ISKCON A "Fundamentalist" Group: Bangladesh Government To Court

Bangladesh has called ISKCON, or the International Society for Krishna Consciousness, a "religious fundamentalist" group in an affidavit filed in that country's High Court. The interim government - in power after August's student-led rebellion ousted then Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina - also said it is "examining ISKON.

This follows protests over the arrest Hindu priest Chinmoy Krishna Das Brahmachari on Monday; this was after the Hindu community in the city of Rangpur, which is 300 km north of Dhaka, protested demanding stronger laws to protect them and a minority affairs ministry.

Hindus comprise around eight per cent of Bangladesh's 170 million people.

Since Ms Hasina was forced to quit, the new military-backed interim administration, led by Nobel laureate Mohammed Yunus, has faced criticism for failing to control violence against minorities. This includes instances of Hindu businesses and homes being vandalised.

The reference to ISKON as a "religious fundamentalist" organisation was part of the Bangladesh Attorney General's response to a question about the origin of the group in Bangladesh.

In his response, Mohd. Asaduzzaman reportedly said, "... it is a religious fundamentalist organisation. The government is already scrutinising them", and was told to file a note on authorities' response to ISKON and the prevailing law-and-order situation in the country.

READ | Hindu Monk Chinmoy Krishna Brahmachari Arrested In Bangladesh

The arrest of Chinmoy Brahmachari has, again, triggered furious and violent protests in Bangladesh; this morning it emerged that a temple in Chattogram had been vandalised.

READ | Temple Vandalised After Hindu Priest's Arrest In Bangladesh

ISKCON spokesperson Radharamn Das shared a video on X and wrote, "24x7 attack on Hindus & Hindu places of worship in #Bangladesh. When will it all STOP?", while the ISKCON's Bangladesh unit condemned the arrest and the violence against Hindu community members.

The arrest has also led to political frostiness between New Delhi and Dhaka.

Delhi has expressed strong reservations over Chinmoy Brahmachari's arrest and urged Dhaka to ensure the safety of minority communities, including Hindus. The Bangladesh Foreign Ministry, however, has bristled at what they said was India's interference in its "internal affairs".

READ | "Ensure Minorities' Safety": India On Bangladesh's Arrest Of Hindu Priest

The Yunus government later reaffirmed "in the strongest terms" that every Bangladeshi, regardless of their religious identity, has the "right to establish, maintain or perform respective religious rituals and practices or express views without hindrance."

Chinmoy Brahmachari's arrest also triggered widespread protests by his supporters, prompting law enforcement agencies to be on alert across that country.