The arrest of Hindu monk Chinmoy Das in Bangladesh | Defined

The story thus far: The Dhaka Metropolitan Police on Monday (November 25, 2024) arrested Chinmoy Krishna Das, a Vaishnavite chief and one-time member of the Worldwide Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON) in Bangladesh, prompting protests demandng his launch in Dhaka’s Shahbag neighbourhood and Chittagong, the place he’s based mostly.

Clashes have since intensified. On November 26, assistant public prosecutor Saiful Islam, the lawyer of Chinmoy Krishna Das, was killed throughout clashes between the safety personnel and followers of the Hindu chief, who was denied bail and despatched to jail by a Chittagong courtroom, police stated. Based mostly on CCTV footage of the violence, authorities have reportedly arrested at the very least six folks belonging to the Chhatra League, the coed wing of the Awami League which was banned by the federal government in October.

The identical day, a confrontation broke out between India and Bangladesh after the Ministry of Exterior Affairs (MEA) termed the arrest and denial of bail for Mr. Das as “unlucky” and expressed “deep concern” over incidents concentrating on minority communities in Bangladesh. The MEA’s assertion referred to as upon the interim authorities of Bangladesh to “guarantee security and safety of Hindus and all minorities.”

Bangladesh responded to MEA’s assertion by alleging that it misrepresented info and was “opposite” to the pleasant ties between the 2 neighbours.

Who’s Chinmoy Krishna Das?

Chinmoy Krishna Das, also called Chandan Kumar Dhar, is a monk main the Pundarik Dham in Chittagong/Chattogram, a key centre for Vaishnavites in Bangladesh. He’s additionally the spokesperson for Bangladesh Sammilita Sanatani Jagran Jote, a Sanatani organisation. Mr. Das was a member of ISKCON until lately, when he was expelled.

Mr. Das, who has a substantial following in Bangladesh, has frequently advocated for the rights of non secular minorities, and has garnered specific consideration after the autumn of Sheikh Hasina’s authorities on August 5, 2024. Since then, Mr. Das has engaged in dialogue with varied political events, together with the Bangladesh Nationalist Occasion (BNP), urging communal concord. In a press convention held earlier this month, Mr. Das alleged that the interim authorities below Nobel Peace Prize laureate Prof. Mohammad Yunus had did not cease at the very least 3,000 assaults on Hindus in Bangladesh.

Mr. Das has advocated for the implementation of an eight-point checklist of calls for for Hindus in Bangladesh. These embody the stablishment of a particular tribunal for swift trials in instances of minority persecution, enactment of a minority safety regulation, the creation of a Ministry for Minority Affairs, legal guidelines to recuperate and defend temple properties and enforcement of the Vested Property Act, prayer rooms in instructional establishments, modernization of Sanskrit and Pali Schooling Boards and a five-day public vacation for Durga Puja, an essential competition for Bengali Hindus.

Pundarik Dham can also be an essential a part of ISKCON in Bangladesh, the place the society has a big presence. Whereas its headquarters are positioned in Gandaria, Dhaka, it has temples throughout the nation— in Dhaka, Mymensingh, Rajshahi, Rangpur, Khulna, Barishal, Chattogram and Sylhet. Yearly, it organises celebrations for festivals essential within the Vaishnavite custom, equivalent to Janmashtami and the Kheturi competition.

ISKCON has traditionally been the topic to a number of controversies, together with costs of misogyny, sexual abuse and harrasment, racketeering, and in a single instance- a homicide plot. It has confronted criticism for extra minor infractions too. Just lately, Amogh Lila Das, an ISKCON chief in India got here below hearth for his feedback towards Swami Vivekananda and Ramkrishna Paramahamsa.

The Bangladesh arrest is a uncommon occasion, nonetheless, the place anybody related to the organisation has been arrested on costs of sedition.

Why was Mr. Das arrested?

In accordance with the Dhaka Police, Mr. Das had been arrested after Firoz Khan, a former BNP chief from Chittagong, filed a grievance towards him, alleging that he and some others had insulted Bangladesh’s nationwide flag throughout a October 25 rally by the Hindu neighborhood in Chittagong. Mr. Khan was later expelled from the BNP, reportedly for alleged anti-party actions.

Together with Mr. Das, 18 others are talked about within the grievance. Two others had been arrested earlier, whereas Mr. Das was arrested on Monday afternoon as he arrived at Dhaka’s Shah Jalal Worldwide Airport, on his approach to Chittagong, as per experiences from The Each day Star. “From his private assistant, I came upon that some plainclothes males, introducing themselves as members of the detective department, picked him up from the doorway of the airport,” the report famous.

Following his arrest, protests erupted in one other cities in Bangladesh as properly, together with Chittagong.

