How Hindu monk's arrest in Bangladesh has galvanised BJP in Bengal

After successive electoral reverses in West Bengal, the BJP believes it has finally hit on a much-needed politically potent issue in the recent Islamic mobilisation in Bangladesh.

The arrest of ISKCON Bangladesh priest Chinmoy Krishna Das by the Dhaka police on Monday (November 25), in what is seen as a flimsy sedition case, has galvanised the state’s saffron brigade to pump up an anti-Islamic pitch by promulgating a Hindu victimhood narrative.

Also Read: Spoken to ISKCON reps; will stand with Centre on Bangladesh issue: Mamata

The BJP and its Hindutva forces are aiming a counter Hindu-mobilisation in West Bengal against the atrocities meted out to the minorities in the neighbouring country since the ouster of Sheikh Hasina’s Awami League government in August this year.

Economic blockade of Bangladesh

Among others, saffron forces plan to enforce an economic blockade of Bangladesh from coming Monday (December 2) by preventing goods-carrying vehicles from crossing the border through West Bengal’s Petrapole and other land ports if the ISKCON monk is not released by then.

The BJP is also contemplating to hold a mega rally in Kolkata on December 16 to commemorate the defeat of the Pakistan Armed Forces in the Bangladesh Liberation War in 1971.

Also Read: Dhaka using communal, anti-India card by arresting Hindu leader

“Enough is enough. Issuing visas to Bangladeshis should be completely stopped. Issuing of export and import permits should also be stopped. You go to Karachi or Lahore for treatment and don’t come here,” BJP leader Suvendu Adhikari thundered.

Earlier on Wednesday (November 27), he led a BJP team to march to the office of the Bangladesh Deputy High Commissioner in Kolkata to condemn the arrest of the monk and atrocities against Hindus in that country.

‘BJP exploiting international issue for electoral politics’

“The BJP is trying to exploit an international issue for domestic electoral politics,” claimed political commentator and Commonwealth Fellow Debashish Chakrabarti.

Expectedly, the BJP dismisses such allegations.

Pointing out that Kolkata in the past witnessed protests over atrocities in Vietnam to Gaza, a state BJP spokesperson Sajal Ghosh said the protests against the current situation in Bangladesh were for a humanitarian cause.

Also Read: Bangladesh High Court declines to impose a ban on ISKCON

The political undertone of its protests is not lost on anyone when the party called upon the “Hindus to unite” to join its protest programme at Beanpole port on December 2.

Moreover, as Chakrabarti pointed out, if the actual motive of the party's state unit was to ensure an economic boycott of Bangladesh, it would have moved the BJP-led central government to suspend the bilateral trade.

"Bilateral trade is a Central issue. The BJP could impress upon its central leadership to suspend the trade instead of putting up a show of protest," he added.

Effort to mobilise Hindus in WB

BJP sources told The Federal that the party would keep up the heat on the Bangladesh issue to mobilise Hindus in the state. For the purpose, it would press into service other Hindu organisations to scale up the mobilisation process.

Also Read: ISKCON asks Bangladesh government to protect Hindus

One of the outfits of the Hindutva eco-system, Bangiya Hindu Jagaran Manch, clashed with the police when its members hit the Kolkata streets on Thursday (November 28) demanding the release of the monk.

Police resorted to mild baton charge when the members of the saffron outfits broke the barricade in a bid to storm the Bangladesh deputy high commission.

Playing the Hindu card

The BJP did not miss the opportunity to play the Hindu card to condemn the police action.

The BJP West Bengal wrote in a long post on its X handle, “Mamata Banerjee’s hypocrisy is glaring. While her minister Siddiqullah Chowdhury spews venom against India’s foreign policy, threatening national security, her police brutalise peaceful Hindus protesting atrocities in Bangladesh. Bengal, under her rule, mirrors the hostility Hindus face in Bangladesh. Enough is enough - Bengal’s Hindus are rising, defying her oppressive regime, and aligning with their brothers and sisters across borders. Mamata’s alliance with extremists for votes has exposed her true colours, and the people will not forget.”

Also Read: Hindu monk arrest in Bangladesh: Congress voices concern over security of minorities

Hindus, who constitute only about eight per cent of Bangladesh’s 170 million population, have faced over 200 attacks since the fall of Sheikh Hasina's government on August 5.

Case against Chinmoy Krishna Das

Spiritual leader Das has been instrumental in marshalling Hindus of Bangladesh to organise huge protest rallies against attacks on them. He was arrested on a sedition charge from Dhaka airport based on a complaint filed by a BNP leader Firoz Khan.

The BNP, however, expelled Khan for filing the case against Das and 19 others without informing the party.

Also Read: Bangladesh: 30 held over killing of lawyer in clash between police, followers of jailed Hindu leader

Khan accused Das and others of desecrating the country’s national flag by raising over it ISKCON’s saffron flag on the Independence Monument at the New Market intersection in Chittagong.

Terming Das’s detention as arbitrary, Delhi-based human rights activist and legal expert Suhas Chakma pointed out that in the complaint filed by Khan, there was no allegation that Das and others were directly involved in putting up the saffron flag over Bangladesh’s national flag.