Hardline fundamentalist groups indulged in violence and arson in Bangladesh, creating a political ripple in the region

India has expressed its concern at the outbreak of violence in Bangladesh, which a hardline Islamist group Hefazat-e-Islam orchestrated after the two-day state visit of Prime Minister Narendra Modi to the South Asian country.

“As far as violence is concerned, we have always been against fundamentalism and extremism. We are confident that the Government of Bangladesh will address this challenge,” Ministry of External Affairs Spokesperson Arindam Bagchi said during a weekly media briefing in a virtual format on Friday.

Violence broke out in Dhaka and Brahmanbaria, an eastern district of Bangladesh after supporters of Hefazat-e-Islam, a fundamentalist group came to blows with the police and border troops leading to deaths. As per media reports, Brahmanbaria witnessed the worst violence as a train, buses, a temple and several properties were damaged-all this took place a day after Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to Bangladesh.

At the invitation of Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, the prime ministerial visit from India took place on March 26-27.

“The invitation was extended in the context of three epochal events: 100th birth anniversary of ‘Bangabandhu’ Sheikh Mujibur Rahman; 50th anniversary of Bangladesh independence; 50th anniversary of India-Bangladesh diplomatic relations,” the MEA Spokesperson said.

He added that Prime Minister Modi’s visit facilitated significant decisions—to reinforce the legacy of 1971 and “our close bilateral relations that we enjoy with Bangladesh.”