New Delhi: Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri will travel to Bangladesh on December 9, in response to rising concerns over assaults on the Hindu minority community and the recent arrest of Hindu monk Chinmoy Krishna Das. MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said in a press briefing that Misri is scheduled to meet with his Bangladeshi counterpart, along with attending many other discussions during his visit.
“Foreign Office consultations led by the Foreign Secretary is a structured engagement between India and Bangladesh. We look forward to this meeting,” Jaiswal said. Regarding the arrest of Hindu monk Chinmoy Krishna Das, Jaiswal said that India anticipates a fair, just, and transparent legal process.
“We have spoken on this issue earlier. We would like to reiterate our expectation that relevant legal processes underway in Bangladesh are executed in a fair, just and transparent manner, ensuring full respect for the legal rights of concerned individuals,” he said.
India-Bangladesh relations strained
Relations between the two neighbouring countries have soured after reports of over 200 attacks on the Hindu community in Bangladesh, a Muslim-majority country, across more than 50 districts since August 5. The incidents happened after the fall of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s Awami League government and the rise to power of Muhammad Yunus.
India has expressed growing concerns about the increasing assaults on minorities, particularly Hindus and the escalation of extremist rhetoric. Last week, India reiterated its concerns, calling on the Yunus-led interim government to fulfill its responsibility of protecting all minorities.
Apart from that, India has stressed the need to address the growing violence against Hindus and make sure that the case of Chinmoy Krishna Das, arrested on sedition charges at Dhaka’s Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport last month, is handled fairly and justly.
