Days after his arrest, the Bangladesh authorities have frozen the bank accounts of Iskcon monk Chinmoy Krishna Das and 16 others.
On the orders of the Bangladesh Financial Intelligence Unit, the bank accounts have been frozen for a period of 30 days. The agency asked the banks to send account-related information, including updated transaction statements of all the businesses owned by the 17 people withing three days.
#WATCH | On the detention of ISKCON Bangladesh priest Chinmoy Krishna Das by Dhaka police, Sri Sri Ravishankar says, "It is unbecoming of a Prime Minister of a neighbouring country to arrest a spiritual leader. He is not taking weapons, he is not taking guns, he is caring for his… pic.twitter.com/vXvjydC7B4
— ANI (@ANI) November 26, 2024
The Iskcon monk's bail was rejected and he was sent to jail by a Chattogram court on Tuesday.
This comes as a mob vandalised three Hindu temples in Chattogram, where protests erupted over Das's arrest over sedition. Shantaneshwari Matri Temple, Shoni Temple and Shantaneshwari Kalibari Temple were targeted by the mob around 2.30 pm.
India on Friday asked the Bangladesh interim government to live up to its responsibility of protecting all minorities amid rising extremist rhetoric and violence against Hindus and temple.
Clarifying ISKCON's position and support for religious rights in Bangladesh pic.twitter.com/dtP6Qu0NoR
— ISKCON (@iskcon) November 28, 2024
External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar told Parliament that New Delhi has taken serious note of incidents of violence against minorities in Bangladesh, holding Dhaka responsible for protecting the life and liberty of all the citizens.
The ties between the two neighbours have hit an all-time low amid attacks on minorities. MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said India expects that a fair and transparent trial will be ensured in the case of the Iskcon monk.
On the other hand, Bangladesh has alleged that India followed "double standards" on protection of minority communities. It also said it was concerned about the protest at the Deputy High Commission in Kolkata, urging India to ensure safety of its missions.
