Hindu monks arrested in Bangladesh

Hindus constitute approximately 8% of Bangladesh’s 170 million population. On November 25th 2024, the arrest of Chinmoy Krishna Das Brahmachari, a Hindu leader and prominent ISKCON monk, intensified the already volatile situation in the country following months of unrest after the ousting of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.

Das, an advocate for minority rights in the predominantly Muslim nation, was detained at Dhaka’s main airport on sedition charges[1].

The arrest stemmed from an October 25th incident in Chittagong, where a religious flag was reportedly raised above the national flag of Bangladesh. This act was deemed by authorities as “desecration” and accused of aiming to destabilize the nation. The case, filed by Md Feroze Khan, implicates Krishna Das and 18 others under highly stringent and regressive sedition laws.

(Krishna Das Brahmachari. Source: X)

Protests erupted in Dhaka and Chittagong over Das’s detention, leading to violent clashes. A lawyer, Saiful Islam, was killed in Dhaka, reportedly hacked to death by protesters who dragged him from his chamber, in an attempt to deter lawyers from representing the hindu monk. Six others sustained injuries during the unrest, as reported by Chittagong Medical College Hospital.

Further complicating matters, the Bangladeshi government, in an affidavit to the High Court, labeled ISKCON as a “religious fundamentalist group”.

ISKCON, has been actively involved in providing humanitarian relief during every crisis that has hit Bangladesh. The organization is known for distributing free food and essential supplies to flood-affected communities in Bangladesh. For instance, during the August 2024 floods that affected 5.8 million Bangladeshis, ISKCON helped by distributing meals and basic necessities in some of the worst affected areas, continuing its long-standing tradition of disaster relief.

(ISKCON devotees distributing free food during August 2024 flood in Bangladesh: Source: X)

Das’s arrest highlights the growing marginalization of minorities amid escalating Islamist extremism under Mohammad Yunus, running the caretaker government in Bangladesh.

Devotees and ISKCON members during a peace rally against the attack on Bangladesh’s Hindu minorities. File photo | Photo Credit: Murali Kumar

Playing with fire: Releasing Islamists and terrorists from prison

The attack on freedom of religion is attributed among many things to the release of the chief of the Al-Qaeda-inspired terrorist organization ‘Ansarullah Bangla Team (ABT)’ chief Mufti Jashimuddin Rahamani from jail by the caretaker Yunus government. In an effort to appease the radical islamists to bring them on his side, the Yunus govt has been at best turning a blind eye to the increase in attacks on the minorities and at worst having some parts of administration complicit with the perpetrators.

Extremist cleric Jasimuddin Rahmani was released from prison on Aug. 26, 2024

US Leaders reactions: Condemning attacks on Hindus and other minorities in Bangladesh

Donald Trump, former U.S. President and 2024 Republican presidential candidate, has condemned the violence against Hindus and other minorities in Bangladesh, criticizing the lack of global attention to the issue. He described the situation as “barbaric” and “chaotic,” claiming such atrocities would not have occurred under his leadership. Trump also accused the Biden administration of neglecting Hindu communities worldwide. His remarks have been praised by Hindu organizations like ISKCON, which emphasize the urgent need for international leaders to address these human rights violations.

Tulsi Gabbard, a former U.S. Congresswoman, has similarly denounced the violence, blaming the Bangladeshi government for failing to protect religious minorities from “jihadist forces of hate.” She expressed heartbreak over the destruction of Hindu temples and the targeting of Hindu, Christian, and Buddhist communities. Gabbard, known for her advocacy of minority rights, has also introduced a resolution in Congress addressing these issues and linking current violence to past atrocities against Hindus during the 1971 Bangladesh Liberation War.

[1] https://www.indiatoday.in/world/story/hindus-bangladesh-face-sedition-case-saffron-flag-communal-rot-protests-chattogram-pm-modi-trump-targetting-minorities-2626398-2024-11-01