AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi on Monday expressed concern over recent violent protests in Bangladesh and condemned the killing of 27-year-old Hindu man Dipu Chandra Das, who was lynched in Bangladesh’s Mymensingh earlier this month. Owaisi described the incident as “extremely unfortunate” and called for the protection of minorities.
The death of the Hindu man also sparked protests in New Delhi, Kolkata, Mumbai, Hyderabad, parts of Madhya Pradesh and Agartala. Several Hindu organisations also staged demonstrations near Bangladeshi missions and called for steps to ensure the safety of minorities in the neighbouring country.
Owaisi condemns Dipu Chandra Das’ death
Owaisi said that the lynching of Dipu Chandra Das is “contrary to the constitutional mandate” of Bangladesh, which guarantees freedom of religion under Article 41, and condemned the incident.
“What happened to Dipu Chandra Das is completely contrary to the constitutional mandate. It is extremely unfortunate that such a sad incident occurred, and our party condemns any sort of lynching,” he said, speaking to PTI news agency.
He added, “The creation of Bangladesh was rooted in secular Bengali nationalism. A substantial non-Muslim population lives in Bangladesh and speaks the Bangla language. If you read the Constitution of Bangladesh, Article 41 guarantees freedom of religion, Articles 27 and 28 ensure equality before the law, and Article 12 upholds secularism.”
{{/usCountry}}He added, “The creation of Bangladesh was rooted in secular Bengali nationalism. A substantial non-Muslim population lives in Bangladesh and speaks the Bangla language. If you read the Constitution of Bangladesh, Article 41 guarantees freedom of religion, Articles 27 and 28 ensure equality before the law, and Article 12 upholds secularism.”
{{/usCountry}}Earlier, Owaisi said he supported all steps taken by the Government of India to make sure ties with Bangladesh stay strong.
The Hyderabad MP also said that stability in Bangladesh is critical for India’s security, particularly in the northeastern region.
“We must remember that stability in Bangladesh is very important for the security of India, especially the Northeast. A popular revolution has happened in Bangladesh, and we hope that when the elections are held in February, the relationship between India and Bangladesh will improve for good,” Owaisi had said, speaking to ANI news agency.
The death of Dipu Chandra Das
The killing of Das by a mob in Bangladesh on December 18 not only shocked the world but also strained relations between India and Bangladesh. The incident triggered protests across India earlier this week.
India’s Ministry of External aAffairs last week raised concern over what it described as “unremitting hostilities” against minorities. “The unremitting hostilities against minorities in Bangladesh, including Hindus, Christians and Buddhists, at the hands of extremists is a matter of grave concern,” spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said.
Reacting to India’s concerns over Dipu’s lynching, Dhaka said it was a “systematic attempt to portray isolated criminal incidents as organised persecution of Hindus”, according to The Dhaka Tribune.
With inputs from agencies