Daijiworld Media Network - Dhaka

Dhaka, Dec 29: Bangladesh on Sunday dismissed India’s concerns over the safety of religious minorities, calling recent incidents involving the Hindu community “isolated criminal acts” rather than evidence of systematic persecution.

Responding to international attention and diplomatic queries, Dhaka emphasized that all crimes, regardless of the victim’s faith, would be addressed under the rule of law. A US State Department spokesperson said Washington “unequivocally condemns religious violence in all its forms” and welcomed steps taken by Bangladesh’s interim government to ensure safety for all communities.

The statement comes after India expressed “grave concern” over the December 18 lynching of 27-year-old Dipu Chandra Das in Mymensingh city over alleged blasphemy. Indian-origin US Congressman Ro Khanna termed the killing “horrific” and urged action against such “vile acts of hatred and bigotry.”

Bangladesh’s foreign ministry also disputed India’s reference to another recent death of a Hindu man in Rajbari, labeling the individual a “criminal,” and accused selective reporting in parts of India of portraying isolated incidents as evidence of targeted persecution, which it said undermines bilateral relations.