Days after the arrest of spiritual leader Chinmoy Krishna Das, another Hindu priest has been arrested in Chattogram, Bangladesh, sources announced on Saturday. The arrested priest, identified as Shyam Das Prabhu, reportedly went to meet Chinmoy Krishna Das in jail.
He was arrested without a formal warrant, the official said, adding that the practice allows authorities to detain someone and later release them.
ISKCON Kolkata Vice-President and Public Relations Officer Radharamun Das also posted on X (officially Twitter) on Friday about the monk’s arrest, writing, “Today another Brahmachari Shri Shyam Das Prabhu posted on Chatgram He was arrested by the police.”
Today, another Brahmachari Shri Shyam Das Prabhu was arrested by Chattogram police. #ISKCON #Bangladesh #SaveBangladeshHindu pic.twitter.com/DTpytXRQeP
— Radharamn Das राधारमण दास (@RadharamnDas) November 29, 2024
Arrest and violence against Hindu monks in Bangladesh
Hindu priest Chinmoy Krishna Das, a former member of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON) in Bangladesh, was arrested on Monday in connection with the sedition case. His arrest sparked protests by members of the Hindu community in various parts of Bangladesh, including the capital Dhaka and Chattogram.
Chinmoy Krishna Das was denied bail by a Chattogram court on Tuesday following clashes between police and protesters demanding his release. Deputy Public Prosecutor Saiful Islam was killed in the clash.
Bangladesh police have so far arrested nine people in connection with the lawyer’s murder, police said on Saturday. They were arrested after a case was filed against 46 people, most of whom belong to the minority Hindu community.
Meanwhile, three Hindu temples were vandalized in Chattogram on Friday by a mob shouting slogans. Protests and violence have been witnessed since former ISKCON members were arrested on sedition charges.
According to a report by news portal BDNews24.com, the attack took place at around 2:30 pm on Harish Chandra Mansev Lane in the port city and was carried out by the Shantaneshwari Matri temple, the nearby Shoni temple and the Shantaneshwari temple. The Kalibari temple was targeted.
“A group of several hundred people, shouting slogans, threw brick bats at the temple and destroyed the gates of the Holy Nunnery and two other temples,” the news portal quoted temple authorities as saying.
Kotwali police chief Abdul Karim confirmed the attack and said the attackers had tried to damage the temple.
Violence against ethnic minorities in Bangladesh
Chinmoy Krishna Das’ arrest comes amid tensions over minority rights in Bangladesh, which has been rife with political violence since the ouster of former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina. Since the ouster of former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, the new military-backed interim government led by Mohammed Yunus has faced criticism for failing to curb a surge in violence against minorities.
About 8 percent of Bangladesh’s 170 million people are Hindu.
Speaking on the issue of minority oppression in Bangladesh, Trimamol Congress national general secretary Abhishek Banerjee called on the union government to address the issue with the Bangladeshi side in the “strongest manner”.
“I have made my position clear that the constitution of the country must be followed and the state has no role in it. The onus is on the Union government to take up the issue,” he said.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
