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Dhaka, April 12 - Chief Adviser's Press Secretary Shafiqul Alam on Saturday said Bangladesh is not a country where one will find government-sponsored systematic discrimination against minorities.
"It is unfortunate that the death of Bhabesh Chandra Roy has been described as part of a "pattern of systematic persecution of Hindu minorities under the interim government," he said while responding to a question on the comments of India's Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) on the death of Bhabesh Chandra Roy of Dinajpur.
Rejecting India's claims as "baseless", Alam said this government protects the rights of all of its citizens, irrespective of religious denominations.
"In this particular case, we have ascertained that the victim went out with some individuals previously known to him. Nobody from the victim's family reported his going out with them as suspicious," said the Press Secretary.
The autopsy report did not detect any prima facie sign of bodily injury, he said, adding that this notwithstanding, the authorities have ordered viscera analysis to conclusively determine the cause of death.
Appropriate action will be taken once the viscera report is available, Alam said, adding that they invite all quarters to refrain from making fabricated and inciteful comments on the incident.
Earlier, MEA Spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said they have noted with distress the abduction and brutal killing of 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 events roam with impunity, he said in a statement posted from his verified X handle, formerly known as Twitter.
Jaiswal said they condemn this incident and once again reminded the interim government to live up to its responsibility of protecting all minorities, including Hindus, without inventing excuses or making distinctions. - UNB