DST News: Bangladesh on Sunday firmly rejected an Indian press note concerning a reported protest near its High Commission in New Delhi, raising serious questions about how demonstrators were able to enter one of the city’s most tightly guarded diplomatic zones.
Foreign Affairs Adviser Touhid Hossain said the Indian statement downplayed the gravity of the incident and failed to address what he described as clear security lapses. Speaking to reporters at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Dhaka, he stressed that the Bangladesh mission is not located on the outskirts but deep within a highly restricted and sensitised diplomatic enclave.
“We completely reject the Indian press note,” Touhid said. “The issue has been portrayed as something minor, but in reality it is not. Our High Commission is situated well inside a secured diplomatic area, not at the periphery.”
He questioned how a group of 25 to 30 individuals, reportedly linked to a Hindu extremist organisation, could access such a sensitive location without authorisation. Under normal circumstances, he noted, entry into the area should have been impossible.
“They may say it was only 20 or 25 people, but that is beside the point,” Touhid said. “The real question is how members of an extremist group managed to reach so far inside a sanitised and secured zone. This should not have happened.”
The adviser said the demonstrators did more than chant slogans over the killing of a Hindu citizen in Bangladesh, making additional remarks that heightened concern. He also rejected claims that Bangladeshi media reports on the incident were misleading, saying the coverage was largely accurate.
Responding to queries about alleged death threats, Touhid said there was no concrete evidence, though such threats were reportedly heard. “I do not have proof of death threats, but we have heard that threats were made by someone present,” he said. “Again, the core issue is why they were allowed to come so close and make such statements in the first place.”
Referring to international norms, he said protests near diplomatic missions are usually subject to prior notification and strict controls, with police stopping demonstrators at a distance and, at most, allowing one or two representatives to submit memoranda. “What happened here is not acceptable,” he added.
Bangladesh, Touhid said, believes established security rules and protocols were not properly followed and has formally alerted Indian authorities about the safety of its diplomatic missions. Dhaka hopes such a situation will not be repeated.
On the nature of Bangladesh’s response, he said both sides remain engaged through diplomatic channels, but Dhaka felt compelled to respond publicly after the Indian press note was issued.
Regarding the safety of Bangladeshi diplomats, Touhid said Dhaka still expects India to ensure adequate protection but would reassess its presence if conditions worsen. He pointed out that the High Commissioner and his family live on the mission premises and felt threatened, particularly as only two guards were reportedly on duty at the time.
“This is not just about slogans,” he said, underscoring that safeguarding diplomatic missions and personnel is the responsibility of the host country. He added that his remarks reflected the official position of the Government of Bangladesh.
Touhid also rejected attempts to link the killing of a Bangladeshi citizen with broader questions of minority security, noting that the government had taken swift action and made several arrests. Such crimes, he said, occur across the region, and every country has a duty to respond firmly—something Bangladesh is already doing.
According to reports, the protest took place around 9:00 pm local time on Saturday, when a group of radical Hindu activists gathered outside the main gate of Bangladesh House in New Delhi under the banner of the Akhand Hindu Rashtra Sena.
Source : BSS (Bangladesh Sangbad Sangtha)
