ISKCON urges India to step in after arrest of Hindu priest in Bangladesh

The International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON) is calling on the Indian government to step in after one of its leaders, Chinmoy Krishna Das, was arrested in Bangladesh. 

The priest was taken into custody near Dhaka’s Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport, where he is facing serious charges of sedition. These charges are connected to an incident on October 25, when a group of people allegedly placed a saffron-colored flag over the Bangladeshi flag during a Hindu rally. 

The incident has sparked protests from Hindu groups, who are calling for more protection of their rights.

ISKCON has strongly denied any connection to terrorism, calling the accusations "false and unacceptable." 

The group emphasized that it is a peaceful spiritual movement, and it has asked the Indian government to urgently intervene and work with Bangladesh to secure the release of Chinmoy Krishna Das.

“We have come across disturbing reports that Sri Chinmoy Krishna Das, one of the prominent leaders of ISKCON Bangladesh, has been detained by the Dhaka police,” the statement from ISKCON said. 

“It is outrageous to make baseless allegations that ISKCON has anything to do with terrorism anywhere in the world. ISKCON, Inc. urges the Government of India to take immediate steps and speak to the Government of Bangladesh and convey that we are a peace-loving Bhakti movement,” it added.

Chinmoy Krishna Das, who was once the divisional organizing secretary for ISKCON in Chattogram, was arrested on October 31. 

He is one of 19 people facing charges in connection with the October 25 event. During the rally, some youths allegedly placed a saffron flag over the national flag of Bangladesh at a monument in Dhaka, which led to the sedition charges. 

The rally was organized by the Hindu group "Sanatan Jagaran Mancha."

The arrest has led to protests from Hindu communities in Bangladesh, who are demanding stronger legal protections for religious minorities. Many are also calling for the creation of a Ministry of Minority Affairs to ensure better support for their community. 

These protests are happening against the backdrop of political unrest in the country, particularly with the interim government led by Nobel Laureate Muhammad Yunus.

ISKCON spokesperson Radharamn Das expressed serious concern about the arrest, noting that the priest was taken to an unknown location by the police after his detention.

So far, two other people, Rajesh Chowdhury and Hriday Das, have been arrested in connection with the case in Chattogram. 

The other individuals facing charges include Ajay Dutta, Leela Raj Das Brahmachari, Gopal Das Tipu, Dr. Kathak Das, Engineer Amit Dhar, Roni Das, Rajib Das, Krishna Kumar Dutta, Jiku Chowdhury, Newton Dey, Tushar Chakraborty Rajib, Mithun Dey, Rupan Dhar, Rimon Dutta, Sukanta Das, and Biswajit Gupta.

As the situation unfolds, ISKCON and other Hindu groups in Bangladesh continue to push for justice and fair treatment for their leaders.