The Bangladesh Hindu Buddhist Christian Unity Council has expressed deep concern and dismay over the “false and harassing cases” registered against 70 minority lawyers and two journalists in Chittagong. The case was filed at the Kotwali Police Station on November 30, alleging that these individuals were involved in homemade bomb explosions and vehicle vandalism. The Council has described it as a violation of human rights and the rule of law, and has demanded that the Bangladeshi government immediately withdraw this false case and take action for the release of the lawyers and journalists.
Meanwhile, ISKCON Kolkata has alleged that Bangladeshi authorities have also arrested two Hindu monks, Adipurush Shyam Das and Ranganath Das Brahmachari, along with the secretary of Chinmoy Krishna Das. Chinmoy Krishna Das was arrested on November 25 on charges of sedition after he hoisted a saffron flag on the Bangladeshi national flag in Chittagong. Radha Raman, the vice president of ISKCON Kolkata, said the monks were arrested when they were returning after meeting Chinmoy Krishna Das.
The situation in Bangladesh has deteriorated further since the arrest of Chinmoy Krishna Das, with clashes between his supporters and the police in the Chittagong Court Building area on November 27, resulting in the death of a lawyer. Considering the gravity of the situation, India has expressed its concern over the “increasing incidents of extremist rhetoric, violence and incitement” in Bangladesh. The Indian Ministry of External Affairs has raised this issue with the Bangladeshi government, particularly in the context of attacks targeted at Hindus and other minorities. This sequence of events highlights the growing incidents of discrimination and atrocities against religious minorities in Bangladesh, posing a serious challenge to human rights.
