Bangla Hindus feel the heat in Chittagong

Tensions have escalated sharply in Chittagong, a major port city in Bangladesh, following violent confrontations between the local Hindu community and security forces.

The unrest began after Osman Ali, a member of the radical Islamic group Jamaat-e-Islami, shared a provocative social media post derogatory to the Hindu faith and the International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON), sparking protests and widespread anger. Bangladeshi army-led joint forces were deployed in parts of Chittagong on Wednesday.

India on Thursday reiterated its call for Bangladesh to take action against extremist groups targeting the minority Hindu community and to ensure adequate security for them. At a media briefing, Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal highlighted that incendiary social media posts by extremist elements in Chittagong had sparked violence in the area.