Dhaka
Amidst the growing controversy over the arrest of Hindu priest Chinmay Krishna Das Prabhu in West Bengal’s capital Dhaka, Shafikul Islam, press secretary of Bangladesh’s Chief Advisor Muhammad Yunus, has assured that the Hindu community is safe in the country and there is no threat to the minorities there. . In an interview with CNN News-18, Islam clarified that the Bangladesh government has no intention of banning the International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON). “I don’t know about the hearing of the case, but ISKCON will not be banned in Bangladesh,” he said.
This statement has come at a time when the demand to ban this Hindu organization has intensified after the arrest of former ISKCON priest Chinmoy Krishna Das on sedition charges. Bangladesh High Court also on Thursday rejected the petition to ban the activities of ISKCON.
Hindu community safe
Speaking on the recent incidents of violence among minority communities in Bangladesh, Islam said, “The Hindu community is safe in Bangladesh. Misinformation is being spread on a systematic level. I request you to come and see the ground situation. There was violence in the initial few days, but now the situation is under control.” Islam said that Chinmoy Krishna Das will get fair justice and the government is fully committed in this direction.
Reaction to India’s statement
Responding to India’s statement, Islam called it an internal matter and said New Delhi should not have commented on the matter. He said, “The Indian government should not have given the statement. This is our internal matter. We never comment on events happening in India.”
India on Tuesday condemned the arrest of Chinmoy Krishna Das and sought to ensure the safety of the Hindu community in Bangladesh. The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said, “We are deeply concerned over the arrest of Chinmoy Krishna Das and the denial of bail to him.”
The development has heightened religious and political tensions in Bangladesh, but the government has taken a tough stance on the situation, assuring that the safety of all communities will be ensured.
In Bangladesh, fundamentalist groups created a huge uproar on Friday after the Dhaka High Court refused to ban ISKCON. After Friday prayers, lakhs of Muslims demonstrated in mosques across the country.
The largest demonstrations took place in the capital Dhaka and Chittagong. The protesters called for an immediate ban on ISKCON, calling it a ‘Hindu extremist organization’ and a ‘fundamentalist and anti-national group’.
Many religious-based organizations and political parties, including the fundamentalist organization Hefazat-e-Islam, Khilafat Majlis and the Islamic Movement, took part in these rallies.
Hifazat said that the defeated forces of the country are using Hindus to spread anarchy. The way lawyer Saiful Islam Alif was murdered in the Chittagong Court complex last Tuesday was an attempt to instigate civil war.
At the same time, ISKCON organized a protest kirtan in Kolkata for the release of Chinmoy Krishna Das. ISKCON has announced that a global prayer meeting will be organized in all ISKCON temples around the world on Sunday. In this, prayers will be offered for the protection of Hindu devotees and religious minorities in Bangladesh.
Press Secretary of Muhammad Yunus also spoke on the violence that broke out after the arrest of Chinmay Das.
Regarding the recent violence that broke out among minority communities in Bangladesh, Islam said that a propaganda campaign is being run against Bangladesh. Hindus are safe here. Appealing to the media institutions, Shafiqul Islam said that I request you to come and cover the reality here. Violence was witnessed in Bangladesh in the initial few days and the situation is now under control. He also talked about a fair trial in the case of Chinmay Das.
Bank accounts of 17 people associated with ISKCON frozen
Earlier, Bangladesh’s financial authorities following an order froze the bank accounts of seventeen people associated with ISKCON for one month. These people have been asked to submit information about their transactions to the concerned banks within three working days.
India continues to protest
India has been strongly raising the issue with the Government of Bangladesh that Hindus and other minorities there are facing threats and targeted attacks. On Friday, the Foreign Ministry said that the interim government of Bangladesh should shoulder the responsibility of protecting all its minorities. The ministry said, we express concern over the increasing use of fundamentalist language, increasing incidents of violence and cases of incitement in Bangladesh. These incidents cannot be assumed to be mere exaggerations by the media. The ministry again appealed to the Bangladesh government to take all necessary steps to ensure the safety of minorities.
What did the ministry say on the arrest of Chinmay Krishna Das
On the arrest of prominent Hindu figure Chinmoy Krishna Das in Bangladesh, the ministry said, as far as cases against individuals are concerned, we are aware that legal processes are ongoing. We hope that these processes will adjudicate the case in a just, fair and transparent manner and ensure full respect for the legal rights of all accused. Bangladesh-based Sanatani Jagran Jot Sangathan spokesperson Chinmoy Krishna Das was arrested from Dhaka’s Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport on Monday and charged with treason. On Tuesday, a Chittagong court denied him bail and sent him to jail. A lawyer died in a clash between Das supporters and security personnel. Chinmay has previously been the spokesperson of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON) in Bangladesh.