Overview

• India’s Ministry of External Affairs dismissed Bangladesh’s remarks urging protection for Muslim minorities in West Bengal, calling them unwarranted and hypocritical.
• MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal accused Bangladesh of attempting to draw a misleading parallel with India’s concerns over minority persecution in Bangladesh.
• Communal violence in West Bengal erupted during protests against the Waqf (Amendment) Act, spreading across Murshidabad, Malda, South 24 Parganas, and Hooghly.
• Bangladesh’s interim government refuted any connection to the West Bengal violence and called for safeguarding Muslim communities in India.
• Relations between India and Bangladesh remain strained following Sheikh Hasina’s ouster last year and ongoing concerns over minority rights in both nations.