HUNDREDS of people protested near Bangladesh's High Commission in New Delhi on Tuesday over the lynching of a Hindu man in Bangladesh, an incident that has added to tensions between Hindu-majority India and its Muslim-majority neighbour.
Factory worker Dipu Chandra Das, 27, was beaten and set on fire in Bangladesh's Mymensingh district last week by a crowd that accused him of making derogatory remarks about the Prophet. At least 10 people have been arrested in connection with his death.
The killing comes weeks before Bangladesh’s parliamentary election. Both countries have suspended visa services. Relations have been strained since Bangladesh’s former prime minister Sheikh Hasina fled to New Delhi following deadly protests against her last year.
Tuesday’s protest, called by Hindu groups, saw demonstrators clash with police as they tried to push through barricades near the High Commission, television footage showed.
Protesters chanted slogans and burnt pictures of Yunus, while some held posters demanding “boycott Bangladesh”.
“We needed to raise the voice of Hindus in Bangladesh in Delhi, and we have done that ... as long as even one Hindu is being harmed there, we will be awake and will not stop,” a protester told broadcaster India Today.
Demonstrations were also held in other parts of the country, including Jammu and Kashmir.
Bangladesh said it summoned the Indian envoy on Tuesday to express concern over a similar protest near its mission in New Delhi on Saturday and “violent protests” outside other diplomatic missions, urging India to investigate the incidents.
India’s foreign ministry said on Sunday that the New Delhi protest involved “20-25 youths” who were dispersed by police after a few minutes, adding that India was “committed to ensure the safety of foreign missions”.
The tensions come as Bangladesh faces domestic unrest over the death of youth leader Sharif Osman Hadi, who was shot in the head last week while launching his campaign for February’s parliamentary election.
His killing triggered protests that later led to arson and vandalism targeting major media outlets and cultural institutions.
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