Who is Chinmoy Krishna Das Brahmachari, the Bangladesh Monk Whose Arrest Sparked Calls for a Ban on ISKCON?
Minority communities in Bangladesh have been at the receiving end of atrocities by extremist elements after the ouster of Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina Wajid, and New Delhi has voiced concern, asking the caretaker Bangladesh Government to protect the lives and properties of Hindu communities.
The latest in this worrying pattern has been the arrest of ISKCON Monk Chinmoy Krishna Das Brahmachari for leading protests against the increasing violence against the Hindu community.
Who is Chinmoy Krishna Das Brahmachari?
He was also slapped with sedition charges, and there are calls for a ban on ISKCON in Bangladesh. The latest incident has increased tensions between the Bangladesh Government and India.
Chinmoy Krishna Das Brahmachari, also known as Krishna Das Prabhu, is an ISKCON monk and Hindu leader associated with the Gaudiya Vaishnav organization.
Chinmoy Krishna Das originally hails from the Satkania Upazila in Chittagong and served as the Chittagong divisional secretary of ISKCON.
Chinmoy Krishna Das Brahmachari is a brilliant orator, and this led to him being referred to as the ‘Shishu Bokta,’ or ‘child orator.’
However, he is a controversial figure and was expelled in October this year for contravening the rules of the sect.
He is an outspoken critic of the present government and was at the forefront of protests against the persecution of the Hindu community.
His arrest led to mass protests in Bangladesh, and there have been incidences of violence with the interim government led by Nobel Laureate Mohammed Yunus.
The Bangladesh Government has stated that it is taking the matter very seriously.
Chinmoy Krishna Das Brahmachari has been charged with sedition and disrespecting the Bangladesh National Flag. He is accused of placing a saffron flag above the national flag of Bangladesh.
Chinmoy Krishna Das Brahmachari is also charged with “desecration” of and “contempt for the country’s sovereignty.”
Meanwhile, the court has denied bail for Das, and this has led to a communal flare-up in Chittagong, resulting in the death of one person. There are also unconfirmed reports that the lawyer representing Das has been killed.
However, the High Court has refused to ban ISKCON after a Supreme Court lawyer filed a writ to this effect.
The lawyer alleged that ISKCON is a fundamentalist organization causing instability in the country. The plea to ban ISKCON is also backed by a student organization that led the movement for the ouster of Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina Wajid.
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