Dhaka: Amid protest over the arrest of Hindu monk Chinmaya Das, ISKCON Kolkata spokesperson Radharamn Das claimed on Saturday that two more Hindu priests were arrested in Bangladesh. He said that the two priest had gone to collect prasad and were arrested on their way back to the temple.
"In the meantime, bad news has come: two devotees who went with prasad for Chinmaya Prabhu were arrested on their way back to the temple, and Chinmaya prabhu's secretary is also missing. Please pray for them," Radharamn Das posted on X on Friday night.
Speaking to PTI, Radharamn Das said, "I have received information that two more ISKCON monks have been arrested by police in Bangladesh."
In another post, Radharamn asked, "Another Brahmachari, Sri Shyam Das Prabhu, was arrested by Chattogram Police today. Does he look like a terrorist? #FreeISKCONMonks Bangladesh. The arrest of innocent #ISKCON brahmacharis are deeply shocking & disturbing."
Chinmaya Das, who also served as a spokesperson for Bangladesh Sammilita Sanatani Jagran Jote, was arrested at Dhaka's Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport on Monday while en route to Chattogram to attend a rally. He was denied bail and sent to jail on Tuesday by the Chattogram Sixth Metropolitan Magistrate Court.
Following this, three Hindu temples were vandalised by a mob in Chattogram. The slogan-shouting mob approached the temples "unprovoked" and "vandalised" them while the gates were closed. Chattogram has been witnessing protests and violence since Das was booked under sedition charges.
The attack on the temples took place around 2:30 pm on Friday in the port city's Harish Chandra Munsef Lane, where the Shantaneshwari Matri Temple, the nearby Shoni Temple, and the Shantaneshwari Kalibari Temple were targeted, news portal BDNews24.com reported.
"A group of several hundred slogan-shouting people threw brickbats at the temples, damaging the Shoni Temple and the gates of the other two temples," the news portal quoted temple authorities as saying.
Delhi vs Dhaka Over Monks Arrest
On Tuesday, New Delhi expressed concern over the monk's arrest and denial of bail, and asked Bangladesh to ensure the safety of Hindus and other minorities. India on Friday said the interim government in Bangladesh must live up to its responsibility of protecting all minorities as it expressed serious concern over the "surge" of extremist rhetoric and increasing incidents of violence against Hindus as well as attacks on temples.
External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar told Parliament that India has taken serious note of incidents of violence against minorities in Bangladesh and that it is the primary responsibility of Dhaka to protect the life and liberty of all the citizens, including minorities.
On the other hand, Bangladesh on Friday expressed deep concern over the violent protest at the Deputy High Commission in Kolkata and urged New Delhi to ensure the safety of all its diplomatic missions in India.
Decline In Hindu Population In Bangladesh
Historically, Hindus made up approximately 22 per cent of Bangladesh's population during the 1971 Liberation War.
The Hindu population, once a substantial demographic in Bangladesh, has experienced a significant decline in recent decades, with the minority community now comprising only around 8 per cent of the country's total population.
This drop is largely attributed to a combination of socio-political marginalisation, exodus and sporadic violence over the years.