In Bangladesh, law enforcement authorities used batons and fired sound grenades at devotees and followers of Chinmoy Krishna Das Brahmachari, also known as Chinmoy Prabhu of ISKCON Pundrik Dham, who had gathered outside the Chittagong Magistrate’s Court to demand the release of their leader.
Earlier on Tuesday, the Chittagong Metropolitan Court ordered the imprisonment of Chinmoy Prabhu, who also serves as the spokesperson for the Bangladesh Sammilita Sanatani Jagran Manch, after rejecting his bail plea. He was arrested by Dhaka police on Monday at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport while attempting to board a flight to Chittagong.
Chinmoy Krishna Das and the Bangladesh Sammilita Sanatani Jagran Jote have been advocating for the rights and safety of the Sanatani (Hindu) community across Bangladesh. They have raised eight key demands for the protection and rights of minorities in the country.
Following his arrest, thousands of Hindu men and women held protest marches in Chittagong, particularly in the Cheragi Pahar area, demanding his immediate release. Similar rallies were held in cities including Dhaka, Rangpur, Khulna, and Cox’s Bazar.
In Dhaka, protesters were attacked by miscreants while marching near Shahbagh Junction, leaving two individuals injured.
On October 30, a sedition case was filed against Chinmoy Prabhu and 18 others at Kotwali Police Station in Chittagong. The charges were related to allegedly hoisting a saffron flag above the official flag of Bangladesh during a public rally at Laldighi Maidan in Chattogram on October 25.
Following large-scale public rallies by the Hindu community in Chittagong on October 25 and in Rangpur, North Bangladesh on November 22, Chinmoy Prabhu has sparked significant attention in Bangladesh’s socio-political circles.
By – Navalsang Parmar (Dhaka)