Dhaka:
Bangladesh’s immigration police on Sunday turned again 54 members of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness (Iskcon) who possessed legitimate journey paperwork and needed to cross into India from the Benapole border checkpoint.
Local media reported that the Bangladesh police didn’t permit them to proceed citing “suspicious journey”. Some even claimed that the whole variety of Hindus arriving on the border crossing was over 70.
It was reported that the Hindu devotees from varied elements of Bangladesh had arrived on the land port alongside the worldwide border on Saturday, wanting to go away the nation by means of the Benapole-Petrapole crossing.
“We consulted the Special Branch of Police and obtained directions from the upper authorities to not allow them,” Benapole Immigration Checkpost Officer-in-Charge (OC) Imtiaz Ahsanul Quader Bhuiya was quoted as saying by the Bangladesh’s Daily Star.
Bhuiya reportedly talked about that the Bangladeshi authorities didn’t permit 54 Iskcon devotees to journey to India as a consequence of “suspicions concerning their journey functions”.
However, a number of members of the group – who had been made to attend on the checkpoint since Saturday evening – acknowledged that they had been travelling to India for spiritual rituals with legitimate passports and visas however had been nonetheless turned again on Sunday with the authorities not giving any clear motive for his or her motion.
“We had been going to take part in a spiritual ceremony in India, however immigration officers stopped us, citing the absence of presidency permission,” Saurabh Tapandar Cheli, one of many Iskcon members, instructed native media retailers.
The Integrated Check Post (ICP) in Petrapole on the Indian aspect was collectively inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and former Bangladesh PM Sheikh Hasina in July 2016.
The minorities in Bangladesh, particularly Hindus, have come below a extreme assault by Islamist components in Bangladesh after the formation of the interim authorities within the nation headed by Chief Advisor Muhammad Yunus.
Earlier this week, after the arrest and denial of bail to Chinmoy Krishna Das – a spokesperson of the Bangladesh Sammilit Sanatan Jagran Jote who can be related to Iskcon Bangladesh – India had spotlighted that there are a number of documented circumstances of arson and looting of minorities’ properties and enterprise institutions, in addition to theft and vandalism and desecration of deities and temples, reported from Bangladesh.
“It is unlucky that whereas the perpetrators of those incidents stay at giant, expenses needs to be pressed towards a spiritual chief presenting official calls for by means of peaceable gatherings. We additionally word with concern the assaults on minorities protesting peacefully towards the arrest of Shri Das. We urge Bangladesh authorities to make sure the protection and safety of Hindus and all minorities, together with their proper of freedom of peaceable meeting and expression,” learn a press release issued by the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA).
Even as New Delhi stays involved with the rising extremist rhetoric and incidents of violence in Bangladesh, a number of radicals, together with Hasnat Abdullah and Sarjis Alam – who led the so-called ‘Anti-Discrimination Student Movement’ that finally resulted within the fall of presidency headed by former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina in August – proceed to orchestrate a disinformation marketing campaign towards Hindus and religious organisation Iskcon, calling it as an “agent of the Awami League” that needs to be banned within the nation instantly.
After sending Chinmoy Krishna Das to jail, Bangladesh’s Financial Intelligence Unit (BFIU) had ordered the freezing of his checking account and likewise of 16 extra Hindus who’re related to Iskcon in Bangladesh.
On Thursday, former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina had strongly condemned the “tortures” inflicted on frequent folks by the interim authorities in Bangladesh and referred to as for “instant launch” of the Hindu priest.
“A prime chief of the Sanatan spiritual group has been unjustly arrested, he have to be launched instantly,” mentioned Hasina.
The Bangladesh Awami League (AL) president and daughter of the ‘Father of the Nation’ Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman additionally spotlighted a number of incidents of persecution of members of minority communities which have been reported from throughout 52 districts in Bangladesh since her resignation on August 5, this 12 months.
“A temple has been burnt in Chittagong. Previously, mosques, shrines, church buildings, monasteries and homes of the Ahmadiyya group had been attacked, vandalized and looted and set on hearth. Religious freedom and safety of life and property of individuals of all communities needs to be ensured,” she acknowledged.
“After the killing of innumerable Awami League leaders and staff, college students and members of the legislation and order forces, harassment is happening by means of assaults and arrests. I strongly condemn and protest towards these anarchist actions,” Hasina added.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV employees and is printed from a syndicated feed.)