Monday 25th November 2024: Bangladesh ISKCON Leader Chinmoy Das Krishna Prabhu is arrested Dhaka.
Since October 2024, ISKCON has been facing opposition from the Muhammad Yunus interim Government as many of its leaders have been active in the formation and leadership of Bangladesh Sanatan Jagaran Mancha. Bringing together Hindu leaders from across different sampradayas and institutions, the Mancha lead a peaceful rally in Chittagong on 25 October 2024 to highlight the ongoing persecution of Hindus and other minorities. A further rally was held on Friday 22nd November 2024; an event which Chinmoy chaired.
Thousands of Hindus and other minorities attended both rallies. The size of both events stand contrast and contradict Yunus’ public statements that August’s attack on Hindus was exaggerated and that the community was safe. Since October’s rally, Islamist Extremists have been pressurising the government to ban ISKCON and arrest Chinmoy Krishna Das as he has emerged as one of the bravest voices to highlight the plight of Hindus in the country. At the end of October, a sedition (treason) case was filed against ISKCON leader Chinmoy Krishna Prabhu.
Speaking to Swarajya, Hindu leader, Chandra Paul, who escaped to India explains, “That Hindus could dare to hold massive protest rallies and demand rights and safeguards made the Islamists in Bangladesh see red. They could not accept the fact that Hindus had dared to raise their voices, and so they demanded some exemplary action against Hindus, which would send out a strong signal to the persecuted community that they should accept their plight meekly. Islamists want Hindus to submit without protest to their persecution.”