The Bangladesh government has directly rejected the Indian Foreign Ministry’s explanation for the protests and attempted attack in front of the Bangladesh High Commission in New Delhi. Dhaka said it is still unclear how the protesters reached the diplomatic security zone.
In a press briefing on Sunday (December 21), Foreign Affairs Adviser Md. Touhid Hossain said that the protests and threats in front of the High Commissioner’s residence indicate a serious security failure. He also said that Bangladesh’s diplomatic presence in India will be re-evaluated if necessary.
Earlier, Indian Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal claimed in a press note that some media outlets have spread misleading information about the incident. According to him, on Saturday night, 20-25 youths raised slogans in front of the High Commission in Mymensingh to protest the killing of Dipu Chandra Das, but the security cordon was not breached or any major risk was created. The police quickly removed the protesters.
Bangladesh said that the protesters bypassed all security levels and came to the main gate of Bangladesh House and threatened to kill the High Commissioner, raising new questions about the responsibility to protect diplomatic security under the Vienna Convention.
The incident is now at the center of diplomatic discussions due to clear differences in the statements of the two countries.