Bangladesh urges India to ensure safety of Muslim minority
Dhaka rejects attempts to link it to Murshidabad violence, urges New Delhi to ensure safety of Muslim communities amid rising tensions
DHAKA, Bangladesh (MNTV) — Bangladesh has called on the Indian government to take urgent measures to protect its Muslim minority following deadly communal violence in the Indian state of West Bengal’s Murshidabad district.
In a statement on Thursday, Shafiqul Alam, Press Secretary to the Chief Advisor of Bangladesh’s caretaker government, strongly condemned efforts to associate Bangladesh with the unrest.
“We firmly reject any attempts to link Bangladesh to the communal violence in Murshidabad,” said Alam in a Facebook post. “We strongly condemn the attacks on Muslims and the damage to their lives and properties. We call on the Indian and West Bengal governments to take all necessary steps to ensure the full security of the Muslim minority community.”
The violence in Murshidabad erupted on April 11 during protests against India’s controversial Waqf (Amendment) Act. Clashes in Suti, Dhulian, Samserganj, and Jangipur left at least three people dead, dozens injured, and widespread damage to property.
West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has accused India’s ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), along with central agencies and elements of the Border Security Force (BSF), of orchestrating the violence.
Speaking at a gathering of Muslim religious leaders in Kolkata, Banerjee alleged that the BJP allowed cross-border infiltration from Bangladesh to stoke unrest in the state. “I came across news claiming the role of elements from across the border in the Murshidabad unrest. Is it not the role of the BSF to guard the border?” she said.
Banerjee criticized the Narendra Modi government, holding it responsible for failing to prevent the violence, and questioned whether BSF personnel were complicit in financing local youth to instigate the clashes.
She also urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to repeal the Waqf (Amendment) Act, describing it as “atrocious” and warning that it could deepen divisions across the country.
The law, passed by the BJP-led government, significantly weakens Muslim control over religious endowments, centralizing power in the hands of the state. Legal experts and civil society groups have widely condemned it as a direct assault on Muslim religious institutions and community autonomy.
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