The Indian Ministry of External Affairs rejected the statement made by the Bangladesh government over the violence that erupted in West Bengal, Murshidabad. The MEA on Friday responded, saying that Bangladesh ‘would do better to focus on protecting the rights of its own minorities’.

On Thursday, the Bangladesh chief advisor Mohammed Yunus’s press secretary, Shafiqul Alam, spoke in a media briefing and said that Bangladesh has no involvement in the violence that erupted in Murshidabad. “We strongly refute any attempts to implicate Bangladesh in the communal violence in Murshidabad,” said the press secretary to local broadcaster BSS.

“We condemn attacks on Muslims, causing loss of lives and properties…..We urge the government of India and West Bengal to take all steps to fully protect the minority Muslim population.”

Indian Response

The response from the Indian side by MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal, to the media enquiring about the Bangladesh statement on the Murshidabad violence was, “We reject the remarks made by the Bangladesh side with regards to the incident in West Bengal”

“This is a barely disguised and disingenuous attempt to draw a parallel with India’s concern over the ongoing persecution of minorities in Bangladesh, where the criminal perpetrators of such acts continue to roam free…Instead of making unwarranted comments and indulging in virtue signalling, Bangladesh would do better to focus on protecting the rights of its own minorities,” the MEA spokesperson further added.

Violence in Murshidabad erupted during a protest against the Waqf (Amendment) Act 2025 and involved instances of arson, stone pelting and road blockage.