ISKCON
Bangladeshi immigration officials prevent 54 ISKCON members from travelling to India despite having valid passports, visas
Bangladeshi Immigration officials on Sunday refused to grant permission to 54 International Society for Krishna Consciousness (Iskcon) members to cross the border and travel to India through the Benapole check post despite having valid passports and visas, media reports said.
The incident came to light amid ongoing protests by Hindu community members across the country following the arrest of a religious leader Chinmoy Krishna Das in Chittagong.
Several radical groups have asked the interim government to ban the Hindu religious group in the South Asian country.
Imtiaz Ahsanul Quader Bhuiyan, officer-in-charge (OC) of the Benapole Immigration Police, told The Daily Star that they "lacked specific government permission" required for their travel.
"They cannot proceed without such approval," the OC said.
An ISKCON member said they were planning to visit India to participate in a religious event.
Saurabh Tapander Cheli, an ISKCON member, expressing his frustration, told Dhaka Tribune: “I came to attend a religious ceremony in India. But immigration authorities sent me back without providing any explanation.”
Bangladesh is once again witnessing turmoil since Chinmoy Krishna Das was arrested recently, triggering massive protests by minority community members in the country.
Bangladesh has been struggling for the past several months since a massive anti-job quota demonstration forced former PM Sheikh Hasina-led government to topple, ending her new term prematurely. She left the country amid a political crisis.
It is suspected that foreign hands were at play in orchestrating the unrest and planning her ouster.
Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus-led government took charge of the country just three days after Hasina exited the country. Yunus, known for his closeness to the US Democrats, also accepted later in an event in America that there was “design and conspiracy" involved in the ouster of Sheikh Hasina.
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