North News
New Delhi, November 28
The Bangladesh High Court on Thursday rejected a request to ban the activities of ISKCON in the country. The court’s decision came after being informed that authorities had already taken necessary actions, Bangladesh-based news outlet The Daily Star reported.
The ruling is significant amid growing concerns over violence against Hindus in Bangladesh. Recently, Hindu priest Chinmoy Krishna Das was arrested near Dhaka’s Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport and remains in custody. Das, a leader of the Sammilita Sanatani Jote, was detained on charges linked to unrest involving his supporters. The arrest has drawn sharp criticism from India’s Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), which condemned the violence against Hindus and other minorities in the country. MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal urged Bangladesh authorities to protect minorities and ensure justice for the perpetrators of violence, including incidents of arson, looting, and temple desecrations.
During Thursday’s proceedings, Bangladesh’s Additional Attorney General Aneek R. Haque and Deputy Attorney General Md Asad Uddin informed the court that 33 people had been arrested in connection with the murder of lawyer Saiful Islam Alif and the disturbances linked to ISKCON activities, according to the Bangladesh based news outlet. The bench, led by Justices Farah Mahbub and Debasish Roy Chowdhury, expressed hope that the government would remain vigilant in maintaining law and order and ensuring the safety of citizens, the news outlet said.
The High Court’s intervention came after Supreme Court lawyer Md Monir Uddin submitted reports to the bench, urging the government to impose a ban on ISKCON’s operations and enforce Section 144 in specific areas, including Chattogram, Rangpur, and Dinajpur.
In Chattogram, violence erupted during a protest after the court denied bail to Das in a sedition case. Lawyer Saiful Islam Alif, 32, was killed during clashes at a court building.
