Bangladesh High Court on refused to pass a suo moto order to ban the International Society for Krishna Consciousness (Iskcon) in the country after the government submitted a report on its position on the Hindu religious organisation amid the ongoing violence which spiralled this week after the arrest of a Hindu monk on sedition charges.
Bangladesh High Court Rejects Plea To Ban ISKCON
Why In News
- Bangladesh High Court on refused to pass a suo moto order to ban the International Society for Krishna Consciousness (Iskcon) in the country after the government submitted a report on its position on the Hindu religious organisation amid the ongoing violence which spiralled this week after the arrest of a Hindu monk on sedition charges.
- The court’s refusal came a day after the Bangladesh government had filed a writ petition to ban Iskcon, which it termed a “religious fundamentalist organisation” as a result of the nationwide violence that stemmed from expelled Iskcon monk, Chinmoy Krishna Das Brahmachari’s arrest from the Dhaka airport
All You Need To Know
- Chinmoy Das has been charged in a sedition case for allegedly disrespecting Bangladesh’s national flag during a rally in October. During the hearing Additional Attorney General Aneek R Haque and Deputy Attorney General Md Asad Uddin informed the court three separate cases have been filed in connection with the killing of a Muslim lawyer during protests in Chittagong on and the arrest of 33 people linked to the violence.
- In response, the High Court expressed hope about the government remaining cautious about protecting the law and order situation, as well as the lives and properties of the people of Bangladesh. Jatiyatabadi Ainjibi Forum on Thursday also staged a protest against the lawyer’s killing and demanded a ban on ISKCON.
- The organisation is associated with Khaleda Zia’s Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP). Leaders of the Anti-Discrimination Students Movement, which led the recent student protests in Bangladesh and played a part in the ouster of Hasina earlier this year, called for a ban as well.
- Reports claimed that Iskcon Bangladesh dissociated itself from Chinmoy Krishna Das and said it was not responsible for the expelled member’s words and actions. ISKCON Bangladesh general secretary Charu Chandra Das Brahmachari said in a press conference that the organisation was never involved in “communal or conflict-driven activities”.
- Das added that Chinmoy was previously expelled from the organisation for violating its rules and none of his activities were connected to ISKCON.
- In an official statement on November 26, Iskcon Bangladesh did not refer to Chinmoy Krishna Das as a member of the organisation, but referred to him as a spokesperson of “Bangaldesh Sanmilito Sanatani Jagoron Jot” — a newly formed umbrella body spearheading the fight to secure rights for Bangladeshi Hindus.
Indian Government
- Indian government has repeatedly raised concerns over reports of attacks on Hindu temples in Bangladesh, in the aftermath of the ouster of Sheikh Hasina’s government. On Tuesday, it expressed “deep concern” over Chinmoy’s arrest and urged Dhaka to ensure the safety of Hindus and other minority groups.
