On November 25, 2024, Chinmoy Krishna Das, a member of ISKCON, was arrested at Dhaka’s Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport on sedition charges. His unjust arrest that was not based on specific charges has been a point of contention, and part of a broader pattern of persecution against minorities. Following the arrest, there have been protests by the Hindu community in various locations, including Dhaka and Chattogram. On November 29, 2024, three Hindu temples in Chattogram were attacked by a mob, causing damage to the temples. Clashes during these protests left over 20 people injured, with three in critical condition. The situation escalated further when two more ISKCON priests were arrested, and an ISKCON center in Bhairav was vandalized. Following the arrest of Chinmoy Krishna Das, Saiful Islam Alif, an assistant public prosecutor in Chattogram, was killed during the violent clashes between security personnel involving Islamic radicals. The situation has escalated tensions between India and Bangladesh, with India expressing deep concern over the safety of Hindus and other minorities in Bangladesh.
ISKCON has called for worldwide prayers on December 1, 2024, to support the safety and security of religious minorities in Bangladesh. The attacks on the Hindu community in Bangladesh have drawn international attention, with calls for intervention from various political leaders and organizations. The situation remains tense, with ongoing concerns about the safety of religious minorities in Bangladesh.
Earlier this year Muhammad Yunus assumed leadership as Chief Adviser of Bangladesh, and ever since there have been numerous incidents of attacks on Hindu homes, businesses, and temples. The situation has led to significant damage and loss for the Hindu community, with reports of homes being looted and set on fire. There have been videos circulating on social media, including Twitter, that clearly show attacks on Hindus by Muslim mobs in Bangladesh.There have been reports of Hindu homes being burned in Bangladesh amid the ongoing violence and unrest. The arrest of Chinmoy Krishna Das, a ISKCON member, on sedition charges has been a focal point of the latest round of violence which has been particularly brutal.
The current situation in Bangladesh is reminiscent of the events during the Bangladesh Liberation War in 1971, during which the Hindu community faced severe persecution and violence. Islamic radicals in collaboration with the Pakistani military targeted Hindus, leading to widespread atrocities, including mass killings, rapes, and forced conversions. The violence against Hindus was part of a broader strategy by the Pakistani establishment to suppress the independence movement. Many Hindus were forced to flee to India, seeking refuge from the brutal campaign.
According to historians, researchers and journalists, the goons of General Yahya Khan – the military and its local East Bengal collaborators – killed more than 25,000 Hindus in the first three months after “Operation Searchlight” went underway on the night of March 25. Numerous other Hindus were killed along with others in the battlefields and other places during the mass murders of the pro-liberation people during the war, in which the total death toll would not be less than three million. Due to the butchery, rape, arson and looting by the military and their collaborators, nearly two million people fled to India. The massacre of the Hindus was carried out systematically across the country until the end of the war – thanks to the local collaborators of the military. They drove away the Hindus, who survived, and looted their homes and businesses before allowing them to leave the country, albeit in exchange for money.
During those years the collaborators with the Pakistani army, such as Razakar force, al-Badr, al-Shams and Mujahid Bahini systematically helped the Pakistani occupation forces to identify the Hindus, and carry out chilling genocidal rituals. Hindus were sought out and killed on the spot.
Yet official wartime narratives prepared by the then government led by military strongman Ziaur Rahman do not contain information of the planned killings of Hindus. The current situation in Bangladesh is nothing short of what happened then. There have been over 2,000 attacks on Hindus since August 2024.
Despite facing criticism for his handling of violence against religious minorities, including Hindus Muhammad Yunus has not only failed to provide protection to religious minorities but has downplayed the violence, describing it as “exaggerated propaganda.” Yunus’s attitude is a major departure from Sheikh Hasina’s regime who took a strong stance against Islamic radicals during her time in power. Her government frequently reported crackdowns on alleged Islamist extremists and adopted a zero-tolerance policy towards religious militancy. This approach included numerous operations against radical fundamentalist groups that created unrest by attacking Hindus. Her regime was able to maintain a degree of control over radical elements.
India’s Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) has voiced serious concerns over escalating attacks on Hindu temples and the arrest of Hindu priest, Chinmoy Krishna Das. The MEA has urged the Bangladeshi government to protect its minorities and ensure their safety.
There have been reports of the Indian flag being desecrated at the Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology (BUET). Students were seen stepping on the Indian flag, which was deliberately placed at the entrance of the university. This act has sparked widespread outrage and condemnation in India.
Muslims in India have expressed solidarity with and serious concern for the Hindu community. Leader of the Indian Secular Front (ISF), MLA Naushad Siddiqui has emphasised the need to protect the Hindus in Bangladesh and demanded that Bangladeshis show respect towards the Indian flag.
Johnnie Moore, the former Commissioner of the United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF), has expressed strong concerns about the safety of minorities in Bangladesh. In a recent interview, he stated that “there isn’t a minority in the country that doesn’t feel under threat right now” and criticized the interim government led by Muhammad Yunus for failing to protect them. Moore highlighted the arrest of Hindu priest Chinmoy Krishna Das and the subsequent violence as examples of the existential threat faced by minorities. He observed, “My concern is that those willing to help Bangladesh in its time of need, some of those have nefarious purposes in mind. What we cannot have, we cannot have a country overtaken by terrorists or communists or other interests which would be a threat not only to the Bangladeshi people, to Southeast Asia, but to the entire world.” He also mentioned that the global Christian community stands in solidarity with the Hindu community in Bangladesh.
On November 30, the All Minorities Association of Bangladesh demonstrated at the iconic Broken Chair monument located in front of the UN office in Geneva. Joined by Swiss nationals, the protestors highlighted the atrocities faced by Hindus in Bangladesh which has been witnessing political turmoil for the past several months.
And rather than taking steps to diffuse the tensions and stop persecution of the Hindus, the Yunus government has arrested yet another Hindu priest, Shyam Das Prabhu without any official warrant. The attack occurred around 2:30pm (Nov 29) at the Harish Chandra Munsef Lane, where the Shantaneshwari Matri Temple, the nearby Shani Temple, and Shantaneshwari Kalibari Temple were targeted, reported bdnews24. Temple authorities told the news portal that a large number of radical Islamic slogan-shouting mobs threw brickbats at the temples which damaged the Hindu Shani Temple and the gates of the other two Hindu temples.
What is truly disheartening is that fifty years after its liberation, a caretaker government has decided not to recognize the systematic genocide perpetrated against the Hindus in Bangladesh as part of a blueprint of ethnic cleansing. Under Muhammad Yunus rule, the Razakars that facilitated the Pakistani occupation forces have emerged from the shadows to once again carry out genocidal acts against Hindus in Bangladesh. (European Times)