Hindu priest Shyam Das Prabhu arrested in Bangladesh: ISKCON Kolkata

ISKCON Kolkata reports arrest of Hindu priest in Bangladesh, sparking clashes and international tensions over minority community safety.

International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON) Kolkata on Saturday (November 30, 2024) said that a Hindu priest Shyam Das Prabhu had been arrested in Bangladesh.

ISCKON Kolkata spokesperson Radharamn Das in a post on X said tha the priest was “arrested by the Chattogram police”.

The development comes days after the Dhaka Metropolitan Police on November 25, 2024 arrested Chinmoy Krishna Das, a Vaishnavite leader and one-time member of ISKCON in Bangladesh. Mr. Das’ arrest prompted protests demandng his release in Dhaka’s Shahbag neighbourhood and Chittagong, where he is based.

Since then, clashes intensified. On November 26, assistant public prosecutor Saiful Islam, the lawyer of Chinmoy Krishna Das, was killed during clashes between the security personnel and followers of the Hindu leader, who was denied bail and sent to jail by a Chittagong court, police said. Based on CCTV footage of the violence, authorities have reportedly arrested at least six people belonging to the Chhatra League, the student wing of the Awami League which was banned by the government in October.

The same day, a war of words broke out between India and Bangladesh after the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) termed the arrest and denial of bail for Mr. Das as “unfortunate” and expressed “deep concern” over incidents targeting minority communities in Bangladesh. The MEA’s statement called upon the interim government of Bangladesh to “ensure safety and security of Hindus and all minorities.”