Bangladesh freezes bank accounts of arrested Hindu leader Chinmoy Krishna Das, 16 others

Bangladesh’s authorities have ordered freezing for 30 days the bank accounts of 17 people associated with ISKCON, including its former member Chinmoy Krishna Das arrested this week on sedition charges, media reports said on Friday.

The move comes after the Bangladesh High Court rejected a petition seeking a ban on ISKCON, following the killing of a lawyer in a clash between the Hindu leader’s supporters and security men. The Bangladesh Financial Intelligence Unit sent directives to several banks and financial institutions on Thursday, suspending all transactions related to these accounts for a month, newspaper ‘Prothom Alo’ said.

The intelligence agency under the central Bangladesh Bank asked the banks to send information, including updated transaction statements of accounts related to all businesses owned by these 17 individuals within the next three working days, it said.

Meanwhile, three Hindu temples were vandalised by a slogan-shouting mob on Friday in Chattogram. The attack took place around 2:30 pm in the port city's Harish Chandra Munsef Lane, where Shantaneshwari Matri Temple, Shoni Temple and Shantaneshwari Kalibari Temple were targeted, a news portal reported. “A group of several hundred slogan-shouting people threw brickbats at the temples, damaging Shoni Temple and the gates of the other two temples,” the news portal quoted temple authorities as saying.

Earlier on October 30, a sedition case was filed against 19 people, including Das, at Chattogram’s Kotwali police station, accusing them of disrespecting Bangladesh’s national flag in Chattogram’s New Market area during a rally of the Hindu community.

Das, a spokesperson for the Bangladesh Sammilita Sanatani Jagran Jote, was arrested from Dhaka’s Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport on Monday for alleged sedition. He was denied bail and sent to jail by a Chattogram court on Tuesday, triggering protests by his supporters.

Meanwhile, India has reiterated that Bangladesh needs to protect minorities and also provide a fair legal process to Chinmoy Krishna Das.

Separately, sources have indicated that talks at the Foreign Secretary level between India and Bangladesh are in the works. No dates have been finalised yet.

Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal, when asked about the meeting, said today, “These meetings as and when we have them firmed up, you will come to know, if they are happening.” Jaiswal said, “India has consistently and strongly raised with the Bangladesh Government the threats and targeted attacks on Hindus and other minorities.”

Our position on the matter is clear — the interim government must live up to its responsibility of protecting all minorities. We are concerned at the surge of extremist rhetoric, increasing incidents of violence and provocation, Jaiswal added.

These developments cannot be dismissed only as media exaggeration, the MEA spokesperson added. On ISKCON, he said it was a globally well-regarded organisation with a strong record of social service. On the arrest of Das, Jaiswal said, “It is our expectation that cases against individuals have processes to deal with the case in a just, fair and transparent manner, ensuring full respect for the legal rights of all concerned.

Meanwhile, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar told Parliament that India had taken a serious note of incidents of violence against minorities in Bangladesh and that it was the primary responsibility of Dhaka to protect the life and liberty of all the citizens, including minorities.

"The primary responsibility for the protection of life and liberty of all citizens of Bangladesh, including minorities, rests with the government of Bangladesh," Jaishankar said. — TNS & PTI