India has strongly criticized the kidnapping and brutal killing of Bhabesh Chandra Roy, a leading Hindu minority leader of Bangladesh, as part of a disturbing “pattern of systematic persecution” of Hindus in the interim government headed by Muhammad Yunus.
The spokesperson of Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) for India, expressed deep concern over the incident in a post on X (formerly Twitter). He stated, “This killing follows a pattern of systematic persecution of Hindu minorities under the interim government, even as the perpetrators of previous such events roam with impunity. We condemn this incident and urge the interim government to fulfill its duty of protecting all minorities, including Hindus, without excuses or distinctions.”
We have noted with distress the abduction and brutal killing of Shri Bhabesh Chandra Roy, a Hindu minority leader in Bangladesh.
This killing follows a pattern of systematic persecution of Hindu minorities under the interim government even as the perpetrators of previous such…— Randhir Jaiswal (@MEAIndia) April 19, 2025
Roy, 58, served as vice-president of the Biral unit of the Bangladesh Puja Udjapan Parishad and was a respected figure within the Hindu community in Dinajpur’s Biral upazila.
According to his wife, Shantana Roy, he received a phone call around 4:30 pm on Thursday, believed to be from the perpetrators confirming his presence at home. Around 30 minutes later, four unidentified men arrived on two motorcycles and abducted him.
Eyewitnesses told The Daily Star that Roy was taken to Narabari village, where he was severely beaten. Later that evening, his unconscious body was brought back to his residence in a van. Locals and family rushed him to the Biral Upazila Health Complex, and he was then transferred to Dinajpur Medical College Hospital, where doctors declared him dead on arrival.
In a post on X, Kharge said, “The brutal murder of Bhabesh Chandra Roy, a prominent leader of the Hindu community, is proof that Narendra Modi ji’s smiling meeting with the chief advisor of Bangladesh was a failure.”
बांग्लादेश में लगातार धार्मिक अल्पसंख्यकों, ख़ासकर हमारे हिंदू भाई-बहनों पर अत्याचार हो रहा है।
हिन्दू समुदाय के एक बड़े नेता श्री भाबेश चंद्र रॉय की क्रूरतापूर्ण हत्या इस बात का सबूत है कि @narendramodi जी की बांग्लादेश के चीफ़ एडवाइज़र के साथ मुस्कुराने वाली बैठक विफ़ल रही।…
— Mallikarjun Kharge (@kharge) April 19, 2025
Police are set to file a case, says Abdus Sabur, officer-in-charge of Biral Police Station. Investigations are in progress to identify and arrest the culprits.
The attack has not only been criticized by some but has been widely condemned by human rights groups and diaspora communities too, who were and have always remained concerned about the growing threat to religious minorities in Bangladesh.
