Bangladesh stops 63 ISKCON devotees from entering India citing 'safety' reason amidst rising tensions
Over the past two days, 63 ISKCON monks with valid travel documents were denied entry into India from Bangladesh and sent back from the Benapole border checkpoint.
 )
FollowOver the past two days, 63 ISKCON monks with valid travel documents were denied entry into India from Bangladesh and sent back from the Benapole border checkpoint. Authorities cited “suspicious activities” as the reason for barring their entry. According to the International Society for Krishna Consciousness (Iskcon) in Kolkata and various Bangladeshi media outlets, the monks were stopped from crossing the border on Saturday evening and Sunday morning amid growing concerns over rising atrocities against minorities.
According to The Daily Star newspaper, the immigration police stated that the monks, hailing from various districts in Bangladesh, lacked specific government approval for their travel, which led to their being denied entry into India. The monks arrived at the Benapole border on Saturday evening and Sunday morning, intending to cross into India, but were stopped by immigration authorities citing “suspicious travel.”
Why Bangladesh stopped ISKCON monks from entering India?
Officer-in-charge of Benapole Immigration Police, Imtiaz Ahsanul Quader Bhuiyan, stated, "We consulted the special branch of police and received instructions from higher authorities not to permit them to cross the border."
He went on to claim that the devotees carried valid passports and visas, but were “lacking specific government permission.”
As per reports, 54 ISKCON devotees tried to cross over to India on Saturday and nine others were stopped on Sunday.
The devotees, hailing from various districts in Bangladesh, had planned to travel to India to participate in a religious ceremony. “We came to participate in a religious ceremony in India, but immigration officials stopped us, citing the absence of government permission,” said Saurabh Tapandar Cheli, one of the ISKCON members.
Unsafe to travel to India: Bangladesh authorities to ISKCON monks
A report by Times of India, quoted Radharamn Das, vice-president of Iskcon Kolkata, as saying that the monks belonged to different units of ISKCON in Bangladesh.
“Considering the current situation in Bangladesh, they chose this period for a pilgrimage in India. But 9 were stopped on Saturday and another 54 on Sunday by BGB. They were told it was unsafe for them to travel to India at this point and asked to go back. I just wonder, on what grounds could they be disallowed from heading to another country despite having valid visas and other documents?” Das said.
The incident occurs amidst growing scrutiny of ISKCON in Bangladesh. On November 27, Hindu leader and ISKCON spokesperson Chinmoy Krishna Das was arrested at Dhaka’s Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport on charges of sedition. Authorities accused him and others of raising a saffron flag above the Bangladeshi national flag during an October 25 rally in Chattogram.
Das’s arrest has sparked protests among his supporters, culminating in violent clashes in Chattogram, which led to the death of a lawyer. In response, Bangladeshi authorities froze the bank accounts of 17 individuals associated with ISKCON, including Das, for a 30-day period.
Adding to the tensions, two ISKCON monks, Adi Purush Shyam Das and Ranganath Das, were arrested on Friday after visiting Das in prison to deliver prasad. Both monks, natives of Chattogram, were detained amid rising concerns over violence against Hindu minorities following the fall of the Sheikh Hasina government in August.
Despite the mounting pressure, the Bangladesh High Court declined to issue a suo motu order to ban ISKCON, a move some see as a temporary relief for the organization. However, Hindu minorities and ISKCON devotees continue to face increasing challenges, raising concerns over their safety and freedom of religious expression in the country.
subscribe to Asianet Newsable WhatsApp channel by clicking here.For more reliable and latest news
subscribe to Asianet Newsable Telegram channel by clicking here.
