Massive protest held in Kolkata over ISKCON monk Chinmoy Krishna Das's arrest in Bangladesh
Kolkata/IBNS: A massive protest rally was held in the streets of Kolkata on Thursday against the arrest of ISKCON monk Chinmoy Krishna Das in Bangladesh amid Hindu persecution in the neighbouring country.
The rally, organised by the Hindu Jagaran Manch, was supposed to march to the Bangladesh Deputy High Commission from Sealdah Station.
However, they were stopped by the police on their way.
The Bangladesh authorities arrested Chinmoy Krishna Das over sedition charges at Dhaka Airport on Monday as he was leaving the country and was taken to a police station.
On Tuesday, the Bangladeshi court sent the monk to prison after rejecting his bail plea, triggering protests from the minority community and his followers.
Amid protests against his arrest, the Hindu minority leader was presented before Judge Kazi Shariful Islam of the Chittagong Sixth Metropolitan Magistrate's Court.
India has reacted to the arrest of Chinmoy Krishna Das and urged the Bangladeshi authorities to ensure the safety and security of Hindus and all minorities in the South Asian country reeling under chaos since the ouster of Sheikh Hasina.
India has expressed deep concern over the arrest of the Hindu monk.
"We have noted with deep concern the arrest and denial of bail to Shri Chinmoy Krishna Das, who is also the spokesperson of the Bangladesh Sammilit Sanatan Jagran Jote. This incident follows the multiple attacks on Hindus and other minorities by extremist elements in Bangladesh," The Ministry of External Affairs said in a statement.
Earlier in the day, Bangladesh's ousted Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina also condemned the murder of a lawyer in Chittagong and the arrest of Hindu monk Chinmoy Krishna Das, demanding his immediate release.
"A top leader of Sanatan religious community has been unjustly arrested, he must be released immediately. A temple has been burnt in Chittagong. Previously, mosques, shrines, churches, monasteries and homes of the Ahmadiyya community were attacked, vandalized and looted and set on fire," Hasina stated.
"Religious freedom and security of life and property of people of all communities should be ensured," she added.
Hasina fled to India following violent student protests in August.
Ever since the fall of the Sheikh Hasina government, the Hindu community, which is a minority in Bangladesh constituting only about 8 percent of the 170 million population, has faced over 200 attacks in 50-odd districts.
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