Bangladesh has filed a sedition case against ISKCON’s Chinmaya Krishna and 18 others who hail from the Hindu community, for protesting in support of the rights of minorities in the country. According to reports, the Hindu saints and leaders have been booked under the stringent sedition case for hoisting a saffron flag, highlighting the plight of the Hindu community – a religious minority in the country – and exposing the government’s apathy towards the ongoing religious atrocities on Hindus.
Strongly condemning the action of the Muhammad Yunus–led Bangladesh government, Human Rights Congress for Bangladesh Minorities (HRCBM) reportedly said that it reveals a dark, state-sponsored agenda to silence those who defend minority rights.
“HRCBM condemns treason charges against Hindu leader Chinmaya Krishna Bhrammacharee and 18 others in Bangladesh. These charges reveal a dark, state-sponsored agenda to silence those who defend #minority rights,” the minority rights body posted on X.
“This systematic oppression, aimed at forcing minorities into submission, mirrors tactics of past regimes, signaling a dangerous turn in Bangladesh’s governance,” the rights body said, and called on global leaders and human rights advocates to stand against these oppressive tactics.
Last night, former US President Donald Trump also expressed concern over the ongoing attacks on Hindus in Bangladesh and other countries.
The case, reports said, seems to be one of retribution, coming at a time Hindu organizations held a large gathering in Chattogram seeking a law and tribunal for the protection of minorities.
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A sedition case wouldn’t have been lodged without approval from officials of the home ministry of Bangladesh, a report said.
The incident over which the sedition case has been filed is from October 25, when Hindu organizations of Bangladesh held a massive rally in Chattogram to press for their eight-point demand.
It included forming a tribunal to prosecute those who oppress minorities, bringing a law on minority protection, and establishing a ministry for minorities.
“A section of people in Bangladesh have tried to project the eight-point demand as one backed by the Awami League and the Indian government,” Chinmoy Krishna Das Brahmachari, President of Pundarik Dham, was quoted as saying.
The protests aren’t political and not against the Bangladesh government, but to put pressure on the administration to work to preserve minority rights, he added.
Communal sentiment has been prevalent in Bangladesh, and the population of Hindus has gone down from 22 percent in 1951 (then East Pakistan) to below 8 percent now.
Between 1964 and 2013, according to according to the Hindu American Foundation, over 11 million Hindus fled Bangladesh due to religious persecution.
