New Delhi, Dec 24: Hundreds of protesters gathered near the Bangladesh High Commission in New Delhi on Monday to condemn the killing of a Hindu man in Bangladesh, an incident that has added to rising diplomatic and political tensions between the two neighbouring countries.
The protests followed the lynching of 27-year-old factory worker Dipu Chandra Das in Bangladesh’s Mymensingh district last week. Police said Das was beaten by a mob and set on fire after being accused of making derogatory remarks about the Prophet. Authorities have arrested at least 10 people in connection with the killing.
Demonstrations in the Indian capital were called by Hindu groups, with protesters chanting slogans, burning pictures, and holding placards demanding a boycott of Bangladesh. Television footage showed clashes between protesters and police as demonstrators attempted to push through barricades near the High Commission. Similar protests were reported in other parts of India, including Jammu and Kashmir.
One protester told broadcaster India Today that the demonstrations were aimed at drawing attention to the safety of Hindus in Bangladesh, vowing to continue protests as long as violence against the community persisted.
The incident has further strained ties between Hindu-majority India and Muslim-majority Bangladesh, particularly ahead of Bangladesh’s February parliamentary elections. Relations have remained tense since former prime minister Sheikh Hasina fled to India in 2024 following deadly anti-government protests.
Bangladesh’s foreign ministry said it summoned the Indian envoy on Monday to express concern over what it described as “violent protests” outside its diplomatic missions, urging Indian authorities to investigate the incidents.
India’s foreign ministry said police had quickly dispersed a small group of demonstrators and reaffirmed that New Delhi was committed to ensuring the safety and security of foreign diplomatic missions.
The protests come amid wider unrest in Bangladesh following the killing of youth leader Sharif Osman Hadi, whose death earlier this month triggered nationwide demonstrations that escalated into arson and vandalism targeting media houses and cultural institutions.
