India’s Minister of State for External Affairs Kirti Vardhan Singh has said that it is the responsibility of the Bangladesh government to protect the lives of all citizens of Bangladesh.
He mentioned this in a written reply to a question in the Rajya Sabha, the upper house of the Indian Parliament, on Thursday.
Rajya Sabha member A D Singh asked the Foreign Minister whether the incidents of damage to Hindu temples and idols in Bangladesh are increasing. If so, is the Indian government raising the issues with the Bangladesh government? What is the Bangladesh government’s response to this?
In a written reply, Minister of State for External Affairs Kirti Vardhan Singh said, ‘In the last few months, several incidents of damage to Hindu temples and idols have been reported in Bangladesh. In 2024, there was an attack on a puja mandap in Dhaka’s Tanti Bazar during Durga Puja and a theft occurred at the Jashoreshwari Kali Temple in Satkhira.’
‘The Indian government has expressed concern over such incidents. “The Bangladesh government has also been urged to provide security to Hindu and other minority communities and their places of worship,” he said.
Kirti Vardhan Singh further said, “The primary responsibility of the Bangladesh government is to protect the lives and freedoms of all citizens, including minorities, in Bangladesh.”
