Anantnag (Jammu and Kashmir) [India], December 28 : National Conference (NC) chief Farooq Abdullah on Sunday expressed concern over the ongoing violence in Bangladesh and hoped that the neighbouring country would move "towards friendship" following the February elections.
Speaking to ANI, Abdullah said, "Bangladesh is a separate country. May elections be held there with peace, a new government comes into power, and they move towards friendship."
His remarks come after, earlier on Wednesday, the Daily Star reported that a Hindu youth identified as Amrit Mondal was lynched at Hosendanga village of Kalimohor union in Rajbari's Pangsha sub-district over an extortion allegation.
The murder of Mondal took place days after the mob lynching and burning of the Hindu youth, Dipu Chandra Das, in Bangladesh's Mymensingh district.
A worker in a garment factory, Dipu Chandra Das, was beaten to death by a mob over alleged blasphemy charges and had his body hanged and set on fire on December 18.
The Daily Star, citing Mymensingh's Additional Superintendent of Police, Abdullah Al Mamun, stated that a factory official had informed Bhaluka police that a group of workers attacked Dipu inside the factory, accusing him of making "derogatory remarks about the Holy Prophet Hazrat Muhammad (PBUH)" in a Facebook post.
However, Rapid Action Battalion (RAB)-14 Company Commander in Mymensingh, Md Samsuzzaman, told The Daily Star that investigators found no evidence suggesting the deceased had posted or written anything on Facebook that could have hurt religious sentiments.
Earlier today, AIMIM MP Asaduddin Owaisi also expressed concern over recent developments in Bangladesh and incidents of violence in India, calling for the protection of minorities and stressing the need for regional stability.
Speaking to ANI, Owaisi said his party strongly condemned the killing of Deepu Chandra Das and Amrit Mondal in Bangladesh and supported the steps being taken by the Government of India to maintain strong ties with the neighbouring country.
"As far as our party is concerned, we condemn what happened to Deepu Chandra Das and Amrit Mondal, and we support whatever steps the Government of India is taking to ensure that the relationship with Bangladesh remains stronger," he said.