'Live up to your responsibility of protecting minorities': India condemns murder of Hindu leader in Bangladesh

India on Saturday condemned the killing of Hindu minority leader Bhabesh Chandra Roy in Bangladesh, saying that his death follows “a pattern of systematic persecution of Hindu minorities” under the interim government.

Ministry of External Affairs Spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said, “We have noted with distress the abduction and brutal killing of Shri 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.”

We have noted with distress the abduction and brutal killing of Shri 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…

— Randhir Jaiswal (@MEAIndia) April 19, 2025

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“We condemn this incident and once again remind the interim government to live up to its responsibility of protecting all minorities, including Hindus, without inventing excuses or making distinctions,” he added.  

Who was the Hindu leader?

Roy, 58, served as the vice president of the Biral unit of the Bangladesh Puja Udjapan Parishad and was a well-known figure in the minority Hindu community in the country.

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He was also a member of the Biral upazila of Dinajpur.

How was he killed?

Roy was allegedly beaten to death on Thursday after he was abducted from his home. His wife, Shantana Roy, said that Bhabesh was at home when he received a call in the evening, which was reportedly made by his killers to confirm his location.

Half an hour later, four men barged into his home and abducted him on a motorcycle. According to Daily Star, Roy was taken to Narabari village, where he was brutally assaulted.

On the same day, the attackers brought his unconscious body back to his home in a van.

Family members, with the help of locals, quickly transported him to the Biral Upazila Health Complex. He was subsequently transferred to Dinajpur Medical College Hospital, where doctors pronounced him dead upon arrival. His body was then sent for an autopsy.