The Bangladesh High Court on Thursday rejected to pass suo moto order banning the International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON) following a review of the stance of the government on the Hindu religious organization. This decision comes in the wake of a spate of violent incidents triggered by the arrest of a former ISKCON monk, Chinmoy Krishna Das Brahmachari, on charges of sedition.
The controversy began when the Bangladesh government filed a writ petition to ban ISKCON, branding it a “religious fundamentalist organization.” This move was made amidst tensions and violence that had flared up due to the arrest of Chinmoy Krishna Das at Dhaka airport earlier in the week.
Chinmoy Das, expelled from ISKCON, is charged with sedition for allegedly disrespecting the national flag of Bangladesh in an October rally. The government’s plea prompted the High Court to instruct the Attorney General to submit a detailed report on the matter by Thursday morning.
High Court’s Response
In a day filled with proceedings of all kinds on Thursday, Additional Attorney General Aneek R Haque and Deputy Attorney General Md Asad Uddin informed the court that ongoing investigations include three cases connected to the murder of a Muslim lawyer protesting in Chittagong, as well as the arrests of 33 people with alleged ties to the mayhem.
The High Court did not take immediate action against ISKCON but asked the government to focus on maintaining law and order while addressing the growing tensions.
ISKCON’s Stance On Chinmoy Krishna Das
ISKCON Bangladesh issued a statement distancing itself from Chinmoy Krishna Das, stating that his activities and statements were personal and did not reflect the organization.
ISKCON Bangladesh’s general secretary Charu Chandra Das said, “Chinmoy Krishna Das is not a representative of ISKCON Bangladesh. His statement is personal and not relevant to the organization.”
An official statement released by ISKCON Bangladesh made it clear that Chinmoy Krishna Das is involved with “Bangladesh Sanmilito Sanatani Jagoron Jot,” a new coalition of individuals fighting for the rights of Hindus in the country.
The Sanatan Sanstha, another Hindu group, said that it will present a bail petition on behalf of Chinmoy Das in the Chief Metropolitan Magistrate’s Court on December 1. The organization also plans to appeal the case to the High Court if needed.
This case is set against the backdrop of rising anti-Hindu violence in Bangladesh. Since Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s resignation on August 5 amid massive anti-government protests, over 200 attacks on the minority Hindu community have been reported. Hindus constitute approximately 8% of Bangladesh’s 170 million population.
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