The petition to ban ISKCON cited media reports alleging the organization’s activities were provoking communal unrest…reports Asian Lite News
The Bangladesh High Court on Thursday declined a request to ban the International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON), following a petition filed after a lawyer’s death in clashes between security forces and supporters of Hindu leader Chinmoy Krishna Das. Das, recently expelled from ISKCON, was arrested on sedition charges earlier in the week, sparking the violence.
Advocate Saiful Islam, an assistant public prosecutor, was killed during the clashes on Tuesday. The petition to ban ISKCON cited media reports alleging the organization’s activities were provoking communal unrest. The court directed the attorney general to provide details on government actions concerning ISKCON’s activities and received updates during Thursday’s hearing.
Additional Attorney General Aneek R. Haque and Deputy Attorney General Asad Uddin informed the bench that three cases related to Islam’s murder and ISKCON’s activities had been registered, resulting in the arrest of 33 individuals. The court expressed hope that authorities would maintain law and order and protect lives and property.
Separately, a group of lawyers issued a legal notice urging the government to ban ISKCON, describing it as a “radical organization” and accusing it of inciting communal tensions and forcibly recruiting members from lower Hindu castes. The notice, citing a book by former intelligence officials, alleged ISKCON’s involvement in sectarian provocations through religious events. It called for action under the Anti-Terrorism Act, 2009, and prosecution of those responsible for Islam’s murder.
India expressed concern over Chinmoy Das’s arrest and urged Bangladesh to ensure the safety of Hindus and other minorities. The developments come amid heightened scrutiny of ISKCON’s role in the region, with ongoing debates about its influence on traditional Hindu communities and its broader impact on communal harmony in Bangladesh.
Meanwhile, ISKCON said it backs the cause for which Das stands while seeking re-establishment of an atmosphere of peaceful coexistence with minorities in the neighbouring nation.
In a statement, the ISCKON wrote: “ISKCON has not, and does not distance itself from supporting Chinmoy Krishna Das’s rights and freedom for peacefully calling for protecting Hindus and their places of worship. We also support, along with all other sanatani groups, protection and safety of Hindus, and re-establishing an atmosphere of peaceful coexistence with minorities in Bangladesh. Many of our press statements and interviews have made this fully clear. We have only clarified, something that was already said by us in the past many months, regarding him not officially representing ISKCON in Bangladesh.”
Chinmoy Krishna, also known as Krishna Prabhu Das, was taken into custody by the Detective Branch of Dhaka Metropolitan Police at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport on Monday evening.
Chinmoy Krishna was not only associated with the Bangladesh Jatiya Hindu Mohajot (BJHM), a grand national alliance of 23 religious organisations in the country but also with the International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON).
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