by Nava Thakuria
The interim government of Bangladesh continues to push for the return of ousted Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina to Dhaka, where she is expected to face hundreds of legal cases filed across various parts of the South Asian nation. The caretaker regime in Dhaka appears to be following a calculated agenda aimed at discrediting the Union government in New Delhi for sheltering the autocratic Awami League chief, who ruled India’s immediate neighbor for over two decades.
Hasina was granted asylum by New Delhi at short notice after she was forced to flee the country following a student-led uprising in July–August 2024. Despite not formally granting her refugee status, India has continued to support the daughter of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman.
Recently, the interim government led by Professor Muhammad Yunus approached the International Criminal Police Organization (INTERPOL), requesting a Red Notice against Hasina and several of her associates for their alleged involvement in mass killings. In a formal appeal to the Lyon (France)-based intergovernmental agency, the National Central Bureau of Bangladesh Police claimed that the accused have been absconding for months in foreign countries.
Professor Yunus also raised the issue of Hasina’s repatriation during a meeting with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Bangkok on the sidelines of the 6th BIMSTEC summit. However, New Delhi has remained non-committal, instead urging the Yunus administration to ensure the safety and security of religious minorities in the Muslim-majority country.
Meanwhile, the recent abduction and subsequent killing of Bhabesh Chandra Roy (58) has ignited a new wave of outrage. New Delhi described it as a systematic attack on minorities in Bangladesh. Official sources condemned the incident, in which Roy, an office bearer of the Biral Upazila Puja Udjapan Parishad, was brutally assaulted in Dinajpur.
Roy was reportedly abducted from his home in Basudebpur village on 17 April by four men who arrived on two motorcycles after confirming his presence by phone. They took him toward Narabari village in the afternoon. According to his wife, Shantana Roy, he returned in a nearly unconscious state and was rushed to a nearby hospital, where he was declared dead.
“We have noted with distress the abduction and brutal killing of Shri Bhabesh Chandra Roy, a Hindu minority leader in Bangladesh. This killing follows a pattern of systematic persecution of Hindu minorities under the interim government, even as the perpetrators of previous such events continue to roam free,” said Randhir Jaiswal, spokesperson for India’s Ministry of External Affairs, on social media. “We condemn this incident and once again remind the interim government in Dhaka of its responsibility to protect all minorities, including Hindus, without resorting to excuses or distinctions.”
India’s main opposition party, the Congress, also condemned Roy’s killing and urged the Union government to take up the issue urgently with the authorities in Dhaka to ensure a credible investigation and punishment for the culprits. Senior Congress leader Jairam Ramesh commented that Roy’s abduction and killing is a chilling reminder of the growing insecurity faced by religious minorities in the region. “This is not an isolated incident,” he said. “Over the past few months, there have been repeated and deeply disturbing attacks on minority communities in Bangladesh—from desecration of Hindu temples to targeted assaults on homes and businesses owned by minorities. This ongoing pattern of intimidation and violence cannot be ignored.”
According to Dhaka-based human rights organization ‘Ain o Salish Kendra,’ 147 incidents targeting Hindu homes, temples, and businesses occurred last month alone. The report cited 408 households being affected, including 36 cases of arson, along with 113 attacks on Hindu-owned businesses. Additionally, 32 incidents of vandalism were reported at temples and Ahmadiyya mosques.
In a related development, the United States recently renewed its travel advisory for Bangladesh, urging American citizens to reconsider travel to the country—especially to the Chittagong Hill Tracts region—due to increased threats of violence, terrorism, and kidnapping.
