A slogan-shouting mob vandalized three Hindu temples in Chattogram, Bangladesh on Friday. According to reports, the attack on the temples took place on Friday afternoon in Harish Chandra Munsef Lane in the port city, where Shantaneshwari Matri Temple, nearby Shoni Temple and Shantaneshwari Kalibari Temple were targeted.
Protests and violence have been witnessed in different parts of Bangladesh after a former ISKCON member, Chinmoy Krishna Das, was booked under treason charges. At the same time, the Bangladesh government has ordered to freeze the bank accounts of 17 people associated with this organization, including former ISKCON member Chinmoy Krishna Das, for 30 days.
Taking seriously the attacks on minority Hindus in Bangladesh, India has spoken to the government there. Also, the High Commission of India in Dhaka has been instructed to closely monitor the situation related to minorities in Bangladesh.
Foreign Minister S. Jaishankar told the Lok Sabha on Friday that India is worried about the attacks on Hindus in Bangladesh. The Government has noted and taken seriously several reports of violence against Hindus and other minority communities, including attacks on their homes, business establishments and religious places. Concerns have also been shared with the Government of Bangladesh.
Even a day earlier, the Minister of State for External Affairs had said in the Rajya Sabha that the responsibility for the security of minorities in Bangladesh rests with the government there. The Ministry of External Affairs says that India has strongly raised the issue of attacks on Hindus and other minorities along with the Bangladesh government at international forums. India clearly believes that the interim government of Bangladesh should shoulder the responsibility of protecting minorities.
Stones thrown at three temples
The Ministry of External Affairs described ISKCON as a social service organization and expressed hope that legal rights would be fully respected. They will be able to get fair and transparent justice. On the other hand, the three temples targeted by the mob in Chattogram included Santaneshwari Matri Temple, nearby Shani Temple and Santaneshwari Kalibari Temple.
“A group of hundreds of slogan-shouting people hurled bricks and stones at the temples, damaging the gates of the Shani temple and two other temples,” a news portal quoted temple authorities as saying. Member Tapan Das said that after the Friday prayers, a crowd of hundreds of people came, raised anti-Hindu and anti-ISKCON slogans and started the attack. The situation came under control after calling the army.
Johnny Moore, former commissioner of the US Commission on International Religious Freedom and former spiritual advisor to then President Donald Trump, has criticized the interim government of Bangladesh for the situation of Hindus and other minorities there. He said that at this time there is no minority who is not feeling threatened. Muhammad Yunus is failing. The first responsibility of the government is to protect the people who feel threatened.
He said that at this time there is an existential threat not only to the minorities of Bangladesh but to the entire country. Criticizing the arrest of Chinmoy Krishna Das, he said that there is a perception among minorities that if they can go after him, they can go after any of them. The global Christian community stands with the Hindus of Bangladesh. Moore said that according to reports coming from Bangladesh, the lawyer defending Chinmay was murdered outside the court during the protests.
Conservative Party MP in Britain Bob Blackman said in Parliament that Hindus in Bangladesh are being killed, their temples are being burnt, their spiritual leaders are being arrested and their houses are being burnt. .
There was a demand to ban ISKCON. This is a direct attack on Hindus. Now there is a threat of action from India. It is the responsibility of Britain to look into this matter because it was they who made the independence of Bangladesh possible. Labor and Co-operative Party MP Lucy Powell also echoed his views and said she would ask the Foreign Ministry to consider Bangladesh’s case.
Diplomatic missions of Bangladesh in India should get security
Bangladesh expressed concern on Friday over violent protests outside its Deputy High Commission in Kolkata and requested India to ensure security of all its diplomatic missions. Also said that he should take necessary steps to prevent recurrence of such incidents.
In the statement issued by the Foreign Ministry of Bangladesh, it has also been claimed that during the demonstration, the flag of Bangladesh and the effigy of the head of the interim government, Muhammad Yunus, were burnt. At the same time, Home Minister of the interim government Asif Nazrul said that India adopts double standards on the security of minority communities and its media is running a large-scale propaganda campaign against Bangladesh.