Bangladesh Financial Intelligence Unit (BFIU), a wing of the country's central bank, has directed banks to freeze the accounts of 17 individuals associated with the International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON) Bangladesh, including Hindu monk Chinmoy Krishna Das Brahmachari, for 30 days.

The other people are Kartik Chandra Dey, Anik Pal, Soroj Roy, Sushanta Das, Biswha Kumar Singha, Chandidas Bala, Jaydev Karmakar, Lipi Rani Karmakar, Sudhama Gaur Das, Lakkhan Kanti Das, Priyatosh Das, Rupan Das, Rupan Kumar Dhar, Ashish Purohit, Jagadish Chandra Adhikari and Sajal Das, reported The Daily Star.

The development came just days after Brahmachari was arrested over sedition charges from Dhaka airport on November 25 which triggered violence across Bangladesh.

He is accused of hoisting a saffron flag above the Bangladeshi national flag in October when he participated in a rally.

More than 2,000 instances of atrocities have taken place in Bangladesh since Sheikh Hasina's government was ousted in August 2024, a recent report by the All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) for the Commonwealth reveals.

The report alleges that the interim regime has manipulated the legal system to target political rivals, journalists, and former officials, while also noting the growing power of Islamist extremists, according to tbsnews.net.

This misuse of the legal framework has raised serious concerns about human rights and the integrity of the rule of law.

"The politicisation of the legal system in Bangladesh is nothing new. Indeed, Professor Yunas himself was sentenced to six months in jail after being accused of violating the country's labour laws in January 2024 under the previous administration," says the report.