Dhaka [Bangladesh]: The Bangladesh Hindu Buddhist Christian Unity Council has strongly condemned what it calls a “false and harassing case” filed against 70 minority lawyers and two journalists in Chittagong. The case, which includes fabricated charges of “crude bomb” explosions and car vandalism, was filed on Saturday at the Kotwali police station.
In an official statement issued on Sunday, the council described the case as an attempt to obstruct a sedition case against spiritual preacher Chinmoy Krishna Das Brahmachari and suppress news coverage of the incident. They argued that such actions violate human rights and undermine the rule of law.
The council demanded that the Bangladeshi government and law enforcement authorities immediately withdraw the case and release the detained lawyers and journalists.
On the same day, ISKCON Kolkata accused Bangladeshi authorities of arresting two monks, Adipurush Shyam Das and Ranganath Das Brahmachari, along with Chinmoy Krishna Das’s secretary. According to ISKCON Kolkata Vice President Radha Raman, the monks were detained on November 29 while returning from a visit to Chinmoy Krishna Das, who was arrested on November 25 for alleged sedition.
“On November 29, when Adipurush Shyam Das and Ranganath Das Brahmachari were returning after meeting Chinmoy Krishna Prabhu, they were arrested by the police. We are also receiving information that the secretary of Chinmoy Krishna Das has also been arrested,” Radha Raman stated in a video message. He also claimed that rioters had vandalized an ISKCON center in Bangladesh.
The tensions stem from allegations that Chinmoy Krishna Das hoisted a saffron flag above Bangladesh’s national flag in Chittagong on October 25, leading to sedition charges against him. The unrest escalated after his arrest, with a lawyer being killed during clashes between police and alleged followers of the spiritual leader in the Chattogram Court Building area on November 27.
India has expressed concern over the increasing violence and provocation in Bangladesh. The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) highlighted the rise in extremist rhetoric and targeted attacks on minority communities, urging the Bangladeshi government to address the issue.