Bangladesh’s authorities have ordered freezing for 30 days the bank accounts of 17 people associated with ISKCON, including its former member Chinmoy Krishna Das arrested this week on sedition charges.
Bangladesh On The Boil Is It Turning Into Another Pakistan
After the arrest of ISKCON priest Chinmoy Krishna Das Brahmachari in Bangladesh, there are demands for a ban on the Vaishnava sect known for its peaceful ways and its global presence. Bangladesh’s authorities have ordered freezing for 30 days the bank accounts of 17 people associated with ISKCON, including its former member Chinmoy Krishna Das arrested this week on sedition charges.
The move comes after the Bangladesh High Court rejected a petition seeking a ban on International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON), following the killing of a lawyer in a clash between the Hindu leader’s supporters and security personnel. The Bangladesh Financial Intelligence Unit (BFIU) sent these directives to different banks and financial institutions on Thursday, suspending all types of transactions related to these accounts for a month.
The financial intelligence agency under the central Bangladesh Bank asked the banks and financial institutions to send information, including updated transaction statements of accounts related all businesses owned by these 17 individuals, within the next three working days, it said. On October 30, a sedition case was filed against 19 people, including Das, at Chattogram’s Kotwali Police Station, accusing them of disrespecting Bangladesh’s national flag in Chattogram’s New Market area during a rally of the Hindu community.
Hindus — the community constituted about 22 per cent of Bangladesh’s population during the 1971 Liberation War, now make up roughly 8 per cent – have been frequently reporting atrocities against their community members in different parts of Bangladesh.
There are also reports of the rise of extremist groups such as the Jamaat-e-Islami and similar ideological extremist wings. They also demanded the extradition of deposed prime minister Sheikh Hasina, who had fled to India in August amid massive student-led protests. The students accused India of “border killings”, religious persecution and attempts to instigate communal strife in Bangladesh.
Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said India has consistently and strongly raised with the Bangladeshi government the threats and “targeted attacks” on Hindus and other minorities.
