As Dhaka releases violent extremists, India renews call to protect minorities
Student leaders who were part of Yunus’s government resigned and set up the National Citizens Party, dramatically altering Bangladesh’s political landscape
NEW DELHI: India on Friday expressed concern at the deteriorating law and order situation in Bangladesh, including the release of violent extremists, and reiterated its call for the interim government in Dhaka to protect Hindus and other minority communities.
The remarks by external affairs ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal came amid a sharp downturn in ties since a caretaker administration led by Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus assumed office last August. They also came two days after Yunus said his government intends to go ahead with the trial of former premier Sheikh Hasina, currently in self-exile in India.
At the same time, Jaiswal noted the two sides recently held meetings focused on the sharing of waters of the Ganga river and resumption of India-funded development projects.
Asked if the formation of a political party by student leaders who spearheaded last year’s uprising against Hasina pointed to a rift with the interim government amid a chaotic internal security situation, Jaiswal told a media briefing: “We remain concerned about the deteriorating law and order situation, which has been further exacerbated by the release of violent extremists who were sentenced for serious crimes.”
India, he said, supports a stable, peaceful, inclusive and progressive Bangladesh, where all issues are resolved through democratic means and by holding inclusive and participatory elections.
Student leaders who were part of Yunus’s government resigned and set up the National Citizens Party (NCP) this week, dramatically altering Bangladesh’s political landscape. Yunus has promised to hold elections within the year, though there is still no clarity on whether Hasina’s Awami League party will be allowed to contest.
In an interview aired by Sky News on Wednesday, Yunus said his government intends to go ahead with the trial of Hasina, who has been accused of involvement in extra-judicial killings and enforced disappearances. He said Bangladesh is waiting for India’s response to a request to extradite Hasina.
“She will stand trial, no doubt about that, because all the evidences are here. But she is not physically present in Bangladesh,” Yunus said. “That depends on India and also international law...We’ve already asked India to hand over Hasina to Bangladesh to face trial.”
Yunus insisted the trial will happen “in absentia or in her presence”, and the interim government plans to prosecute “all the people who were associated with [Hasina], her family members, her clan, her associates and all the oligarchs”.
Jaiswal responded to another question about Bangladeshi leaders asking India not to rake up the status of that country’s minorities because it is an internal issue by saying that New Delhi has repeatedly underlined the interim government’s responsibility to protect Hindus and other minorities, and their properties and religious institutions.
He pointed out that Bangladeshi police have verified 1,254 of 2,374 incidents of the targeting of minorities reported from August 5, 2024, to February 16 this year.
“Further, 98% of these 1,254 incidents were deemed political in nature. We expect Bangladesh to thoroughly investigate and bring all perpetrators of killings, arson and violence to justice without making such distinctions,” he said.
Jaiswal said the 86th meeting of the joint committee that oversees the implementation of the Ganga Water Treaty between India and Bangladesh was held in Kolkata on March 6. “This is a regular, routine technical meeting that happens twice a year, and part of the structured engagement between both countries as part of the implementation of the Ganga Water Treaty, which was signed in 1996,” he said.
The two sides discussed technical issues related to the treaty, measurement of water flows and other matters at the meeting.
A Bangladeshi delegation recently visited India for a meeting on development cooperation, which is a priority area in bilateral relations. “The recent security situation and long-standing local issues have affected the pace of implementation of some [India-funded] projects,” he said.
The discussions focused on “rationalising the project portfolio and executing mutually agreed projects in a time-bound manner”. Jaiswal added: “Subject to obtaining the committed support and pending clearances from the Bangladesh side, we plan to take these projects forward.”