Attack on minorities in Bangladesh matter of concern for India: Jaishankar

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Friday said that the attack on minorities in neighbouring Bangladesh is a matter of concern for the Government of India.

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“I have taken it up with my counterpart and foreign secretary took it up when he visited Bangladesh. This continues to be a matter of concern for government of India,” the Minister said.

He said that the Foreign Ministry keeps a track on the well-being of minorities in Bangladesh.

Jaishankar informed the House that in 2024, a total of 2,400 incidents related to attacks on minorities were reported in Bangladesh. “This year so far 72 incidents have been reported. We have details of these incidents,” he said.

Notably, Bangladesh, being led by Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus, witnessed a disturbing rise in violence against the minority Hindu community following the ouster of former Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on August 5, 2024, after unprecedented student protests.

India has multiple times expressed concerns over the safety of Hindus and other minorities in Bangladesh and urged the government to take action against those responsible for the violence.

During a visit to Bangladesh on December 9, 2024, India’s Foreign Secretary reiterated the country’s expectations regarding the protection of minorities.

Meanwhile, early this year, the Delhi Police had started a comprehensive operation to find all people of Bangladesh origin who are illegally residing in Delhi without any documentation. The directives were given by Lieutenant Governor VK Saxena who had set a two-month timeline to identify and expel all illegal intruders.

The action has been continuing and illegal immigrants of Bangladesh origin are being regularly found, detained and deported by the authorities.

Earlier this month the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) had informed the Rajya Sabha that a total of 2,601 Bangladeshi citizens had been apprehended at the India-Bangladesh border while attempting to enter Indian territory in the last 13 months.

Union Minister of State (MoS) for Home Nityanand Rai shared this information in a written reply on March 12, stating that these 2,601 Bangladeshis were apprehended between January 1, 2024, and January 31, 2025.

According to the data shared by the MoS, 176 Bangladeshi intruders were apprehended in January 2025, as the Border Security Force (BSF)—mandated to guard the India-Bangladesh border—remained steadfast in its mission to curb illegal activities along the border.

Reflecting on the past 12 months of 2024, the data shows the apprehension of 253 Bangladeshis in December, followed by 310 in November, 331 in October, 300 in September, 214 in August, 267 in July, and 247 in June, indicating fluctuations in illegal crossings from Bangladesh.