BD calls India to ensure safety of Muslim minority
Staff Reporter :
The Interim government has issued a strong protest against attempts by India to implicate it in recent communal unrest in West Bengal and called upon New Delhi to take immediate measures to ensure the safety and security of the region’s minority Muslim population.
At a media briefing held Thursday at the Foreign Service Academy, Chief Adviser’s Press Secretary Shafiqul Alam conveyed Dhaka’s deep concern over the ongoing violence in Murshidabad district, where communal clashes erupted last week during protests over the Waqf (Amendment) Act.
“We strongly refute any attempts to implicate Bangladesh in the communal violence in Murshidabad,” Alam told reporters on the sidelines of the briefing. “The interim government has registered a formal protest against this baseless and harmful insinuation.”
The press secretary emphasized that Bangladesh condemns all forms of violence, particularly those targeting religious or ethnic communities. “We condemn the attacks on Muslims that have resulted in the loss of lives and properties,” he said.
“We urge the Government of India and the administration of West Bengal
to take all necessary steps to fully protect the minority Muslim population.”
The unrest in Murshidabad-an area with a significant Muslim population-began during demonstrations opposing the recent amendments to India’s Waqf laws.
The protests, which initially emerged in Murshidabad, quickly spread to neighboring districts including Malda, South 24 Parganas, and Hooghly. Indian media outlets have reported widespread incidents of arson, stone-pelting, and road blockades, prompting heavy police deployment and curfews in some areas.
Indian authorities have suggested that preliminary findings by the Ministry of Home Affairs point to the alleged involvement of Bangladeshi miscreants in orchestrating the violence-an allegation Dhaka has firmly denied.
The accusation, which has yet to be substantiated by public evidence, has further strained the bilateral discourse between the two South Asian neighbors.
In response, Dhaka’s statement signals both a rejection of cross-border blame and a diplomatic nudge for Delhi to uphold its obligations to protect vulnerable communities.
The interim government’s appeal comes amid heightened sensitivity over religious tensions in the region, and underscores the broader concern that communal violence, if left unchecked, could destabilize fragile inter-community relations along the Indo-Bangladesh border.