After Chinmoy Das, another Hindu priest arrested in Bangladesh: report

Last update:November 30, 2024, 6:02 pm EST

ISKCON Vice President and Spokesperson in Kolkata Radharaman Das shared a photo of the young priest and claimed that he had been arrested.

Priest Shyam Das Prabhu (Photo: X/ @RadharamnDas)

Days after spiritual leader Chinmoy Krishna Das was arrested on Saturday, another Hindu priest was allegedly arrested in Bangladesh. According to reports, the priest, identified as Shyam Das Prabhu, went to the jail to meet Chinmoy Das.

Vice President and Spokesperson of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON) Kolkata Radharaman Das shared a photo of the young priest and claimed that he has been arrested.

“Does he look like a terrorist? #FreeISKCONMonks Bangladesh. The arrest of innocent ISKCON brahmacharis is deeply shocking and disturbing,” X wrote in the post.

Prabhu’s arrest came days after protests by former ISKCON monk and popular face of Bangladesh’s Hindu minority, Chinmoy Das was arrested and jailed on sedition charges. The arrest sparked widespread, violent clashes in Bangladesh. On Tuesday, a prosecutor was killed and several others injured in clashes between police and supporters of the Hindu leader after he was denied bail and sent to prison by a court in Chittagong.

Clashes broke out when angry supporters surrounded the prison van carrying Chinmoy. Protesters threw stones, prompting security forces to use stun grenades and baton charges to disperse the crowd. Ultimately, the Hindu monk was taken to prison in a police vehicle.

A former ISKCON monk, associated with the Bangladeshi group Sammilito Sanatan Jagaran Jote, was arrested at Dhaka airport on Monday. His organization has loudly called for the protection of the Hindu minority in Bangladesh.

Meanwhile, on Friday, unprovoked the crowd devastated three Hindu temples in Chattogram and shouted anti-Hindu and anti-ISKCON slogans. News portal BDNews24.com reported that the three temples that were targeted were Shantaneshwari Matri Temple, Shoni Temple and Shantaneshwari Kalibari Temple.

A crowd of several hundred people shouted slogans and threw brick sticks at temples, which, according to local media reports, damaged the Shoni Temple and the gates of the other two temples. Kotwali police station chief Abdul Karim confirmed the attack, saying the attackers were trying to damage temples.

Local authorities ordered freeze bank accounts local media reports that 17 people associated with ISKCON, including Chinmoy Krishna Das, have been imprisoned for 30 days. According to Prothom Alo newspaper, on Thursday, the Bangladesh Financial Intelligence Unit (BFIU) issued an order to freeze bank accounts of various banks and financial institutions.

“All types of transactions in the bank accounts of these persons will remain suspended for 30 days,” reads the BFIU order.

India on Friday called on Bangladesh’s interim government to uphold its responsibility to protect all minorities, expressing deep concern over the rising tide of extremist rhetoric and rising incidents of violence in the neighboring country. However, Bangladesh responded to India’s concerns claiming that India had a “double standard” in protecting minorities.

Location:

Dhaka, Bangladesh