The Bangladesh government has rejected the recent comments by the Indian Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) spokesperson on the situation of minority communities in Bangladesh as unfounded and misleading.
An official statement said that the comments by the Indian MEA spokesperson do not reflect reality. According to the Bangladesh government, these comments misrepresent Bangladesh’s long-standing tradition of communal harmony and coexistence. The government categorically rejects any kind of incorrect, exaggerated and purposeful statements.
The statement expressed deep concern that an attempt is being made to portray a few isolated criminal incidents as systematic persecution of the minority Hindu community, which is being used to incite anti-Bangladesh sentiments in various parts of India. This clearly shows a biased and selective perspective, where a few isolated incidents are being exaggerated and distorted to create hatred among the Indian people against Bangladesh, its diplomatic missions and other institutions.
The statement further stated that the person mentioned by the MEA spokesperson was a listed criminal. He died during the commission of the crime—an extortion case with a Muslim accomplice—and the accomplice was later arrested. It is completely misleading and unrealistic to portray such a criminal incident from the perspective of minority persecution.
The Bangladesh government has called on various quarters in India to refrain from misleading propaganda, saying that such statements and propaganda undermine the spirit of good neighborly relations, mutual trust and goodwill.
