Centre at Dhaka set on fire, claims ISKCON

ISKCON temple in Dhaka set on fire, leading to arrests and protests, sparking tensions between India and Bangladesh.

“A centre of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON) was set on fire in Dhaka in Bangladesh,” a spokesperson of the religious order said on Saturday (December 7, 2024.)

“Early morning today, between 2-3 a.m., miscreants set fire to the Shri Shri Radha Krishna Temple and the Shri Shri Mahabhagya Lakshmi Narayan Temple, which fall under the Hare Krishna Namhatta Sangha, located in Dhour village, under the jurisdiction of Turag Police Station, Dhaka district,” Radharaman Das, the spokesperson of ISKCON Kolkata posted on social media.

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The ISKCON spokesperson said fire was initiated by lifting the tin roof at the back of the temple and using petrol or octane and all items inside the temple were burned down completely

According to ISKCON, there are more than 100 centres of the religious order in Bangladesh and four of its monks including Chinmoy Krishna Das have been arrested. Mr. Das said ISKCON monks are in touch with Bangladesh authorities and security is being provided to some of the temples of the order.

Various Hindutva organisations as well as the West Bengal Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leadership have organised protests in Kolkata and other parts of the State demanding the release of Chinmoy Krishna Das.

Certain groups including Leader of Opposition Suvendu Adhikari had called for an economic blockade of Bangladesh by stopping the movement of goods from the land ports. The development comes ahead of the proposed visit of Indian Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri to Bangladesh on December 9.