ISKCON Kolkata condemns ‘murder’ of Hindu priest in Bangladesh

KOLKATA

ISKCON Kolkata has strongly condemned the alleged murder of a Hindu priest in Bangladesh, accusing Bangladeshi extremists of killing him at a cremation ground temple in Natore. The organization has also criticized the Bangladeshi interim government for failing to protect religious minorities, who are enduring “unabated torture and killings” following the fall of Sheikh Hasina’s administration.

According to Radharamn Das, a spokesperson for ISKCON Kolkata, the priest, identified as Tarun Chandra Das, was brutally murdered after being tied up at the Kashimpur Central Shmashana temple. The priest’s lifeless body was found with his hands and feet bound, and valuables were looted from the temple. “Even Hindu crematoriums are not safe anymore,” Das remarked in a video posted on social media. While the local police have termed the incident a robbery, Das questioned the police’s assertion, pointing out that attacks on Hindu institutions are disproportionately targeted.

He further referenced an Indian government report revealing that over 2,200 cases of violence against Hindus and minorities were reported in Bangladesh this year alone, a number he believes is underreported. Adding to the growing concerns, a social media post from the ‘Voice of Bangladeshi Hindus’ page shared images of idols vandalized in a temple in Jharbari village, allegedly by members of the Jamaat. Monks monitoring the situation have raised alarms over the ongoing persecution of Hindus, with reports of homes being vandalized, property seized, and temples under attack.