Shocking Arrest in Bangladesh: Hindu Priest Shyam Das Prabhu Detained Amid Growing Tensions

Dhaka(The Uttam Hindu):ISKCON Kolkata confirmed on Saturday, November 30, 2024, that Hindu priest Shyam Das Prabhu was arrested in Bangladesh by Chattogram police. The arrest comes shortly after the Dhaka Metropolitan Police apprehended Chinmoy Krishna Das, a Vaishnavite leader and former member of ISKCON in Bangladesh, on November 25, 2024.

Radharamn Das, a spokesperson for ISKCON Kolkata, shared the news via a post on X, stating that Prabhu’s arrest had occurred in Chattogram.

This incident follows Chinmoy Krishna Das’s arrest, which led to protests demanding his release in Dhaka’s Shahbag neighborhood and Chittagong, his base of operations. Tensions escalated further, and on November 26, assistant public prosecutor Saiful Islam was killed in clashes between security forces and followers of Das, who had been denied bail and sent to jail by a Chittagong court. Police reports indicate that authorities arrested at least six people connected to the Chhatra League, a student wing of the Awami League that was banned by the government in October, based on CCTV footage from the unrest.

Simultaneously, tensions between India and Bangladesh intensified, as India’s Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) expressed concern over the arrest of Mr. Das and the denial of his bail. The MEA condemned the targeting of minority communities in Bangladesh and called for the safety and security of Hindus and other minorities in the country to be ensured by the interim government.