Another Hindu priest has been arrested, and an Iskcon centre was vandalised in Bangladesh amid a string of targeted attacks on the minority community, claimed Iskcon Kolkata spokesperson Radharaman Das. The development comes amid widespread protests by Hindus across Bangladesh following the arrest of another monk, Chinmoy Krishna Das, earlier this week on sedition charges.
The young priest, identified as Shyam Das, was reportedly arrested when he went to meet Chinmoy Das in jail. “Does he look like a terrorist? The arrest of innocent Iskcon brahmacharis is deeply shocking and disturbing,” Radharaman Das tweeted with the hashtag “FreeISKCONMonks Bangladesh”.
He also posted a video of an Iskcon centre in Bhairab being vandalised, with the caption, “No respite in sight”.
However, there is no official confirmation regarding the arrest of Shyam Das.
There has been a vigorous crack-down on members of the Hindu community since the fall of the Sheikh Hasina-led Awami League government in August. Over 200 temples have also been targeted, as per reports.
This week, Bangladesh authorities ordered the freezing of bank accounts of 17 people associated with Iskcon, including that of Chinmoy Krishna Das.
It coincided with a petition filed in the High Court demanding a ban on Iskcon, with the attorney general calling the outfit a “religious fundamentalist organisation”. However, the court has declined to ban the global organisation.
The attacks on Hindus in Bangladesh have also reverberated across the border, with Kolkata witnessing protests by religious groups outside Bangladesh’s Deputy High Commission.
India, noting the increasing incidents of violence against minorities, has reacted strongly, saying it was the responsibility of the Bangladeshi government to protect the life and liberty of Hindus.
“India has consistently and strongly raised with the Bangladesh government the threats and targeted attacks on Hindus and other minorities. We are concerned about the surge of extremist rhetoric. We call upon Bangladesh to take steps for the protection of minorities,” the Ministry of External Affairs said on Friday.
