The International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON) said on Saturday that miscreants had set fire to one of its temples and a center in Bangladesh.
“It seems that atrocities against minorities are continuing in Bangladesh. Our center and temple were burnt this afternoon. We are in deep pain,” Radharaman Das, Vice President and Spokesperson of ISKCON, Kolkata, told the media.
Das said that the arson and vandalism took place between 2 am and 3 am on Saturday.
“Another ISKCON Namhatta center has been burnt down in Bangladesh. The deity of Sri Sri Lakshmi Narayan and all the belongings inside the temple have been burnt and destroyed. The center is located in Dhaka,’ shared Radharamn Das in a post on X.
‘This morning around 2-3 o’clock, Sri Sri Radhakrishna Temple and Sri Sri Mahabhagya Lakshminarayan Temple belonging to the Hare Krishna Namhat Sangh in Dhaur village under the jurisdiction of Turag Police were set on fire in the afternoon. Station, Dhaka District. The tin roof behind the temple was lifted and the fire was started using petrol or octane,’ Das said in his post.
The arrest of ISKCON monk Chinmoy Krishna Das in Dhaka last month has sparked protests in West Bengal and other parts of India. Das, accused of sedition, had been leading protests against alleged atrocities against minorities in Bangladesh.
ISKCON had earlier claimed that many of its centers and temples in Bangladesh were being forcibly closed. Das also asked the devotees and monks of neighboring countries to be discreet and not to wear tilak or saffron robes in public places.
The issue was also raised in the Lok Sabha where BJP members urged the government to ensure the safety of Hindus and ISKCON followers in Bangladesh.
A private hospital in West Bengal and some doctors have announced they will not treat Bangladeshi patients, while hotels in Malda have also barred guests from neighboring countries.