Unfounded, misrepresents facts: Bangladesh on India's remark on Hindu monk's arrest

Bangladesh said that India's statement on the arrest of Hindu monk Chinmoy Das was "unfounded" and stood "contrary to the spirit of friendship".

In Short

• Bangladesh calls India's statement on Hindu monk's arrest as 'unfounded'
• It says such statements stand contrary to 'spirit of friendship' between both countries
• Chinmoy Prabhu was arrested on charges of sedition on Monday

Bangladesh on Tuesday reacted to the arrest of Hindu monk Chinmoy Krishna Das on Tuesday. Reacting to India's statement on the matter, Bangladesh said that the monk's arrest had "been misconstrued by certain quarters".

It further said that India's statement was "unfounded" and stood "contrary to the spirit of friendship".

"The Government of Bangladesh maintains that such unfounded statements not only misrepresent facts but also stand contrary to the spirit of Friendship and understanding between the two neighboring countries," Bangladesh's Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a statement.

Notably, Chinmoy Krishna Das was arrested on Monday under charges of sedition while travelling from Dhaka to Chittagong by men in plain clothes who identified themselves as Bangladeshi police detectives.

India's Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) expressed serious concern over the incident. In an official statement, the ministry said, "We urge the Bangladeshi authorities to ensure the safety and security of Hindus and all minorities. We also note with concern the attacks on minorities protesting peacefully against the arrest of Chinmoy Krishna Das."

Bangladesh's Foreign Affairs Ministry said that India's statement didn't "reflect the harmony" that existed between people of all faiths and commitment in Bangladesh and "the efforts of the government and the people in this regard".

It said that every Bangladeshi citizen, irrespective of their religious identity, had the right to establish, maintain or perform religious rituals or express views "without hindrance".

"Ensuring safety and security of all citizens, particularly the members of religious minorities remains a duty of the Government of Bangladesh. This was yet again vindicated by the peaceful observance of Durga Puja throughout Bangladesh only last month," the country's Foreign Affairs Ministry said.

It added that Bangladesh's judiciary was "fully independent" and the government didn't interfere in the judiciary's work.

"The matter under question is at present being dealt with by the court of law," the ministry added.