Delhi contacts Dhaka over RK Mission threat

India yesterday said it has taken up with Bangladeshi authorities the death threat to a priest of the Ramakrishna Mission in Dhaka by suspected militants claiming to be from the ISIS.

The temple on Wednesday received a threat letter saying the priest would be killed if he continued to preach his religion. The letter came amid a string of targeted murders across the country by suspected militants in recent months.

Vikas Swarup, spokesperson of the Indian external affairs ministry, said the Indian High Commission in Dhaka took up the issue with Bangladesh's foreign ministry and police.

“The High Commission of India, Dhaka, has contacted both Bangladesh Police and MoFA [Ministry of Foreign Affairs], and has been assured of full support and protection. We are also in direct contact with the RK Mission in Dhaka,” he said.

Police presence at the Ramakrishna Mission complex in Gopibagh has been strengthened, Swarup added.

 The official said the first secretary (consular) in the High Commission visited the RK Mission yesterday morning to review the security.

The Dhaka Ramakrishna Mission is a branch of the Belur Math in Kolkata.

A police official in Dhaka on Thursday said the priest received the letter on a IS letterhead, with the perpetrator identifying himself as one A B Siddiqui.

 “Bangladesh is an Islamic state. You can't preach your religion here. If you continue preaching, you'll be hacked to death with machetes between the 20th and 30th,” the officer quoted the letter as saying.

Suspected Islamists have killed a number of secular activists, Hindus and other religious minorities across Bangladesh in recent months, prompting the authorities to launch a nationwide anti-militant clampdown since Friday.