KOLKATA: Amid continuing violence against minorities, including Hindus, the International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON) on Saturday said that its temple in Bangladesh’s capital Dhaka was burnt down earlier in the day.
ISKCON Kolkata vice president Radharamn Das said that vandals set ablaze idols inside the temple at the Namhatta property. “ISKCON Namhatta Centre was burned down in Bangladesh. The deities of Sri Sri Laxmi Narayan temple and all items inside the temple were burned down completely… The temple, which falls under the Hare Krishna Namhatta Sangha is located in Dhour village under the jurisdiction of Turag police station in Dhaka district,” Das said.
“The fire was initiated by lifting the tin roof at the back of the temple and using petrol or octane,” he said. “It seems that atrocities against minorities in Bangladesh are continuing unabated,” he added.
According to Charu Chandra Das Brahmachary, general secretary of ISKCON, Bangladesh, the temple was set on fire after lifting the tin roof. “The fire was, however, doused quickly but an idol was damaged and curtains burnt,” he added.
A Turag police station official said a manhunt was launched to track down the culprits.
ISKCON had claimed earlier that many of its centres and temples were being forcibly shut down in Bangladesh. Das had also urged devotees and monks in the neighbouring country to be discreet and not wear tilak or saffron garb in public. The issue was also raised in the Lok Sabha with BJP members urging the government to ensure the safety of Hindus and ISKCON followers in Bangladesh.
The relations between India and Bangladesh came under strain after the interim government headed by Muhammad Yunus came to power after deposed prime minister Sheikh Hasina fled the country on August 5 following a student-led protest.
The relations deteriorated further in recent weeks over continued attacks on Hindus and especially after the recent arrest of Hindu monk Chinmoy Krishna Das, a former member of ISKCON Bangladesh and now, a spokesperson for the Bangladesh Sammilita Sanatani Jagran Jote organisation. The Iskcon Kolkata vice president also expressed concern over Chinmoy Krishna Das’s safety following his denial of bail and the violent attacks.
Das’ arrest in a sedition case on November 25 from Dhaka’s Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport had triggered demonstrations by supporters of the monk. An assistant government prosecutor, Saiful Islam Alif, was killed during a protest in Chattogram after the monk was denied bail on November 26. Protests have broken out in West Bengal and other parts of India over the arrest of Krishna Das in Dhaka.
The attacks on Hindus in Bangladesh have triggered protests in India. The Bangladesh foreign ministry summoned the Indian envoy recently and lodged a protest over the storming of the Bangladeshi mission in Agartala by a group of protesters.
Meanwhile, in the Indian state of Assam, the Barak Valley Hotel and Restaurant Association has announced they would not host any Bangladesh national till attacks on Hindus and other minorities in the neighbouring country stopped. A private hospital and some doctors in West Bengal had announced that they would not treat Bangladeshi patients, while hotels in Malda have also barred guests from the neighbouring country.