“It is very unfortunate and it’s an unacceptable situation… Hindu extremists broke into the premises, pulled down the flag stand and desecrated the [Bangladeshi] flag. Our officers and other staff were extremely scared,” Touhid Hossain, foreign affairs adviser to the interim government in Bangladesh, told the BBC.
Bangladesh officials say the protests in India – some have happened near the countries’ border – have been triggered by disinformation and heated coverage of the issue by several Indian media outlets.
“Unfortunately, Indian media has gone berserk over the issue. They are trying to portray Bangladesh in the darkest possible light. I don’t know why they are doing it and how it will benefit either Bangladesh or India, I fail to understand,” Mr Hossain, the de facto foreign minister, said.
Experts in India, however, say that it is natural that developments in Bangladesh will have ramifications in the neighbouring country.
“Feelings are running high in India. Bangladesh should first address the lawlessness there, particularly the attack on minorities,” Pinak Ranjan Chakravarty, a former Indian high commissioner to Bangladesh, told the BBC.
For India, Bangladesh is not just any neighbouring country. It’s a strategic partner and ally crucial to India’s border security, particularly in the north-eastern states. The two countries also share close cultural and linguistic ties.
Hindus constitute less than 10% of Bangladesh’s 170 million population. Leaders of the community have long spoken of discrimination and hate attacks against them by Islamists and some political parties.
In the aftermath of the chaotic overthrow of Hasina in August, many of her supporters were targeted, including those from religious minorities traditionally seen as backing her.
After weeks of relative calm, the situation has become tense again in the aftermath of the arrest of the Hindu leader, Chinmoy Krishna Das.
He was arrested on charges of sedition, among others, after holding a protest demanding minority rights in Chittagong in October. There, he was accused of raising a saffron flag – the colour is associated with Hinduism – above the Bangladeshi national flag.
Last week, a court in Chittagong denied bail to him, spurring clashes that led to the death of a Muslim lawyer. Dozens of people have been arrested in connection with the killing and violence.
On Tuesday, the monk’s bail hearing was pushed to 2 January after no lawyer turned up to represent him.