RRAG condemns arrest of Bangladeshi ISKON leader Chinmoy Krishna Das Brahmachari at Dhaka

The Rights & Risks Analysis Group (RRAG) has condemned the arrest of Bangladeshi ISKON leader Chinmoy Krishna Das Brahmachari on Monday from the Dhaka airport as an act to suppress and silence the religious minorities in the country. He was prevented from travelling abroad at Dhaka International Airport, taken to a police station and was arrested.

On 30 October, a sedition case was filed at Kotwali police station, Chittagong against 19 Hindus including two from the International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON) for allegedly hoisting a saffron flag over Bangladesh’s national flag at Chittagong's New Market intersection on 25 October. The 19 accused are Chandan Kumar Dhar alias Chinmoy Krishna Das Brahmachari (38), Iskcon’s Chittagong divisional organizing secretary; Ajay Dutta (34) Coordinator of Hindu Jagran Manch’s Chittagong's; Leela Raj Das Brahmachari (48) Principal of the Prabartak ISKCON temple in the city; Gopal Das Tipu (38); Dr Kathak Das (40); Amit Dhar (38); Roni Das (38); Rajib Das (32); Krishna Kumar Dutta (52); Jiku Chowdhury (40); Newton Dey (38); Tushar Chakraborty Rajib (28); Mithun Dey (35); Rupan Dhar (35); Rimon Dutta (28); Sukanta Das (28); Biswajit Gupta (42); Rajesh Chowdhury (28); and Hriday Das (25). Further, about 15-20 unidentified individuals are included as accused in the case.

“The sedition case was filed to ensure that the Hindu minorities cannot organize and exercise their right to freedom of association and assembly to highlight human rights violations upon them. This is the same tactic followed by Dr Mohammed Yunus regime in the Chittagong Hill Tracts (CHTs) where four hill tribes were killed, over 70 injured and hundreds of houses and business establishment were burnt on 19-20 September after the tribal students organized the biggest protests on 18 September at Khagrachari Sadar in the CHTs.” – stated Mr Suhas Chakma, Director of the RRAG

“Dr Yunus is turning out to be a dictator invoking sedition offence to silence critics too. On 9 October, a case of sedition and defamation was filed against Tapashee Tabassum Urmi, the suspended Assistant Commissioner of Lalmonirhat in Khulna after she allegedly made negative comments  against Dr Yunus.” - further  stated Mr Chakma.

The RRAG called for immediate release of Dr ISKON leader Chinmoy Krishna Das Brahmachari.

Over 2,000  cases of alleged attacks on the religious minorities were reported since 5 August 2024 after the fall of Sheikh Hasina and these violations were described by Dr Yunus without any investigation as attacks for being supporters of the Awami League.  This policy of Dr Yunus has further made religious minorities more vulnerable.