The Asiapost News

With additional forces stationed in Chittagong and the nation’s capital, Dhaka, Bangladeshi law enforcement agencies are on high alert due to tensions in the area. Yet, the so-called interim government seems to be adding gasoline to the fire by calling the International Society for Krishna Consciousness, or ISKCON, a “religious fundamentalist” group in an affidavit submitted to the country’s High Court. The interim administration, which came to power after then-prime minister Sheikh Hasina was overthrown by a student-led uprising in August, has declared that it is “examining ISKCON.”

This comes after the Hindu community in Rangpur, 300 km north of Dhaka, protested Monday over the detention of Hindu priest Chinmoy Krishna Das Brahmachari, calling for a minority affairs ministry and stricter legislation to safeguard them.  Of the 170 million people living in Bangladesh, about 8% are Hindu.

The new military-backed interim government, headed by Nobel laureate Mohammed Yunus, has come under fire for failing to curb violence against minorities since Ms. Hasina was forced to resign. This includes incidents of vandalism against Hindu residences and businesses.

In answer to a query concerning the group’s Bangladeshi roots, the attorney general of Bangladesh referred to ISKCON as a “religious fundamentalist” organization.

It is a religious fundamentalist organization,” according to Attorney General Mohd. Asaduzzaman’s statement. They were instructed to file a note on the authorities’ response to ISKCON and the current state of law and order in the nation, as the government is already closely examining them.

Bangladesh has once again seen violent and irate protests following Chinmoy Brahmachari’s arrest; this morning, it was revealed that a temple in Chattogram had been vandalized.

Radharamn Das, a spokesperson for ISKCON, posted a video on X with the caption, “Hindus and Hindu places of worship in Bangladesh are under constant attack.” ISKCON’s Bangladesh section denounced the arrest and the violence against members of the Hindu community, while others asked, “When will it all stop?”

The imprisonment has also heightened political relations between New Delhi and Dhaka. Delhi has asked Dhaka to protect minority communities, especially Hindus, and voiced serious concerns about Chinmoy Brahmachari’s imprisonment. However, India’s alleged meddling in Bangladesh’s “internal affairs” has angered the country’s foreign ministry.

The Yunus administration subsequently reiterated “in the strongest terms” that all Bangladeshis, irrespective of their faith, possess the “right to establish, maintain or perform respective religious rituals and practices or express views without hindrance.”

Chinmoy Brahmachari’s arrest also triggered widespread protests by his supporters, prompting law enforcement agencies to be on alert across that country.