In the meantime, the Excessive Courtroom in Bangladesh admitted a petition calling for a ban on ISKCON within the nation. Scholar leaders in Bangladesh, who kind an essential block of help for the interim authorities, additionally referred to as for a right away ban. “ISKCON is performing as an agent of the Awami League, making an attempt to destabilise the nation,” scholar coordinator Hasnat Abdullah stated.

Response from ISKCON and different organisations

Mr. Das was lately expelled from ISKCON Bangladesh. Put up his arrest, the society launched an announcement in help of Mr. Das and urged the federal government to advertise peace between the communities, saying that as a “main Sanatani organisation throughout the Gaudiya Vaishnav custom” the society was devoted to “safeguarding the spiritual freedoms and rights of minorities, together with Hindus, Buddhists, Christians, and others.”

“We categorical our severe concern and strongly denounce the latest arrest of Chinmoy Krishna Das, spokesperson for the Bangladesh Sammilito Sanatani Jagaran Jot. We additionally condemn the following violence and assaults towards Sanatanis in varied areas of Bangladesh. We urge the federal government authorities to advertise peaceable coexistence for the Sanatani neighborhood”, the assertion learn.

It additional famous: “As a consultant of the Bangladesh Sammilito Sanatani Jagaran Jot and a Bangladeshi citizen, Chinmoy Krishna Das has been a vocal advocate for the safety of minority teams within the nation. It’s important to uphold his proper to free speech and to help his efforts to encourage others to defend this proper. Guaranteeing justice and truthful remedy for him is essential.”

It enumerated three calls for to the federal government and related authorities, which embody holding these accountable for the assaults on the Sanatani neighborhood accountable, defending the civil rights of Chinmoy Krishna Das and different Sanatanis and implementing efficient measures to keep up concord amongst all communities. “Chinmoy Krishna Das and the Sanatani neighborhood deserve justice as residents of this nation, and we stress that any type of discrimination towards them should not be tolerated”, it harassed, noting that it has “persistently urged the interim authorities and different leaders to make sure constitutional protections for minorities and to facilitate their full and unrestricted participation in society.”

In the meantime, ISKCON Kolkata on November 27 stated that it has spoken to the Centre about repeated targetting of their monks and different Hindu Vaishnavites in Bangladesh. ISKCON Kolkata spokesperson Radharaman Das referred to as the arrest of Chinmoy Krishna Das the newest instance of the persevering with assaults on ISKCON members in addition to different minority communities in Bangladesh.

“The arrest and mounting threats by Islamists towards ISKCON and different Hindu spiritual orders like Ramakrishna Mission had been happening for the previous three months and Das’s arrest was the final occasion as of now. The state of affairs is alarming and we’ve urged the Ministry of Exterior Affairs and the Union House Ministry to take acceptable steps to avoid wasting and defend the lives and properties of individuals below such assaults,” he stated.

Politicians in India have additionally urged the federal government to make sure the protection of Hindus and minorities within the neigbouring nation. Newly elected Wayanad MP Priyanka Gandhi referred to as on the Authorities of India to “intervene” and guarantee security and safety for the minority neighborhood in Bangladesh.

Mamata Banerjee, the Chief Minister of West Bengal, expressed concern as properly. However she harassed that she most popular to not touch upon the matter because it pertained to a different nation, and stated that her authorities would abide by the Centre’s choice within the matter. She has reportedly spoken to ISKCON representatives concerning the concern, however didn’t share any additional info.

What are the claims surrounding anti-Hindu protests in Bangladesh?

After the autumn of Sheikh Hasina’s authorities in Bangladesh and her flight from the nation on August 5, 2024, there have been a number of situations of supporters of her social gathering, Awami League. being focused by protestors. Many Hindus in Bangladesh have reportedly supported the Awami League as properly. Whereas there is no such thing as a readability on whether or not the protests have been expressly anti-Hindu, Hindus in Bangladesh have held rallies to demand safety. For instance, about 30,000 Hindus rallied on November 1, 2024 in Chittagong to demand that the interim authorities defend them from assaults and harassment and drop sedition instances towards Hindu neighborhood leaders. Related protests had been reported in different areas of the nation.

Rallies have additionally been held by Hindu outfits in India to protest alleged atrocities towards Hindus in Bangladesh . On August 16, BJP MP Bansuri Swaraj and JNU Vice Chancellor Santishree D. Pandit took half in a march protesting the problem organised below the banner of Nari Shakti discussion board, which is allied with RSS.

In the meantime, Prof. Yunus, the chief of the interim authorities, has stated that the concern of assaults on minority Hindus in Bangladesh was “exaggerated,” noting that the assaults on minorites in Bangladesh was extra a political concern than a communal one.

Hindus are a minority in Bangladesh, comprising 8% of the whole inhabitants. 91% of the nation’s inhabitants are Muslims..