On Monday, November 25, Bangladesh Police arrested a Hindu leader and ISKCON monk, plunging the strife-torn country into a new crisis months following the ouster of PM Sheikh Hasina after the murderous takeover by Islamist rioters. Chinmoy Krishna Das Brahmachari, a Hindu priest and prominent leader of Bangladesh’s religious minority, was arrested in Dhaka. Das was among the foremost leaders advocating for the safeguarding of minority rights in the predominantly Muslim nation.
The arrest comes in the wake of protests by the Hindu community in Rangpur, approximately 300 kilometres north of Dhaka, calling for stronger legal safeguards and the establishment of a dedicated ministry for minority affairs.
Radharamn Das, ISKCON’s spokesperson, expressed concern over the arrest, tweeting: “I just received the shocking news that Chinmoy Krishna Das Brahmachari, a Hindu monk and a prominent advocate for Bangladeshi minorities in these challenging times, has been detained by Dhaka police and taken to an undisclosed location. Kind attention,” while tagging External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar and the Indian High Commission in Dhaka.
I just received the shocking news that Chinmoy Krishna Das Brahmachari, a Hindu monk & the face and leader of Bangladeshi minorities in this difficult times, has been arrested by the Dhaka police and taken to an undisclosed location. Kind attention @ihcdhaka @DrSJaishankar… pic.twitter.com/J9MszoBUvy
— Radharamn Das राधारमण दास (@RadharamnDas) November 25, 2024
Das was detained earlier this week at Dhaka airport and a sedition case was filed against him earlier this month, reportedly for his uninhibited critique of violence targeting minorities, especially Hindus of Bangladesh. Over 19 individuals were charged with sedition for participating in a minority rights rally in Chittagong.
Hindus form about 8% of Bangladesh’s 170 million people. Since former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s ouster, the military-backed interim government led by Mohammed Yunus has faced growing criticism for its inability to address the rise in violence against minorities. In recent months, Hindu-owned businesses, commercial establishments, homes, and temples have been targeted across the length and breadth of the country as Islamist mobs have enjoyed free rein under a regime that seemed to have empowered religious zealots.
As per reports, tensions have gripped several cities in Bangladesh following the arrest of Das.
ALERT: Situation tense in several districts of Bangaldesh after Hindu leader Chinmoy Krishna Das was arrested under a false sedition case.
— Treeni (@TheTreeni) November 25, 2024
We request Hindus to remain vigilant of the Yunus' Islamic regime. Remain in groups, keep self defense tools.pic.twitter.com/giojEzqkld
BJP leader Suvendu Adhikari also condemned the Yunus administration, asserting that Brahmachari is at the forefront of a “fight for survival” for Hindu minorities in Bangladesh.
Renowned firebrand Hindu Leader; Shri Chinmoy Krishna Das Prabhu has been abducted by the Detective Branch at Dhaka Airport in Bangladesh.
— Suvendu Adhikari (@SuvenduWB) November 25, 2024
He is leading the fight for the survival & dignity of the Hindu Minorities of Bangladesh.
The Bangladeshi Sanatani Community fear that Md… pic.twitter.com/n5Bb6Zk2JM
“Renowned firebrand Hindu leader Shri Chinmoy Krishna Das Prabhu has been abducted by the Detective Branch at Dhaka Airport in Bangladesh. He is leading the fight for the survival and dignity of the Hindu minorities of Bangladesh. The Bangladeshi Sanatani community fears that Md Yunus’s ‘radical’ regime may go to any extent, even eliminating ‘perceived threats’ to its authority. I urge @DrSJaishankar Ji to kindly take note of the matter and take urgent steps,” Adhikari posted on X.
