Strongly condemning the demolition of the Durga Mandir (temple) in Dhaka, India on Thursday said it is dismayed that such incidents continue to recur in Bangladesh adding that it is the responsibility of the interim government of the neighbouring country to protect religious institutions of Hindus.
Addressing his weekly media briefing, MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said, “We understand that extremists were clamouring for demolishing the Durga temple in Khilkhet, Dhaka. The interim government, instead of providing security to the temple, projected the episode as a case of illegal land use and allowed the destruction of the temple today.”
“This has resulted in damage to the deity before it was shifted. We are dismayed that such incidents continue to recur in Bangladesh. Let me underline that it is the responsibility of the interim government of Bangladesh to protect Hindus, their properties, and their religious institutions,” he said.
Responding to another question about China, Pakistan, and Bangladesh holding their first trilateral meeting in Kunming recently, the MEA spokesperson said New Delhi continues to keep a close watch on the developments in the neighbourhood that affect the interests and security of the nation.
“We maintain a constant watch on developments in our neighbourhood that have a bearing on our interests and security. Our relations with individual countries, while standing on their own footing, also take into account the evolving context as well,” he said.
The first trilateral meeting was held in China’s southern Yunnan province on June 19 where all three countries vowed their commitment to a “shared” future.
During the meeting, the three sides also agreed to enhance their cooperation for enhancing regional connectivity and deepening cooperation in the diverse fields of bilateral cooperation, including trade and investment, agriculture, digital economy, environmental protection and marine sciences, green infrastructure, culture, education, and people-to-people exchanges.