India expressed serious concern on Friday over the rising extremist sentiment and violence against Hindus, including attacks on temples, in Bangladesh.

External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar urged the interim government in Dhaka to fulfill its responsibility of protecting all minorities and added that the Indian high commission in foreign capital is continuing to monitor the situation "closely".

India also called for a just and transparent handling of the case involving Hindu monk Chinmoy Krishna Das, who was arrested in Bangladesh on sedition charges.

On the other hand, Bangladesh on Friday accused India of having "double standards" when it comes to protecting minority communities and blamed the Indian media for spreading a large-scale misinformation campaign against Dhaka.

On October 30, a sedition case was filed against 19 people, including Das, at Chattogram's Kotwali Police Station, accusing them of disrespecting Bangladesh's national flag in Chattogram's New Market area during a rally of the Hindu community.

Das, a spokesperson for the Bangladesh Sammilita Sanatani Jagran Jote, was arrested from Dhaka’s Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport on Monday for alleged sedition. He was denied bail and sent to jail by a Chattogram court on Tuesday, triggering protests by his supporters.

The relations between India and Bangladesh have come under strain after the interim government headed by Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus came to power following the resignation of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina in August amid unrest.

India has been expressing concern over attacks on minorities, especially Hindus, in that country.

What Did EAM Jaishankar Say?

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar told Parliament that India has taken a serious note of incidents of violence against minorities in Bangladesh and that it is the primary responsibility of Dhaka to protect the life and liberty of all the citizens, including minorities.

"The primary responsibility for the protection of life and liberty of all citizens of Bangladesh, including minorities, rests with the government of Bangladesh," Jaishankar said.

Separately, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) called upon Bangladesh to take all steps for the protection of minorities and hoped that the case involving arrested Chinmoy Krishna Das will be dealt with in a just, fair and transparent manner.

Responding to a question in the Lok Sabha, Jaishankar said India is concerned over incidents of violence against Hindus and other minorities, their homes and business establishments and attacks on temples and religious places.

"The government has taken a serious note of these incidents and shared its concerns with the government of Bangladesh."

"Reports of attacks on temples and puja mandaps also came to light during the recent Durga Puja festival in Bangladesh. The government had expressed its serious concerns regarding the attack on a puja mandap in Tantibazar, Dhaka and theft at the Jeshoreshwari Kali temple at Satkhira during Durga Puja 2024," Jaishankar said.

Jaishankar said that following these attacks the Bangladeshi government had issued instructions for providing special security including deployment of Army and border guards to ensure a peaceful Durga Puja celebrations.

MEA Spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal On India-Bangladesh Row

MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said India has consistently and strongly raised with the Bangladeshi government the threats and targeted attacks on Hindus and other minorities.

"Our position on the matter is very clear -- the interim government must live up to its responsibility of protecting all minorities," Jaiswal said at his weekly media briefing.

"We are concerned at the surge of extremist rhetoric, increasing incidents of violence and provocation. These developments cannot be dismissed only as media exaggeration. We once again call upon Bangladesh to take all steps for the protection of minorities," he added.

On the arrest of Das, who was associated with the ISKCON (International Society for Krishna Consciousness), Jaiswal said it is India's expectation that a fair and transparent trial will be ensured in the case.

"We see ISKCON as a globally well-regarded organisation with a strong record of social service," he added.

Jaiswal said India has also noted that the legal processes in the case are underway.

"We hope and expect that these processes will deal with the case in a just, fair and transparent manner, ensuring full respect for the legal rights of all concerned."

"It is our expectation that he will get a fair and transparent trial and his legal rights will be respected," Jaiswal said.

Bangladesh Accuses India Of Conducting 'Misinformation Campaign'

Bangladesh on Friday claimed India followed "double standards" on protection of minority communities and accused the neighbouring country's media of conducting an "industrial scale misinformation campaign" against Dhaka.

Amid a row over the arrest of Hindu leader Chinmoy Krishna Das on sedition charges, Bangladesh interim government's Law Affairs Adviser Asif Nazrul in a Facebook post said India's unwarranted concern for Bangladesh continues.

“In India, numerous incidents of brutality on minority Muslim community is going on. But they don’t have any remorse or embarrassment (over those incidents). This double standard of India is condemnable and objectionable,” Nazrul wrote.

Citing a survey by Voice of America Bangla, Nazrul wrote: "The majority of Bangladeshis (64.1%) believe that the interim government has been able to provide better security to the country's minority communities compared to the previous Awami League government."

Meanwhile, Bangladesh interim government of Muhammad Yunus urged the country’s journalists to counter “misinformation” in Indian media with “truth”.

Chief Adviser Yunus’s Press Secretary Shafiqul Alam said, “We must tell our stories our way else they (Indian media) will set our narrative according to their liking.”

(With PTI inputs)