India Parliament To Discuss Bangladesh Issue

Indian Foreign Minister S Jaishankar is scheduled to brief the parliament tomorrow (November 29) over the situation in Bangladesh, particularly the attacks on religious minorities.

Jaishankar met Prime Minister Narendra Modi to discuss the Bangladesh situation on Thursday (November 28), reports NDTV.

Delhi has been raising concerns about the safety of minorities since a student-led movement forced former prime minister Sheikh Hasina to resign and flee to India. Hasina was considered India’s closest ally.

ISKCON leader Chinmoy Krishna Das’ arrest in a sedition case on Monday (November 25) in Dhaka sparked violent protests. A prosecution lawyer was hacked to death as his supporters clashed with police in Chattogram. Dozens of suspects have been arrested over the murder.

India’s government voiced concerns about the minorities and protested against Chinmoy’s arrest. Bangladesh rebuffed it, saying that Delhi's statement went against the spirit of bilateral ties.

The Yunus-led interim government has reaffirmed "in the strongest terms" that every Bangladeshi, regardless of their religious identity, has the "right to establish, maintain or perform respective religious rituals and practices or express views without hindrance."

Hindus make up around eight percent of Bangladesh's population.