India, Bangladesh Spar Over Lynching, Protest Claims
India has rejected claims by Bangladesh media that there was a security breach at the Bangladesh High Commission in New Delhi during a protest on December 20. The Indian Ministry of External Affairs called those reports “misleading propaganda” and said there was no attempt by protesters to breach the mission’s security. Officials said about 20–25 youths gathered briefly to protest the lynching of a Hindu man in Bangladesh, but were dispersed by police without any security incident.
Concerns Over Violence Against Minorities
The protest was sparked by the lynching of Dipu Chandra Das, a Hindu garment worker in Mymensingh, Bangladesh, on December 18. Das was beaten to death by a mob who accused him of blasphemy, and his body was later tied to a tree and set on fire. The incident has raised alarm in India over increasing attacks on religious minorities in Bangladesh’s current unrest, and New Delhi has urged Dhaka to ensure justice for the victim and protect minority communities.
Bangladesh Responds
Bangladesh’s interim government has described the death as a lynching and condemned the violence, saying there is no space for such acts in the country. Authorities have reported arrests related to the case and said investigations are ongoing. Dhaka also pushed back against India’s rejection of the breach narrative, defending its media reports as accurate and dismissing India’s response.
Wider Unrest in Bangladesh
The fatal attack on Das occurred amid broader political unrest in Bangladesh, following the death of a prominent local political figure that triggered protests and heightened tensions. There have also been incidents of attacks on media offices and diplomatic premises in Bangladesh since the unrest intensified, reflecting deepening domestic instability and strains in bilateral relations with India.
