The arrest of prominent ISKCON leader Chinmoy Krishna Das Brahmachari on alleged sedition charges has ignited violent protests in Bangladesh, drawing international condemnation and escalating tensions in the region.
ISKCON Bangladesh issued a statement strongly condemning Das’s arrest and the violence against the Sanatani community. The organisation called on the government to protect minority rights and investigate the attacks on Sanatani individuals and their properties.
“Bangladesh is our ancestral home, and we stand for peaceful coexistence. We urge authorities to uphold justice and ensure the safety of all communities,” said Charu Chandra Das Brahmachari, General Secretary of ISKCON Bangladesh.
Chinmoy Krishna Das, a vocal advocate for minority rights and spokesperson for the Bangladesh Sammilito Sanatani Jagaran Jote, was detained on Monday while travelling from Dhaka to Chittagong.
Das’ illegal detention prompted nationwide demonstrations, with supporters peacefully protesting outside the Chittagong court on Tuesday as he was denied bail.
The protests turned deadly when Islamists attacked peaceful Hindu protestors, with a public prosecutor, Saiful Islam Alif, killed during the unrest. Authorities deployed stun grenades and baton charges to disperse peaceful Hindu demonstrators, who had surrounded the prison van transporting Das.
The Indian Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) expressed “deep concern” over the arrest and its implications for Bangladesh’s Hindu and minority communities. “We urge the government of Bangladesh to ensure the safety and security of Hindus and other minorities,” the MEA said in a statement, highlighting ongoing attacks and discrimination against minority groups in the country.
The arrest of Das has also drawn criticism from spiritual leaders like Sri Sri Ravishankar, who described it as “unbecoming” and a setback for communal harmony. “Arresting a spiritual leader who stands for the rights of minorities will damage Bangladesh’s progressive image,” he told ANI, urging both India and the international community to intervene.
The detention of Das has exacerbated tensions in Bangladesh, already fraught with rising Islamist terror and the fragile state of inter-community relations.
As protests escalate, pressure mounts on Bangladesh’s interim government, led by Chief Adviser Prof. Muhammad Yunus, to address minority grievances and prevent further violence. Yunus on record had previously downplayed reports of attacks on minorities, particularly Hindus, inviting Indian journalists to assess the situation on the ground.
Prothom Alo, one of Bangladesh’s most-read newspapers, reports that between August 5 and 20, over 1,068 homes, businesses, and places of worship belonging to minorities were looted, vandalised, or set on fire. The southwestern Khulna division was worst affected, with 295 properties destroyed, followed by Rangpur (219), Mymensingh (183), and other regions.
In Australia, Bengali community members have protested against the violence calling for swift action to protect minorities particularly Hindus. The protestors have been urging both the Bangladeshi and Australian governments to bring perpetrators to justice and ensure the safety of affected communities.
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