Bangladesh has rejected India’s dismissal of a protest outside its high commission in New Delhi as “misleading propaganda”, saying the incident was “highly regrettable“.

According to Bangladeshi media, around 20 to 25 protesters gathered in front of the Bangladesh High Commission in New Delhi on Saturday evening. According to mission officials, the protesters raised anti-Bangladesh slogans and issued threats against the Bangladesh high commissioner, Prothom Alo reported.

In response, the Indian External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal issued a statement on Sunday saying India had taken note of “misleading propaganda in sections of the Bangladesh media on the incident”.

“The fact is that about 20-25 youth gathered in front of the Bangladesh High Commission in New Delhi on December 20 and raised slogans in protest against the horrendous killing of Dipu Chandra Das in Mymensingh, while also calling for the protection of all minorities in Bangladesh,” he said.

According to Prothom Alo, Das — a garment factory worker — was beaten to death on December 18 in Mymensingh, Bangladesh on allegations of blasphemy, after which his body was set on fire. It reported that 10 people had been arrested in connection with the incident.

“There was no attempt to breach the fence or create a security situation at any time. The police stationed at the spot dispersed the group after a few minutes,” the Indian official said.

“Visual evidence of these events is available publicly for all to see. India is committed to ensure the safety of foreign missions/posts in its territory in accordance with the Vienna Convention,” he added.

“India continues to keep a close watch on the evolving situation in Bangladesh. Our officials remain in touch with Bangladesh authorities and have conveyed to them our strong concerns at the attacks on minorities. We have also urged that the perpetrators of the barbaric killing of Das be brought to justice,” he said.

In response, the Bangldesh foreign ministry issued a statement, saying that the “unjustifiable incident at the Bangladesh High Commission residence in New Delhi on December 20 is highly regrettable and cannot be accepted as ‘misleading propaganda’”.

“The miscreants were allowed to carry out their activities right outside the perimeters of the high commission, creating panic among the personnel inside the complex,” it said, adding that the commission was not made aware of the event beforehand.

The statement, however, took note of the Indian government’s “commitment” towards the safety of Bangladeshi diplomatic posts in India.

Bangladesh also rejected “an attempt of the Indian authorities to depict an isolated attack on a Bangladeshi citizen, who happens to belong to the Hindu community, as attacks on minorities“.

The statement said that the government “promptly apprehended the suspects in this incident“. It noted that “the intercommunal situation in Bangladesh is better than in many other parts in South Asia”.

“Bangladesh believes that it is the duty of all governments in the region to ensure protection of minorities in their respective countries,” the statement added.

Ties between the two countries have been frosty since former Bangladesh prime minister Sheikh Hasina fled to India following a student-led uprising last year.

Dhaka has repeatedly asked for her extradition so that she could stand trial for her alleged crimes, with Delhi responding that it was examining the requests.

On Thursday, protesters, seeking the repatriation of Hasina, were stopped from marching towards an Indian diplomatic mission.

A day earlier, India’s foreign ministry had conveyed its concerns over the “deteriorating” security environment in the country, following protests triggered by the killing of a prominent youth leader.