Hindu monk Chinmoy Krishna Das arrested in Bangladesh; protests break out
Das is a leader of ISKCON in the country and a spokesperson of the Bangladesh Sanatan Jagaran Mancha
Chinmoy Krishna Das Brahmachari heads the Pundarik Dham in Chittagong, a famous Vaishnavite monastery. Photo: X | @RadharamnDas
A prominent Hindu monk and leader of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON) in Bangladesh, Chinmoy Krishna Das, was arrested by the Detective Branch of the Dhaka Metropolitan Police on Monday evening (November 25) at the Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport in Dhaka.
The Additional Commissioner of the Detective Branch, Rezaul Karim Mallik, confirmed the detention of Das, saying that it was based on a requisition related to a complaint, according to a report by the Dhaka Tribune.
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He did not disclose the specific details of the complaint.
Protests broke out in Dhaka and in Chittagong after the arrest, demanding the release of the Hindu priest.
Vocal critic of hate attacks
Chinmoy Krishna Das Brahmachari heads the Pundarik Dham in Chittagong, a famous Vaishnavite monastery. He is also the spokesperson of Bangladesh Sanatan Jagaran Mancha.
He has been at the forefront of advocating for Hindu rights in Bangladesh after the fall of the Sheikh Hasina government, and has been a vocal critic of targeted hate attacks and religious discrimination in Bangladesh. He had organised several rallies in the country to condemn the alleged “atrocities against fellow-devotees”.
ISKCON spokesperson Radharamn Das wrote on X, tagging India’s External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar and the Indian High Commission in Dhaka, “I just received the shocking news that Chinmoy Krishna Das Brahmachari, a Hindu monk & the face and leader of Bangladeshi minorities in this difficult times, has been arrested by the Dhaka police and taken to an undisclosed location. Kind attention @ihcdhaka @DrSJaishankar #SaveBangladeshiHindus
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BJP leader in West Bengal Suvendu Adhikari also posted on X about Chinmoy Das’s detention, “Renowned firebrand Hindu Leader; Shri Chinmoy Krishna Das Prabhu has been abducted by the Detective Branch at Dhaka Airport in Bangladesh. He is leading the fight for the survival & dignity of the Hindu Minorities of Bangladesh. The Bangladeshi Sanatani Community fear that Md Yunus's 'Radical' Regime may stoop to any level, even eliminate 'perceived threats' to its authority. I urge @DrSJaishankar Ji to kindly take note of the matter and take urgent steps. The Bangladesh Government filed a case of treason against him.”
Hindus comprise about 8 per cent of the population in Bangladesh, and have been at the receiving end of attacks on their community. The Mohammed Yunus-led interim government has been criticised for not doing enough to protect the interests of minorities in Bangladesh.