New Delhi

India expressed serious concern over the arrest and denial of bail to Chinmoy Krishna Das Brahmachari, the spokesperson for the Bangladesh Sanatan Jagaran Mancha and head of Pundarik Dham in Chittagong. Das, a member of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON), was detained by the Detective Branch of Dhaka Metropolitan Police at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport. Following his arrest, a court in Chittagong rejected his bail request and sent him to jail.

The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) condemned the incident, citing broader issues of violence against minorities, particularly Hindus, in Bangladesh. The MEA highlighted the ongoing attacks on minority communities, including arson, vandalism, and the desecration of temples, noting the disturbing trend of authorities failing to act against the perpetrators while prosecuting peaceful religious leaders like Das.

This incident has raised further concerns about the safety and rights of Hindus in Bangladesh, where communal violence against minorities has been increasing, particularly since the new government took office.