New Delhi: Amid rising concerns over violence against minorities and the arrest of ISKCON monk Chinmoy Das, India’s Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri arrived on a high-profile visit in Dhaka on Monday. This marks the first high-level official engagement with Bangladesh’s interim government led by Muhammad Yunus, setting the stage for crucial discussions on bilateral relations.
The visit coincides with a series of disturbing events in Bangladesh, including escalating violence against religious minorities and the arrest of Das on sedition charges. Just days before Misri’s arrival, another Hindu temple, the Mahabhagya Lakshminarayan Mandir, was allegedly attacked and set ablaze in a village north of Dhaka.
The temple supervisor, Babul Ghosh, filed a police complaint, alleging that unidentified attackers poured petrol on the idols before fleeing. Ghosh suspected an ulterior motive beyond simply defacing the temple. This incident further fueled existing anxieties surrounding the safety and security of religious minorities in Bangladesh.
According to the external affairs ministry, the primary focus of Misri’s visit is the Foreign Office Consultation (FOC) mechanism between India and Bangladesh. This bilateral dialogue, scheduled to occur during the visit, will address a wide array of issues impacting the relationship. The timing of this FOC is significant given that it follows a September meeting in New York between Bangladesh’s interim government Foreign Adviser Md Touhid Hossain and India’s External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) in New York. Both ministers then reaffirmed their commitment to maintaining a “good working relationship” and agreed to convene this FOC.
“The foreign secretary is scheduled to visit Bangladesh for Foreign Office Consultations on December 9. This is part of our structured interactions with the Bangladesh side,” Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) Spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal had said.
The case of Chinmoy Das, an ISKCON monk arrested on November 25th on sedition charges following accusations of disrespecting the national flag, casts a long shadow over the discussions. India’s Ministry of External Affairs has officially urged the Bangladesh interim government to ensure Das receives a fair and transparent trial, guaranteeing his legal rights are fully respected. A court hearing in the case is scheduled for January 2nd, 2025.
