Hundreds of protesters gathered near Bangladesh’s High Commission in New Delhi on Tuesday, accusing Dhaka of failing to protect its Hindu minority after the killing of a Hindu factory worker in northern Bangladesh, in a case that has sharpened diplomatic tensions between the neighbours.
Police in the Indian capital formed cordons and set up metal barricades outside the diplomatic mission as demonstrators, called out by Hindu groups, attempted to move closer to the building. Television footage showed scuffles as some protesters pushed at barriers and officers tried to hold the line. Slogans were chanted and placards displayed, including calls to boycott Bangladesh.
The protests followed the death of Dipu Chandra Das, 27, in Bangladesh’s Mymensingh district last week. Bangladeshi authorities said he was attacked by a crowd that accused him of making derogatory remarks about the Prophet Muhammad. Das was beaten and set on fire. At least 10 people have been arrested in connection with the killing.
One demonstrator, quoted by Indian broadcaster India Today, said the aim was to “raise the voice of Hindus in Bangladesh” from the Indian capital, and warned that the agitation would continue while Hindus were harmed there. Demonstrations were also reported elsewhere in India, including in the Jammu and Kashmir territory.
The incident comes at a sensitive moment for India–Bangladesh relations. Both countries have suspended visa services in recent weeks, adding to a pattern of friction that has intensified as Bangladesh approaches a national election. Indian media on Tuesday reported that Bangladesh’s High Commission in New Delhi suspended consular and visa services, citing “unavoidable circumstances”, while India has kept some visa processing running in parts of Bangladesh for humanitarian cases, including medical travel.
Bangladesh’s interim government has been preparing for a parliamentary election scheduled for February 2026, with the Election Commission announcing the timetable in December. The vote is planned alongside a referendum on a proposed “July Charter” of reforms intended to alter aspects of the country’s political system and state institutions.
Ties have also been strained since Bangladesh’s former prime minister, Sheikh Hasina, fled to India after deadly protests last year. Dhaka has since been run by an interim administration led by Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus, whose image was burned by some protesters in New Delhi during Tuesday’s demonstration.
Bangladesh’s foreign ministry said it summoned India’s envoy on Tuesday to convey concern about protests outside Bangladeshi diplomatic premises in India, including a demonstration in New Delhi on Saturday and what it described as violent protests outside other missions. Dhaka urged the Indian authorities to investigate those incidents.
India’s foreign ministry, responding earlier to the Saturday protest, said the New Delhi gathering involved “20–25 youths” and was dispersed by police after a few minutes. New Delhi said it was committed to ensuring the safety of foreign missions.
The diplomatic exchanges come as Bangladesh confronts fresh domestic unrest. Tensions intensified after the killing of youth leader Sharif Osman Hadi, who was shot in the head last week as he launched his campaign for February’s election. His death set off protests that escalated into arson and vandalism, with major media outlets and cultural institutions among the reported targets.
