India has strongly condemned the brutal killing of Bhabesh Chandra Roy, a respected Hindu community leader in Bangladesh, urging Dhaka to fulfill its duty in protecting minorities. Bhabesh Chandra Roy was allegedly abducted from his home and fatally assaulted, marking another distressing case in what New Delhi describes as a pattern of targeted violence against Hindus in the country. The incident has sparked diplomatic tension, with India calling out Bangladesh’s interim government for inaction and repeated failures to ensure justice for minority communities.
Bhabesh Chandra Roy, aged 58, was a vice-president of the Biral unit of the Bangladesh Puja Udjapan Parishad and held a prominent role in advocating for Hindu rights in Dinajpur district, northern Bangladesh. According to local reports, the tragic sequence of events began when he received a suspicious phone call on Thursday afternoon. Within half an hour, four men on two motorcycles arrived at his home and allegedly abducted him in broad daylight.
Gruesome Assault and Aftermath
The attackers reportedly took Bhabesh Chandra Roy to a nearby village called Narabari, where he was subjected to a brutal beating. He was later brought back home in an unconscious state. Family members immediately rushed him to a hospital in Dinajpur, but he was declared dead upon arrival. The horrifying nature of the incident has left his community in shock and fear.
His wife, Shantana Roy, told local media that the phone call he received was likely used to confirm his presence before the assailants struck. This suggests a premeditated plan and has intensified concerns about the safety of minorities under the current interim government in Bangladesh.
India’s Firm Response
Reacting sharply, India’s Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said the killing reflects a “pattern of systematic persecution” of Hindus in Bangladesh. In a post on X, he criticized the Bangladeshi government for allowing perpetrators of such violence to operate with impunity.
Jaiswal called on Dhaka to stop making excuses and to protect all minorities without discrimination. He also rebuked recent comments from Bangladeshi officials about violence in India’s West Bengal, urging them instead to focus on safeguarding their own minority communities rather than engaging in “virtue signalling.”
The killing of Bhabesh Chandra Roy has not only deepened diplomatic unease but also highlighted the ongoing vulnerability of religious minorities in parts of South Asia.
