Daijiworld Media Network - New Delhi

New Delhi, Jun 26: India on Thursday issued a sharp rebuke to Bangladesh’s Muhammad Yunus-led interim government after a Durga Mandir in Dhaka’s Khilkhet area was razed, allegedly under the pretext of “illegal land use.”

Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal told reporters that extremists had threatened the shrine, yet authorities “projected the episode as a land dispute” instead of protecting the site. The demolition damaged the temple deity before it was relocated. “Such incidents keep recurring in Bangladesh. It is the responsibility of the interim government to safeguard Hindus, their property, and their places of worship,” Jaiswal said.

The demolition follows fresh reports from the Human Rights Congress for Bangladesh Minorities of vandalism at the Mahastri Manasa and Durga Temple in Dinajpur, where idols were smashed and the Goddess Manasa’s statue was beheaded. The group said attackers threatened further violence, underscoring an “institutionalised fear” among Bangladesh’s Hindu community after years of targeted assaults and social marginalisation.

India has repeatedly accused Dhaka’s interim administration of systemic persecution of Hindus. At Thursday’s briefing, Jaiswal also noted that New Delhi is closely tracking regional developments after China, Pakistan, and Bangladesh held their first trilateral meeting in Kunming on June 19. “We keep a constant watch on neighbourhood events that affect our interests and security,” he said, adding that India’s bilateral ties “stand on their own footing” but are informed by the evolving geopolitical context.

The Kunming meeting pledged deeper cooperation in connectivity, trade, agriculture, the digital economy, and cultural exchanges. Analysts warn that Bangladesh’s warming ties with Beijing and Islamabad since Sheikh Hasina’s ouster in August 2024 could enable Pakistani non-state actors to collaborate with Rohingya refugees and radical groups, amplifying anti-India activities.