In a worrying development, another member of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON), Shyam Das Prabhu, was arrested on Saturday in Chattogram, Bangladesh. The arrest of the 40-year-old priest came shortly after the detention of Chinmoy Krishna Das, another ISKCON member, earlier this week.
Shyam Das Prabhu was reportedly detained without an official warrant while attempting to visit his fellow devotee, Chinmoy Krishna Das, who is currently imprisoned on sedition charges. According to Radharamn Das, the vice president and spokesperson of ISKCON Kolkata, the arrest took place while Shyam Das was on a visit to the jail to offer support to Krishna Das.
This latest arrest adds to the increasing concerns surrounding the safety and well-being of Hindu religious leaders in Bangladesh, particularly those associated with ISKCON. The situation is alarming, with multiple arrests having been made in recent days without clear justification, leading to widespread unrest and fears of escalating persecution.
Chinmoy Krishna Das, a former member of ISKCON Bangladesh, was arrested earlier this week under sedition charges after he was accused of hoisting a saffron flag above Bangladesh’s national flag in Chattogram on October 25. While ISKCON Bangladesh has strongly rejected any link to the alleged crime and the controversial killing of a local lawyer in the region, protests continue to rage across the country.
The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) of India has been vocal in expressing its concern over these arrests and the increasing tension faced by religious minorities in Bangladesh. Spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal reiterated India’s long-standing position regarding the safety of Hindus and other minorities in Bangladesh, urging the interim government to take immediate and meaningful steps to safeguard their rights.
“India has consistently and strongly raised with the Bangladesh government the threats and targeted attacks on Hindus and other minorities. We call upon Bangladesh to take steps for the protection of minorities,” Jaiswal said during a weekly briefing. The MEA also called for a fair judicial process in the cases involving Chinmoy Krishna Das and other minority leaders, ensuring that justice is served without any bias or unfair treatment.
ISKCON, recognized globally for its charitable work and devotion, has consistently condemned these arrests, calling them part of a broader pattern of hostility against Hindu religious leaders and communities in the region. In light of the escalating violence and tension, it remains to be seen whether the Bangladesh government will take swift action to address the growing concerns.
As protests continue and pressure mounts on the Bangladeshi authorities, the ISKCON community and other organizations are anxiously awaiting a fair resolution to these arrests. Meanwhile, the fate of Shyam Das Prabhu and Chinmoy Krishna Das remains uncertain, with the Indian government closely monitoring the situation.
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