External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar informed Lok Sabha on Friday that 2,400 incidents of atrocities against religious minorities were reported in Bangladesh in 2024, and that the number stands at 72 so far this year.
Jaishankar also informed the House that there have been 10 cases of atrocities on Hindus in Pakistan in February, apart from three cases of atrocities against Sikhs, two on Ahmadiyas, and one on Christians in the neighbouring country.
Bangladesh saw the ouster of Sheikh Hasina from power last year, followed by an interim government under Mohammad Yunus. The sudden change — after which Hasina fled to India — is believed to have led to the rise of Islamism, attacks on minorities and a negative sentiment vis-a-vis India in the neighbouring country. Bangladesh was born after the liberation war in 1971, when India defeated Pakistan and sided with the Mukti Bahini.
Calling Pakistan as a country with a fanatical mindset, Jaishankar said that the Centre had, since 2014, taken a sympathetic view of persecuted minorities coming from there and given them long-term visas. The minister said that 50,019 such visas had been issued since 2014.
Jaishankar offered these details in the Question Hour when members from across the political spectrum expressed concern over the treatment of minorities in Pakistan and Bangladesh.
Asked by the BJP’s Shahjahanpur MP Arun Kumar Sagar whether the Centre was tracking cases of atrocities in Pakistan, Jaishankar answered in the affirmative, saying, “I sympathise with the sentiments expressed… Yes, we track them.”
Jaishankar then offered the details. In February, 10 cases of atrocities against Hindus were reported — seven related to abduction and forced conversion, two related to abduction, and one related to police action against students who were celebrating Holi. The minister added that three cases of atrocities against Sikhs were reported in February, including an attack on a family, the second a case of threatening a Sikh family for reopening an old gurdwara, and the third a case of abduction and forced conversion of a Sikh girl.
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Two cases, he said, pertained to the Ahmadiyas — in one case, a mosque was sealed,d and in another 40 graves were desecrated. “There was one case pertaining to the Christian community, where one person who was reportedly mentally unstable was charged with blasphemy,” Jaishankar said.
Jaishankar asserted that India had taken up these issues on international forums. “In February, our representative at the UN Human Rights Council pointed to human rights violations, persecution of minorities and systematic erosion of democratic values as state policy (in Pakistan). It brazenly harbours UN-sanctioned terrorists. Our ambassador in the UN general assembly underlined the fanatical mindset of Pakistan just two weeks ago,” he said.
Asked about Bangladesh, Jaishankar said, “We track the welfare and wellbeing of minorities in Bangladesh. In 2024, we have had altogether 2400 incidents relating to attacks on minorities and in 2025, 72 incidents. We have the details of these incidents. I have taken it up with my counterpart. The Foreign Secretary took it up when he visited Bangladesh, and this continues to be a matter of concern for the Government of India.”
Arvind Sawant of the Shiv Sena (UBT) said there were 14.6 per cent Hindus in Pakistan as per the 1941 census, and 28 per cent in Bangladesh – the number was hardly 1.6-% there. Seeking to know whether the Centre was contemplating tough action like Indira Gandhi had taken in 1971, Jaishankar said, “We are tracking the treatment of minorities and taking it up on international forums. We cannot change the fanatical mindset of the neighbour. Even Indira Gandhi could not change it.”
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Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Ravi Shankar Prasad sought to know about the area in Pakistan where these atrocities were taking place, and asked whether Bangladesh had arrested culprits. To this, Jaishankar said, “The incidents are widespread. Unfortunately, despite these being public, the government of Pakistan does not take action to protect its minorities.”
The BJP’s Nishikant Dubey pointed out that there had been four agreements between India and Pakistan on the protection of minorities to date, and sought to know whether these needed to be redone to ensure the safety of minorities there. Jaishankar replied that many of the agreements “in reality do not apply any more”, as Pakistan did not protect its minorities.
“We take a sympathetic view if people from minority communities in Pakistan come here. We have given them long-term visas. 50,019 visas have been granted since 2014 for minorities from Pakistan coming here,” he underlined.