elections. Recently, controversial parliamentary candidate Sharif Osman Hadi was shot in Dhaka; reports suggest his alleged attackers may have escaped across the border into India.
In response to recent unrest, protests, and violence—including attacks on media outlets supportive of India, arson at key buildings, and stone-throwing at the Indian High Commission in Chattogram—Bangladesh temporarily halted visa services in Dhaka last Monday, with India suspending its visa operations earlier.
Russia has called on both nations to repair their relationship promptly. Alexander G Khozin, Moscow’s ambassador to Bangladesh, emphasized that “the sooner, the better,” in comments reported by the Dhaka Tribune.
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